Call to the pen
Fansided

Yankees’ Refsnyder Should be First Option at Second Base

By Chris Rodriguez

facebooktwitterreddit

Rob Refsnyder hit his first Spring Training home run Friday against the Tigers, raising his average to .318 in 22 at-bats.  Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, who has batted .370 this spring are engaged in a competition for who will be the first call-up if Stephen Drew gets injured.  Based on pure production, they should be competing for the starting spot, but the Yankees are set on giving the declining veteran the job.  Drew has batted .192 in Spring Training with only 5 hits in 26 at-bats following a season where he batted .162 with an on-base percentage of .237  With an average far below the Mendoza line, it’s clear that his presence on the field cannot be justified regardless of his defensive abilities.

Unless Brendan Ryan, who has batted below .200 each of the last two seasons ends up on the disabled list, there won’t be room on the roster for Refsnyder or Pirela, meaning the Yankees will be getting little offense from second base. 

More from MLB Prospects

After posting a .318 average with a .387 on-base-percentage and slugging 14 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A, Refsnyder undoubtedly has earned a chance to compete for a roster spot.

With a roster plentiful of overpaid players, Refsnyder would give the Yankees roster a young high-ceiling player on an affordable contract.  More importantly, Refsnyder has the athleticism and arm strength to accompany the offensive capabilities that make him a better option than Drew at second base.  As one of the few players the Yankees’ scouting department seems to have gotten it right on, Refsnyder’s appearance would also give fans hope for the future, with the last home-grown promoted starter being the 31 year-old Brett Gardner.

Refsnyder is a fundamentally sound as they come at the plate. He shows great patience and balance in the batter’s box and controls the strike zone.  He knows how to put the barrel on the ball and should be able to hit for a high average in the majors.  As someone who works the count he’ll draw walks more often than the average second baseman. After posting a 212:155 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his minor league career and 12.3 walk percentage in Triple-A it’s likely that his patience should translate to the big leagues.

By contrast, Drew struck out 25 percent of the time in 2015 while walking only 9 percent of the time.  Add in the fact that Refsnyder, although not known for his power, posted a slugging percentage over 150 percentage points higher than Drew in Triple-A gives makes him likely to produce more extra-base hits in 2015.

More from Call to the Pen

The knock again Refsnyder has been his defense at second base. Drafted as a right-fielder, the former fifth-rounder converted to second base in pro ball.  That transition offers hope for even further development as he becomes more accustomed to the position.

Whether he improves or not, he’s solid enough to last there in the long-term.  For now, Refsnyder has the right mindset thanks to his coach at Arizona, Andy Lopez.  When bench players would complain about a lack of playing time, Lopez would assure them that he was putting out the lineup he believed best suited to win. Asked what separates Refsnyder from other players, Lopez said “Well, it’s baseball IQ and work ethic and character.  And Robert Refsnyder has all of those things”, according to the Journal News.

For now, the Yankees have a young second baseman on the verge of the majors. Whether they give him the chance to display his talent at the expense of a veteran remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he’s the superior option to Drew at second base.

Home/MLB Prospects