I realize that A-Rod is a great player and has hit a ton of home runs over his career. Rodriguez strikes fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers.
But he is in his mid 30's now, possibly the twilight of his prime, and he just hasn't had the same power stroke this year.
Should someone else bat fourth in the Yankee lineup? I say yes.
The question is, who can do a better job than A-Rod? Not Teixeira with his struggles right now. Possibly Swisher. But Nick seems inconsistent year in and year out.
Robinson Cano, who has done quite well batting fifth for the Yanks this year, is the only possible option I see.
Many worried about Cano's struggles with runners in scoring position. But he seems to have solved those problems. Cano is batting .333, with three home runs and 29 RBI, with RISP this season.
He also leads the Yankees with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, and a .359 average. Cano leads the league in hits, with 69, heading into Sunday's game.
A-Rod has been solid this year, with 35 RBI and six home runs, but has only batted .286 this season. His .368 on-base percentage is Rodriguez's worst since 1999.
Cano is a more well-rounded player in every category, and has been impressive at the plate this season. I think he deserves a shot at the clean up spot.
If not clean-up, then he needs to switch places with Teixeira, who is hitting a lowly .217 out of the three hole,. This might be A-Rod's problem, there's no one getting on base in front of him.
Either way, a lineup shift might be looming for the Yanks and Cano could be on the rise in the batting order.
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