After watching the New York Yankees play day after day, it is sickening to see the amount of times Mark Teixeira hits into the shift when he bats from the left side. As a career .284 hitter, Teixeira’s batting average has dipped way below that mark since the 2009 season. In 2009, the last time the Yankees won the World Series, Teixeira hit .292, homered 39 times and drove in 122 runs. 2010 saw almost a 40-point drop in batting average; however, the power numbers were still there. This year has seen a further decrease in batting average with him hovering around the .250 mark. Even so, his power numbers are still there as he ranks 3rd in the AL with 19 homers.
This is not the guy the Yankees are paying for. Teixeira is putting up numbers of someone who hits for a low average but hits his share of homeruns. The guy that the Yankees signed was supposed to be a power-hitter who also hit for average (never hitting below .280 since his rookie season). That was until opposing teams started putting on the shift every time Teixeira came up to the plate left-handed. Opposing teams started employing the shift full-time against Tex last season. That was also when his batting average dropped 36 points from the previous year.
In 2009, as a left-handed batter, Teixeira hit .282. The following year, the year the shift was permanently put in place, he hit .244. This year so far, Teixeira is hitting a measly .242.
We all know Tex is one of the best power bats in the game. Any at-bat can potentially result in a homer. However, his stubbornness to hit through the shift has cost him not only a lower batting average, but also an opportunity for the Yankees to have someone on base. The opposing team is leaving the whole third-base side of the infield wide-open. It wouldn’t hurt to drop a bunt down the third baseline a few times for an easy hit. Actually, it would only help. If Teixeira shows other teams that he is more than capable of dropping a bunt down to get on base, he may not see the shift as often. As a result, the bunt hits would add to his low batting average, and the line drives to Right Field would drop in as hits. Runs are scored by men being on base, something the Yanks need more of. So Tex, it’s time for you to become a team player, swallow your pride and drop a couple bunts down the third-base line.