Texiambi
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The Yankees sign a big-name free agent first baseman coming off an MVP-caliber year to a mammoth long-term deal that will keep him in the Bronx well past the point he’s still worth his salary. The slugger goes crazy in his first season in pinstripes, putting up yet another MVP-caliber season. The first baseman’s second season in pinstripes is still very good, though perhaps a slight disappointment based on previous expectations. Things continue to go in the wrong direction in the third season, prompting the Yankee faithful to start wondering whether their $100 million man is heading down an irreconcilable path to offensive mediocrity.
Obviously the two men in question are and . In the latter’s case, his third season as a Yankee was an unmitigated disaster, due primarily to a year of health-related issues. However, many seem to forget that Giambi bounced back in a big way, turning in a huge 2005 campaign and ultimately finishing his seven-season Yankee career with a rather incredible .260/.404/.525 triple slash, .398 wOBA, 143 wRC+ and 21.8 fWAR.
Giambi often seems to be overlooked by Yankee fans, but he has a legitimate claim to being one of the most potent offensive weapons in Yankee history. Consider this: through ‘s first seven seasons as a Yankee (2004-2010), he put up the following line: .296/.393/.559, .407 wOBA, 151 wRC+. Giambi’s damn close to those numbers, and that includes his wretched 2004.
In the former’s case, unfortunately Tex’s third-year struggles can’t be chalked up to a series of insane injuries. Of course, his third year also wasn’t as bad as Giambi’s was.
Still, Giambi has a considerable edge even when isolating both players’ first three seasons as Yankees:
Tex: .266/.363/.514, .377 wOBA, 133 wRC+, 12.6 fWAR
Giambi: .269/.408/.528, .402 wOBA, 149 wRC+, 12.0 fWAR
What does any of this have to do with anything? I’m not really sure, other than to show that the Yankees’ previous big-ticket first baseman, who many considered finished following that woeful 2004, was far from done despite a disappointing third year as a Yankee.
I don’t think many think Tex is actually cooked or on an irreversible downward slide just yet, but the numbers clearly haven’t been all that encouraging, and the natives could begin to get restless if he begins next season in one of his patented April slumps. Before Giambi essentially resurrected his career and rewrote his Yankee legacy in 2005, you may recall that he was actually asked to accept an assignment to the minors in May of that season. Bottoming out at just .195/.386/.325 on May 9, the 34-year-old didn’t want to be sent down, claiming he could work his issues out with then-hitting coach Don Mattingly, and went on to hit an insane .288/.453/.582 over the remainder of the season. I doubt the 32-year-old version of Mark Teixeira will sink to those depths — or recover in such torrid fashion — but I use this point simply to illustrate that there is likely more left in Tex’s bat than it might otherwise seem.
Fortunately even if Tex is unable to get back to his previously high standards, he can make up for some of his missing offensive value with his glove, but he’d certainly calm a lot of nerves in Yankeeland if he could return to somewhere in the neighborhood of the .380-.400 wOBA player he was not too long ago.
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Definitely an interesting comparison. Both Tex and Giambi seemed to get too pull-happy in the stadium because of the short porch, and it remains to be seen if Kevin Long can help him change that. Tex seems less likely to break down physically because he didn’t use steroids, and will also provide more defensive value than Giambi, so he is a safer bet to provide value over the length of the contract.
This should just serve as a reminder that, no, Jason Giambi did not suck with the Yankees.
I need a reminder every now and then because I still have a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I think of him. This may be confirmation biased but I always remember him as the oft injured, all or nothing, no defense, unclutch player who wasn’t worth his contract. Thats what annoys me the most was the amount of years they gave him, and how happy I was when the Yankees were finally free of that contract.I didn’t know much about advanced stats back then but I really just couldn’t get behind this guy.
Giambi’s lows were so low, that I think it overshadows his highs (if that makes sense).
As streaky as tex has become, I doubt we’ll ever see him be asked to go work it out in AAA any time soon.
But then there is the defensive value, so he’s got that going for him.
at least giambi got a clutch hit once in a while! something teixeira hasnt done in 3 yrs
I agree it seems Tex comes up small in big spots, but lets not forget his walk off homerun in game 2 of the ’09 ALDS.
Tex has only his defense going for him. He essentially is a “slugger” and is a liability to “hitting” situations; he can’t hit to the opposite field, he can’t run, he can sacrifice, and he certainly can’t situationally hit. HE’S STRICTLY A SLUGGER… Was he worth the money… hell no! I’d prefer Tino Martinez over him, and definitely Mattingly. Pitchers have his number, pitch anything ankle high or better yet “bowl” the ball… he’ll swing!!!
Tex has better defensive skills. That is one of the reasons I don’t see him declining that much.
Great article, one question though, how did you make those graphs? Excel?
Thank you, and yes.
tex is a good player great defensive player.remember when you play for the Yankees it what you do in October what counts…right now he is not doing his job..if you don’t do your job in October the boo birds will get you…….
Tony164 hits better than Tex man in the clutch..
He had his chances two years in a row and looked like scrub in October.Remember Chris Chambliss I sure do….payed less performed better…..
Chambliss’s OPS in his postseason career was .714. So it’s not like he was ripping the cover off the ball, other than his big hit in ’75.
It’s because they are wearing or wore #25… discussion over
Tex needs to work on a more compact swing, he needs to hit for singles and not for HR’s all the time. He strikes out too much. Choke up a bit on 0-2. Thurman, Sweet Lou, Mattingly, Bernie, Paul O’Neil and others would get clutch singles because they did not try to hit a HR on every at bat. Tex needs to change his philosophy as a batter. We need more contact swings. A single with the bases loaded knocks in two. A wild strikeout does nothing.
I’ll take outstanding defense and mediocre hitting mixed in with 40 HR and 100 RBIs any day. Remember folks Tex saved our asses numerous times on the field during the 09 run especially in the ALCS. Lets not diregard this fact before we burn him at the stake.
Your right. I haven’t been paying close attention to baseball for as long as most around here I would imagine, but he is the best defensive 1B I have ever seen. He saves a lot of errant throws, singles and doubles. He plays 1B like a good 3B. But he has 5 more years with the team, and his numbers are dive bombing the last 2 seasons. He is not the guy we thought we were getting when we signed him. He was on his way to being considered one of the best switch hitters of all time. He can be a cog in the wheel in the great Yankee offense, but he signed signed to be a driver. As of right now he is the highest paid first baseman. Is he even top 5?
Best moment I have ever witnessed live at a game was a Giambi walkoff homerun to end a rockies game this year. I’ve always admired the guy.
I forgot to mention it came with two outs. Love that guy!
I always loved Giambi during the celebrations after the Yankees clinched a playoff spot. I recall a few years he could be seen walking around the lockeroom with a a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand. Guy partied like a rock star. He was Nick Swisher before Nick Swisher.
tex went down hill when teams put theshift on him,it seems to have cost him 40 points off his average,every one knows this.my concern is why can’t the yankee hitting coach and girardi make this happen?Is it that tex cannot do it or is girardi still waiting for tex to come out of a “slump”