Jorge Posada, C, New York Yankees

June 11, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Steven Kraser
Edited by Ryan Dodson

New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada has been perhaps as busy as ever in this, his 13th major league season. Although the Yankees' offense has been coming around of late, Posada has not had much company within the regular lineup as far as being a consistent producer at the plate in 2007. Given his importance in the lineup, Posada has had little rest - frequently pinch hitting when he was scheduled to get a full day off.

Batting a whopping .358 (second in the AL) on June 10, Posada is enjoying an offensive burst that has seen him among the major league leaders in batting throughout this season. An obvious question is whether or not Posada will be able to keep on producing at his current clip the entire season.

The Game Plan

It seems that New York has been searching for a serviceable backup catcher since Posada became the full-time starter in 1998. From the likes of John Flaherty, Sal Fasano, Chris Widger, Kelly Stinnett and the latest entry, Wil Nieves, the team has not gotten the level of production expected from that spot.

Given his extensive workload, Posada may be hard pressed to stay at his batting average pace, as he entered the 2007 with a .270 career mark. However, his overall production in the runs, home runs, RBI and OBP departments may approach or top career highs:

Table: Jorge Posada's Statistics (2004-2006)

Yr	Team	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2004	NYY	137	449	72	122	21	81	88	92	.272	.400	.481	.881
2005	NYY	142	474	67	124	19	71	66	94	.262	.352	.430	.802
2006	NYY	143	465	65	129	23	93	64	97	.277	.374	.492	.866

If he stays at his current game-appearance rate (57 of the team's first 60 games this season), Posada projects out to the following:

• 95 runs, 195 hits, 19 home runs, 108 RBI, 54 walks and a .413 on-base percentage

If these numbers are achieved, Posada will top his career highs in runs, hits and RBI. It goes without saying that his current batting average will by far exceed his best batting output for a season (.287 in 2000).

Conclusion

The odds are Posada's batting average declines a bit, given the toll catching everyday takes. However, with the surrounding cast in the lineup improving if late, his other fantasy offensive numbers could reach or hit the above-mentioned projection figures. The Yankees may still look to replace Nieves come mid-season, picking up a veteran catcher via trade or via waivers - resulting in a lighter workload for Posada.

Bottom Line

Posada has a player option for 2008, but this is a walk year. That's always an incentive to produce at a high clip; although it seems likely that Posada will remain a Yankee his entire career.

With the Yankees' offense likely to remain potent throughout 2007 (currently third in runs scored in the major leagues), look for Posada to finish up with a career high in batting average (.295 - .315) and approaching 20 homers, 90-100 RBI and 175 hits.

Posada has been a top-level fantasy producer at the catcher position all season and a strong consideration for the No. 1 spot at the position for all owners. If you drafted Posada this season, he should not disappoint as he could continue to be a solid offensive contributor for the remainder of the fantasy season.

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Steven Kraser

Steven Kraser is a management consultant for the sports management and entertainment business. He has consulted for professional and college franchises, leagues and news agencies in the areas of strategy, finance, and business operations. He has been a KFFL Contributor since 2003.

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