Home Confines Comfort Curtis
It's been common knowledge that players, regardless of sport, perform better at home. They can sleep in their own beds and can stick to the routines and superstitions that make them comfortable. This season so far, Curtis Granderson has taken home success to a whole new level. It seems as if his run production only comes when he's playing games at 161st street and River ave.
When Granderson came to the Yankees before the 2010 season, it was said that he would hit 40 home runs over the course of a season now that he would be playing half his games with the short porch in right. Injuries and adjustments slowed him down in '10. He hit just .247 with 24 homers and 67 rbi. In 2011 as everyone knows, Granderson exploded and played like the player GM Brian Cashman thought he was getting. Granderson belted 41 homers and drove in 119, while scoring a league leading 136 runs.
Grandersons home/away splits for his previous two seasons are as follows.
2010: 233 home at bats, 14 home runs, 32 rbi. 233 away at bats, 10 home runs, 35 rbi. 2011: 279 home at bats, 21 home runs, 62 rbi. 304 away at bats, 20 home runs, 57 rbi.
As you can see, the production is pretty much similar. This year, his run production is pretty much limited to home games.
In 33 total games, Granderson is hitting .264 with 11 homers and 23 rbi. He's hit 10 of those home runs at Yankee Stadium and driven in 14. Granderson's at bats are pretty much equal: 69 at home, 60 away. His average at home is .290. On the road it's .233. Why is he struggling so much on the road? Could he be getting too "pull-happy" at home with the short porch?
In order for the Yankees to be successful, they need to be consistent. Players can't produce at home then practically disappear on the road. Teams that win dominate at home and play well on the road. Granderson is so important to the Yankees lineup. Against righties he hits second behind Jeter and in front of Arod, hoping to set innings up for Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira and co. Against lefties he hits sixth, and can really drive in some runs if the men before him reach base.
Players usually finish with numbers similar to other years on the back of their baseball cards, barring injuries. I fully expect Granderson to recover and produce on the road. However, it will be interesting to see if certain trends continue in this Yankee season. Derek Jeter is hitting at an unbelievable pace, Arod can't hit lefties and Mark Teixeira can't hit with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees will begin a mini four-game road trip, starting in Baltimore tonight where Yankees hitters have fared exceptionally well over the years. Be sure to keep an eye on Granderson's performance.