Time to start worrying about Mark Teixeira?
Eleven.
That's the total number of hits by Mark Teixeira through Tuesday's games. In 79 at-bats.
Tomorrow is Saturday, the first day of May. Can we now start worrying about Teixeira's offensive production? Or should we just celebrate that he's 3-for-12 in the last three games and has elevated his average 20 points all the way up to .139?
Some articles have been written here and there, and conversations have been had, but the overwhelming feeling has been that this is what Teixeira does in April. Nothing.
Feelings can be conflicting.
Perhaps a little background to help understand this notion. Let's take a look at Teixeira's April performances over his career:
| APRIL | AB | H | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 64 | 12 | 2 | 7 | .188 | .288 |
| 2004 | 29 | 8 | 2 | 7 | .276 | .432 |
| 2005 | 103 | 27 | 6 | 14 | .262 | .321 |
| 2006 | 99 | 29 | 3 | 13 | .293 | .391 |
| 2007 | 91 | 21 | 2 | 6 | .231 | .346 |
| 2008* | 110 | 30 | 4 | 17 | .273 | .333 |
| 2009 | 70 | 14 | 3 | 10 | .200 | .367 |
| 2010 | 79 | 11 | 2 | 9 | .139 | .292 |
Now a quick look at Teixeira's career numbers
| YEAR | AB | H | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 520 | 137 | 26 | 84 | .259 | .331 |
| 2004 | 545 | 153 | 38 | 112 | .281 | .370 |
| 2005 | 644 | 194 | 43 | 144 | .301 | .379 |
| 2006 | 628 | 177 | 33 | 110 | .282 | .371 |
| 2007 | 494 | 161 | 30 | 105 | .306 | .400 |
| 2008 | 574 | 177 | 33 | 121 | .308 | .410 |
| 2009 | 609 | 178 | 39 | 122 | .292 | .383 |
Teixeira's average in 2009 dipped to .191 as low as May 12. Clearly, his overall season numbers prove Teixeira's offensive production at year's end is undeniably good. Think how much better they'd look if he could just hit the ball in April.
May is going to be here in a matter of hours, so perhaps it's time to concern ourselves with the lack of offense by Teixeira. To his credit, he has kept his eye: 15 walks and .292 on-base percentage have lessened the outrage of Yankees fans. Robinson Cano's hot start has kept the harsh critiques at bay, as well.
Yes, Teixeira's defense is impeccable and he saves runs with his glove, but that's not the point of this post. The glove can only replace so much at the plate.
* includes 2 games in March
PHOTOS: Mark Teixeira
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