Yankees- Curtis Granderson- Perhaps the biggest difference between the 2009 and 2010 Yankees is that the 2010 edition will be entering the season with a clear answer to centerfield. When the Yankees sent Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy elsewhere they got back the strong and potentially long-term answer to centerfield that has eluded them since the golden age of Bernie Williams. Granderson offers that rare combination of speed and power that you just have to love. I know their are a lot of Yankees fans who have coveted him since his Tigers knocked the Yanks out in the first round of the 2006 playoffs and now they'll finally get their wish.
He's coming off of a third straight year of decline but Brian Cashman and the Yanks did well to buy low on him. His BABIP in 2009 was .276 compared to a career mark of .323. While some of that can be pinned on a high FB% and a low GB%, some of those FB outs are going to turn into homeruns in the cozy confines of Yankee Stadium. I don't think a FB% six points higher than his career average can totally account for a change like that either, so bad luck was definitely a factor. Don't count on him reverting back to his 2007 MVP level form but I think something like his 2008 when he put up a line of .280/.365/.453 with a wOBA of .374 is a pretty realistic expectation.
We can't really be sure what we'll be getting from him on defense either. In 2006 and 2007 he was outstanding and saved his team over 13 runs over the course of the season both years, in 2008 he was awful and cost his team 8.9 runs, and in 2009 he saved his team only 1.6 runs (all according to UZR). They'd probably be better off putting Granderson in left and Gardner in center but I doubt they'll do that and they could still sign another leftfielder anyway. The Yankees have probably found the answer to centerfield though, even if it costed them A-Jax. He has a Jeter-like reputation off the field and produces on the field. If he can rebound in 2010, the Yankees are going to have another big hitter in their lineup.
Red Sox- Jacoby Ellsbury- Boston may have also found their centerfielder of the future after a few years of trying to plug the hole that Johnny Damon left when he bolted for the Bronx. Jacoby Ellsbury's name has been thrown around for a while now and he impressed in his major league debut in 2007. However, 2009 was the first time he really stepped forward and proved he could be a starter in the major leagues. It was a big improvement, at least offensively, over his 2008 for the 26 year old. He also further showed how much of a weapon his speed can be by leading all of the major leagues with his 70 stolen bases.
In his 2009 campaign he made a strange change. While his offense did improve, as one might expect from a young player still learning how to play at a ML level, his defense fell off a cliff. His wOBA went from .333 in 2008 to .354 in 2009. He was pretty much a replacement level player offensively in 2008 but in 2009 he actually contributed 11.8 runs above what a replacement level player would have according to fangraphs.com. The complete detoriation of his defense though erased the positive impact of his improved bat. In 2008 he spent time at all three outfield spots and played well in all of them. However, last year he played center exclusively and posted a -18.6 UZR out there.
To tell you the truth, Ellsbury probably belongs in a corner outfield spot. Especially with Mike Cameron on the team and I have to think that he'll eventually be moved. However, he's played a strong centerfield in the past and clearly has the pure speed to handle it. The Ellsbury/Cameron dynamic will be an interesting storyline to follow this year, especially if his defense doesn't improve.
Advantage- Yankees- With the Yankees and the Red Sox the rivalries can extend down to individual players when they both become fixtures at their position. Think of Jeter and Nomar or Posada and Varitek. We may have another one of these developing in centerfield. Both Granderson and Ellsbury look like long-term answers for their respective teams. Granderson is much more proven though and his power truly dwarfs Ellsbury's. With that short porch in right, I could see the new Yankee centerfielder hitting over 30 homers on a regular basis. Thrown in the solid defense he should provide and you have a pretty potent weapon batting behind A-Rod and Texeira in the #5 hole.
