​
​
Sign In
  • Support FanGraphs
    FanGraphs Membership
    FanGraphs Shirts
    FanGraphs Mugs
    Gift a Membership
    Donate to FanGraphs
  • Fantasy
    Fantasy Tools
    Fantasy Player Rater
    Auction Calculator
    Ottoneu Fantasy Baseball
    Signup, FAQ, Blog Posts
  • Blogs
    Blog Roll

    FanGraphs
    • Can I Interest You in a Lightly Used Oriole?
    • 2025 Trade Value Series Chat
    • 2025 Trade Value: Nos. 1-10
    • Effectively Wild Episode 2352: Turn Every Paige
    Podcasts: Effectively Wild

    FanGraphs Prospects

    RotoGraphs
    • Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner: July 28–August 3
    • The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1437 – Batter Rebounds to Believe In
    Podcasts: The Sleeper and The Bust | Field of Streams | Beat the Shift

    Community Research
    • Effectively Wild's Preseason Predictions Game Update: Ben Clemens

    Archived Blogs: The Hardball Times | NotGraphs | TechGraphs | FanGraphs+
    Archived THT: THT Live | Dispatch | Fantasy | ShysterBall
    Archived Podcasts: FanGraphs Audio | Chin Music | UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project | Stealing Home | Doing It For Bartolo | OttoGraphs |
  • Projections
    2025 Pre-Season Projections
    ZiPS, ZiPS DC
    Steamer
    Depth Charts
    ATC
    THE BAT, THE BAT X
    OOPSY
    2025 600 PA / 200 IP Projections
    Steamer600, Steamer600 (Update)
    2025 Updated In-Season Projections
    ZiPS (RoS), ZiPS (Update), ZiPS DC (RoS)
    Steamer (RoS), Steamer (Update)
    Depth Charts (RoS)
    ATC DC (RoS)
    THE BAT (RoS), THE BAT X (RoS)
    OOPSY DC (RoS)
    3-Year Projections
    ZiPS 2026, ZiPS 2027
    On-Pace Leaders
    Every Game Played, Games Played %
    Cy Young Award Projections

    Auction Calculator
  • Scores
    Today
    Live Scoreboard, Probable Pitchers
    Live Daily Leaderboards
    Win Probability & Box Scores
    2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
    AL Games
    BAL (4) @ CLE (3)Final
    TOR (11) @ DET (4)Final
    ATH (5) @ HOU (2)Final
    SEA (4) @ LAA (2)Final
    NL Games
    SDP (7) @ STL (9)Final
  • Standings
    2025 Projected Standings
    2025 Playoff Odds, Playoff Odds Graphs
    2024 ZiPS Postseason Game-By-Game Odds
    AL East
    Blue Jays61420.0
    Yankees56464.5
    Red Sox55496.5
    Rays53508.0
    Orioles455715.5
    AL Central
    Tigers60440.0
    Guardians51518.0
    Royals50539.5
    Twins495310.0
    White Sox376622.5
    AL West
    Astros60430.0
    Mariners55485.0
    Rangers53507.0
    Angels495411.0
    Athletics436218.0
    NL East
    Mets59440.0
    Phillies58440.5
    Marlins485310.0
    Braves445714.0
    Nationals416117.5
    NL Central
    Brewers61410.0
    Cubs60421.0
    Reds53508.5
    Cardinals53519.0
    Pirates426119.5
    NL West
    Dodgers60430.0
    Padres55485.0
    Giants54496.0
    D-backs505310.0
    Rockies267633.5
  • Leaders
    Major League Leaders
    Batting: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
    Pitching: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
    Fielding: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
    Major League Leaders - Rank
    Batting: Ranking Grid, Compare Players, Compare Stats
    Pitching: Ranking Grid, Compare Players, Compare Stats
    Splits Leaderboards
    Pitch-Type Splits Leaderboards
    Season Stat Grid

    Postseason Leaders
    Batting: 2024, (WS), (LCS), (LDS), (WCS), Career
    Pitching: 2024, (WS), (LCS), (LDS), (WCS), Career

    Spring Training Leaders
    Batting: 2025, 2024, 2023
    Pitching: 2025, 2024, 2023

    KBO Leaders
    Batting, Pitching
    NPB Leaders
    Batting, Pitching

    Minor League Leaders
    AAA: International League, Pacific Coast League
    AA: Eastern League, Southern League, Texas League
    A+: Midwest League, South Atlantic League, Northwest League
    A: California League, Carolina League, Florida State League
    CPX: Arizona, Florida
    R: Dominican Summer League
    College Leaders
    Batting, Pitching

    WAR Tools
    Combined WAR Leaderboards
    WAR Graphs
    WPA Tools
    WPA Inquirer
    Rookie Leaders
    Batters 2025, Pitchers 2025
    Splits Leaders
    Batters: vs L, vs R, Home, Away
    Pitchers: vs L, vs R, Home, Away
  • Teams
    Team Batting Stats
    2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
    Team Pitching Stats
    2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
    Team WAR Totals (RoS)
    AL East
    Blue Jays  |  DC
    Orioles  |  DC
    Rays  |  DC
    Red Sox  |  DC
    Yankees  |  DC
    AL Central
    Guardians  |  DC
    Royals  |  DC
    Tigers  |  DC
    Twins  |  DC
    White Sox  |  DC
    AL West
    Angels  |  DC
    Astros  |  DC
    Athletics  |  DC
    Mariners  |  DC
    Rangers  |  DC
    NL East
    Braves  |  DC
    Marlins  |  DC
    Mets  |  DC
    Nationals  |  DC
    Phillies  |  DC
    NL Central
    Brewers  |  DC
    Cardinals  |  DC
    Cubs  |  DC
    Pirates  |  DC
    Reds  |  DC
    NL West
    D-backs  |  DC
    Dodgers  |  DC
    Giants  |  DC
    Padres  |  DC
    Rockies  |  DC
    Positional Depth Charts
    Batters: C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, RF, DH
    Pitchers: SP, RP
  • RosterResource
    Current Depth Charts
    AL East
    Blue Jays
    Orioles
    Rays
    Red Sox
    Yankees
    AL Central
    Guardians
    Royals
    Tigers
    Twins
    White Sox
    AL West
    Angels
    Astros
    Athletics
    Mariners
    Rangers
    NL East
    Braves
    Marlins
    Mets
    Nationals
    Phillies
    NL Central
    Brewers
    Cardinals
    Cubs
    Pirates
    Reds
    NL West
    D-backs
    Dodgers
    Giants
    Padres
    Rockies
    In-Season Tools
    2025 Closer Depth Chart
    2025 Injury Report
    2025 Payroll Pages
    2025 Transaction Tracker
    2025 Schedule Grid
    2025 Probables Grid
    2025 Lineup Tracker
    2025 Minor League Power Rankings
    Offseason Tools
    2025 Free Agent Tracker
    2025 Offseason Tracker
    2025 Opening Day Tracker
  • Prospects
    Prospects Home
    The Board
    The Board: Scouting + Stats!
    How To Use The Board: A Tutorial
    Farm System Rankings

    Top Prospects List
    20252024
    AL
    BALCHWATH
    BOSCLEHOU
    NYYDETLAA
    TBRKCRSEA
    TORMINTEX
    NL
    ATLCHCARI
    MIACINCOL
    NYMMILLAD
    PHIPITSDP
    WSNSTLSFG
    2025 Preseason Top 100
  • Glossary
    Library
    Batting Stats
    wOBA, wRC+, ISO, K% & BB%, more...
    Pitching Stats
    FIP, xFIP, BABIP, K/9 & BB/9, more...
    Defensive Stats
    UZR Primer, DRS, FSR, TZ & TZL, more...
    More
    WAR, UBR Primer, WPA, LI, Clutch
    Guts!
    Seasonal Constants
    Park Factors
    Park Factors by Handedness
  • Sign In
LIVE CHAT: Join Ben Clemens for a Trade Value Series chat!

The Yankees Disadvantage at DH

by Joe Pawlikowski
June 2, 2011

The Yankees have a problem with their offense, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at the aggregate numbers. They not only lead the AL in scoring, but they are the only team that has scored more than five runs per game. Their lead over the next closest team is nearly a third of a run. Their team .345 wOBA leads the majors, and even with a park adjustment their 117 wRC+ leads as well. They are the only team that has three players with double-digit home runs, and two of those players rank in the top four. Pick any offensive measure and they’re sure to grade out at or near the top. So where’s the problem? Strangely enough, it involves the one position reserved solely for hitters.

The transition from catcher to designated hitter has not gone smoothly for Jorge Posada. He started looking his age during his first month in the role, producing a .267 wOBA that was fueled almost completely by his six home runs. The last of those six came on April 23rd, and he has yet to hit once since. He’s shown some improvement in other aspects of his game, hitting a mostly powerless .293 wOBA in May, but the word improvement is used in a strictly relative sense. Even then, much of the uptick comes from his new role as not just a DH, but a platoon DH. He’s 0 for the season against left-handed pitching, and has sat every time the Yankees have faced a lefty in the past two weeks. It has made his numbers appear nicer, but it does little to solve the underlying problem.

How big can the problem be? you might be asking. After all, the Yankees do have that sizable lead over the competitions’ offenses, and so they can probably afford to punt the DH spot. My hope is that everyone saw the sheer irrationality of that notion. Posada is a legacy, a lifetime Yankee who has produced some of the best numbers and biggest moments in recent team history. But he’s doing little to help the current team achieve its goal of winning the World Series. Even as the Yankees cut his playing time, they’re still not getting much production out of the DH spot, period. The team has a .286 wOBA in that spot, which ranks dead last in the league. Considering the Yankees’ vast resources, this is a missed opportunity.

For a moment let’s set aside the drama involved in excising Posada from the roster and focus on what the Yankees can do. The DH spot is, after all, probably the easiest to fill at this point in the season, and it represents the best opportunity for the Yankees to turn a weakness into a strength. Imagine their offense if they had even the fourth-best DH in the AL. They have a number of options both within and outside the organization that could help bring about this improvement.

The Option from Within

If the Yankees want the simplest fix to their problem, they could recall their best prospect, Jesus Montero. He ranks among the best prospects in the game, and even made the No. 3 spot on Keith Law’s updated list. Last year, as a 20-year-old in AAA he got off to a slow start but rallied in the second half to finish with a .375 wOBA. This year he’s been a bit better from the start, but is a bit under expectations at a .343 wOBA through 189 PA. If he heats up similarly in the second half he could not only help the Yankees solve their DH problem, but he could make them more flexible.

The one knock on Montero is his poor defense behind the plate. While the Yankees maintain that he can be an average defensive catcher in the majors, they are the only entity that holds that claim. Every other scouting body, from anonymous ones to Keith Law to Baseball America to Kevin Goldstein, believes that he’ll be quite terrible in a full-time catching role. If the Yankees want to continue his defensive development while bringing him onto the major league roster, they could employ him in the same manner as the Tigers have Victor Martinez. That is, backup catcher and primary DH.

Having one man fill both spots would give the Yankees incredible roster flexibility. They could option Francisco Cervelli, leaving another spot on the bench open for Eric Chavez when he returns. That way they could keep Chavez and Chris Dickerson (or Justin Maxwell if they want a right-handed bat) as a fifth outfielder. The deep bench would allow them to continue giving Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter half days off at DH while Montero catches or takes a breather. In that way it seems like the ideal solution. They get to 1) call up a top prospect, 2) presumably improve their biggest weakness, 3) continue rotating veterans at DH, 4) maintain a deep and flexible bench, and 5) still have reasonable playing time for everyone.

Of course, relying on a youngster, especially a 21-year-old, to step in and produce immediately can end in disappointment. Young players develop at different rates, and that sometimes involves struggles upon initial promotion. Since the primary aim of this exercise is to improve the DH spot, the other effects become less attractive if Montero doesn’t hit from the get-go. The prospect of his struggles could have the Yankees looking elsewhere.

Outside the Organization

This week we have spent time running down trade candidates that can help contenders. I found it curious, though, that neither the 1B/DH nor the corner outfielder post mentioned the Yankees as a possible destination for any of the targets. Both Eric and Jonah wrote about a number of players who could fit right into that DH spot. Furthermore, a couple of them would make the Yankees more versatile. I’ll list them form least to most likely.

Carlos Pena. The Cubs had their eyes on the NL Central crown when they signed Pena to a one-year, $10 million contract this past off-season. That plan has clearly gone awry. They’re currently 23-31, three games behind the Pirates and 8.5 games out of first. Pena could be one of the first guys they trade. They might find trouble finding a team to pay $5 million for a half season of Pena, but money is rarely, if ever, an object for the Yankees when they seek to improve. Pena is familiar with the AL East, and his pull-heavy ways would play well at Yankee Stadium. He would essentially replace Posada as the platoon DH against righties, while also being capable of giving Mark Teixeira a breather at first with little lost on defense.

Andre Ethier. This might seem even less likely than Pena, since Ethier would cost a great deal more in prospects if the Dodgers decide to make him available. He and Nick Swisher could split time between right field and DH. Ethier does have a considerably career platoon split, which would also leave room for him to sit against lefties so that A-Rod, Jeter, and Jones could get time at DH. Why, though, would the Yankees pay a considerably sum in prospects for Ethier? It would make sense if they planned to decline Swisher’s option after the season.

Jim Thome. The Twins had their eyes on another AL Central crown when they brought back Thome this winter, but as with the Cubs, that plan is no longer in play. They do have a few chips that could help improve future teams, as both Eric and Jonah noted. Thome could fetch them something useful, as he can still mash taters. That tater mashing ability would go a long way at Yankee Stadium. He’s currently on the DL with a hamstring issue, but he should be back in plenty of time for trade season. He might not be an ideal solution, since he would essentially be a one-to-one replacement for Poasda. But he should represent a significant improvement.

Carlos Beltran. Since the day Beltran returned to the field in April there has been speculation linking him to the Yankees. He would be one of the more versatile options available, since he can still play a quality outfield. In fact, a Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Beltran outfield would represent one of the best defensive units in the league. The Yankees could keep the pressure off Beltran’s knees, too, with regular reps at DH. The only downside, if it can really be considered one, is that it leaves less room for A-Rod and Jeter to get half-days off as DH. But if Nick Swisher continues struggling against righties, he might render that point moot.

I’ve spent the past ten or so paragraphs pretending that the Yankees can simply cast Posada aside and insert a better DH into the lineup. It makes for fun hypotheticals, but the reality of the situation will make replacing him more difficult. Still, there comes a point, and it’s not too far off, where the Yankees simply have to do something. There are only so many areas where a contending team can improve, and there is no clearer area than DH for the Yankees. He still has a few weeks to turn things around, and we’ve seen older players, most notably David Ortiz, shake off unimaginably slow starts to turn in productive seasons. But that’s the exception, not the norm. If Posada continues struggling, the Yankees will have an opportunity to greatly improve their team. While there are sentimental ties to Posada, they’d be doing their team and its fans a great disservice by not doing anything about their DH problem.





Adam Dunn and the DH
 
The Correct Way to Use Brent Lillibridge

Joe also writes about the Yankees at River Ave. Blues.

48 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
marechal
14 years ago

Actually, 3 players with double digit homers.

-1
Joe Pawlikowski
14 years ago
Reply to  marechal

Yep. My bad. Don’t know why I typed two (it wouldn’t even be true).

-1
    Can I Interest You in a Lightly Used Oriole?
    7/25 – Michael Baumann
     
    1
    2025 Trade Value Series Chat
    7/25 – Ben Clemens
    2025 Trade Value: Nos. 1-10
    7/25 – Ben Clemens
     
    43
    Effectively Wild Episode 2352: Turn Every Paige
    7/25 – Ben Lindbergh
    RosterResource Chat - 7/24/25
    7/24 – Jason Martinez
     
    2
    The Cardinals DFA Erick Fedde as They Slide Further From Contention
    7/24 – Jay Jaffe
     
    11
    Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 7/24/25
    7/24 – Dan Szymborski
     
    1
    Rich Hill Is Alive With the Sound of Scream-Grunts
    7/24 – Davy Andrews
     
    5
    The Circumstances Under Which I Would Happily Institute a Salary Cap
    7/24 – Michael Baumann
     
    30
    2025 Trade Value: Nos. 11-20
    7/24 – Ben Clemens
     
    251
    Andrew Abbott Merits More Attention (And He’s Getting It Here)
    7/23 – David Laurila
     
    1
    The Brewers Are What We Expected, but Also Better
    7/23 – Michael Baumann
     
    15
  • Alex Chamberlain
    Post Count: 13
  • Ben Clemens
    Post Count: 1395
  • Ben Lindbergh
    Post Count: 2329
  • Dan Szymborski
    Post Count: 1132
  • David Appelman
    Post Count: 907
  • David Laurila
    Post Count: 2081
  • Davy Andrews
    Post Count: 286
  • Eric Longenhagen
    Post Count: 952
  • Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan
    Post Count: 9
  • Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice
    Post Count: 15
  • Esteban Rivera
    Post Count: 119
  • FanGraphs Staff
    Post Count: 29
  • Jake Mailhot
    Post Count: 324
  • Jason Martinez
    Post Count: 110
  • Jay Jaffe
    Post Count: 1710
  • Jon Becker
    Post Count: 80
  • Kiri Oler
    Post Count: 44
  • Kyle Kishimoto
    Post Count: 69
  • Leo Morgenstern
    Post Count: 145
  • Matt Martell
    Post Count: 21
  • Meg Rowley
    Post Count: 685
  • Michael Baumann
    Post Count: 510
  • Michael Rosen
    Post Count: 48
  • Paul Sporer
    Post Count: 13
  • Sean Dolinar
    Post Count: 112
  • Tess Taruskin
    Post Count: 47
  • Travis Ice
    Post Count: 5
  • 2024 Postseason
  • 2024 Trade Deadline
  • 2025 BBWAA Ballot
  • 2025 Classic Baseball Ballot
  • 2025 MLB Draft
  • 2025 Positional Power Rankings
  • 2025 Replacement-Level Killers
  • 2025 Trade Deadline
  • 2025 Trade Value
  • 2025 ZiPS Projections
  • Best of 2024
  • Chat
  • College
  • Contract Crowdsourcing 2024-25
  • Crowdsourcing
  • Effectively Wild
  • Effectively Wild 2025 Season Preview
  • Extension
  • Featured
  • Featured Prospects
  • Five Things
  • Free Agent Signing
  • Hall of Fame
  • Idle Thoughts
  • JAWS
  • Job Postings
  • Mailbag
  • Matrix Reloaded
  • MLB Draft Week 2025
  • Old Scouting Reports Revisited
  • Power Rankings
  • Prospect List
  • Prospect Week 2025
  • Prospects
  • Prospects Report 2025
  • Q&As
  • Research
  • Site News
  • Talks Hitting
  • Angels
  • Astros
  • Athletics
  • Blue Jays
  • Braves
  • Brewers
  • Cardinals
  • Cubs
  • Diamondbacks
  • Dodgers
  • Giants
  • Guardians
  • Mariners
  • Marlins
  • Mets
  • Nationals
  • Orioles
  • Padres
  • Phillies
  • Pirates
  • Rangers
  • Rays
  • Red Sox
  • Reds
  • Rockies
  • Royals
  • Tigers
  • Twins
  • White Sox
  • Yankees
  • Top of the Order
  • Trade
  • We Tried
You are going to send email to

Move Comment

Updated: Thursday, July 24, 2025 6:00 AM ETUpdated: 7/24/2025 6:00 AM ET
@fangraphs - Contact Us - Advertise - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy
sis_logo
All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions.
mlb logo
Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball.
Mitchel Lichtman
All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman.
TangoTiger.com
All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com
Retrosheet.org
Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.

Support FanGraphs
Become a Member

Please consider becoming a FanGraphs Member. All the great work that you've come to rely on is made possible by Member support, including analysis, stats, projections, RosterResource, prospect coverage, and podcasts.

Membership starts at $.16 a day.

Already a Member: Log In

Sign Me Up