At the start of spring training the Yankees announced that Stephen Drew, Jose Pirela, and Rob Refsnyder would battle for second base. Though it seems Drew has the upper hand having been a starter in the majors for a few years, one should not discount the two young prospects. Pirela played briefly towards the end of last season, showing a good prowess with the bat collecting a few hits and his first major league home run. His fielding was inconsistent early in minors, but he has since corrected that problem making only 11 errors last season for Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He also has the ability to play multiple positions, and that asset alone could make him a favorite to land the spot.
Rob Refsnyder is a dark horse candidate who could sneak up of the other two if he plays his cards correctly. He has a tremendous glove and a consistent bat that has carried him from his days in Arizona to now. Refsnyder has quickly risen through the minor leagues, posting a .297 average in 313 total games while committing a grand total of just 37 errors (20 of which were in Class A). Even if he does not win the competition this spring, there is no reason to doubt that he will see major league action in the near future.
Things are sure to heat up as the spring goes along with each hopeful looking to one up the others and impress Joe Girardi. This will not only be beneficial for the players, it will give a new sense of confidence in the long maligned Yankees farm system which has not produces major league ready prospects. If you're a fan of baseball and support good healthy competition, this is the battle to surely keep an eye on.
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