Brett Gardner's resurgence has been key to the Yankees run to the playoffs.
By Brian Abate
NEW YORK- Brett Gardner is having a better season than Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
At least according to WAR (wins above replacement). Gardner’s WAR is 4.1, while Harper’s is 3.6, and Machado’s is 3.0, according to Baseball Reference.
WAR is supposed to be a statistic that takes into account all aspects of the game, including Gardner’s Gold Glove caliber defense, as well as his career-high 26 home runs and 69 RBIs. One thing it doesn’t account for is Gardner’s leadership.
Part of that has been giving advice to the Yankees young stars like Aaron Judge.
“‘You have to say something, let [umpires] know if they’re right or wrong,’” Judge said Gardner told him. “‘They’re kind of screwing you up there.’”
Gardner has also helped young players like Judge and utility man Tyler Wade, by giving them tips on stealing bases and defensive positioning according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media.
He had to perfect his defensive positioning and base stealing ability in order to walk-on to the College of Charleston in 2002. At the time his coach told him not to even bother coming to practices, but he kept showing up anyway, and eventually earned a roster spot.
Now the young kid who had to walk-on is a 36-year-old veteran. He was relegated to the bench down the stretch of last season but injuries have forced the Yankees to play Gardner night after night. He switched from left field to center field due to an injury to Aaron Hicks, and he has responded with a great season, once again proving himself to be an irreplaceable starter.
Gardner has been the emotional leader of the team. With the Yankees trailing the Rays, and multiple missed calls, there was Gardner slamming his bat on the ceiling of the dugout, firing up the team, and cheering on manager Aaron Boone when he called the team “a bunch of savages,” in a rant that got Boone ejected. The yankees went on to comeback and win the game.
He has also thrived under pressure. His game-tying home run off of All-Star closer Liam Hendriks brought the home crowd to their feet and set up a walk-off home run by Mike Ford later in the inning.
“[Gardner] took some pressure off of me, so that was nice of him,” said Ford after the game.
Of Gardner’s 122 career home runs, 46 have given the Yankees the lead, 11 have tied the game, and three have been walk-offs.
Still, the Yankees and Gardner have not won the World Series since 2009.
"It's been a disappointing 10 years," said Gardner after the Yankees were eliminated last season. "I know for our fans it's been disappointing, too. I've lost probably more sleep over it than anybody. We're trying to get back there, and anything short of that is not acceptable."
The Yankees clinched the division last night, and Gardner has earned the opportunity to start in the postseason and try to lead this young Yankees team to their first World Series since 2009.
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