The Analytical Yankee Fan

Thanks to the guys over at River Ave. Blues I have found some photos of the former fat-to-husky Yankees, displaying their new-and-improved physiques. This is very encouraging to see, especially for the relievers like Britton and Bruney. You can already tell that Girardi’s hands-on approach has given these players a newfound hope and determination. Did Girardi have personal conversations with these players during the off-season? I’m not sure, but it seems like he has. The amount of Weight some of these guys have dropped is downright impressive. Have a look:

Jason Giambi Before-

Jason Giambi after-

What I’m hoping, is that this new, fit Giambi will be able to man First Base more effectively, and cut down on trying to pull the ball out of the park every time he swings. A Jason Giambi that hits long doubles the opposite way, bats for a higher average, keeps his high OBP, and smacks around 25 home runs per season will better suit the team. This will be a much more effective Jason Giambi, who will still drive in over 100RBI per season.

Brian Bruney before-

Brian Bruney after-

As you can see, Brian Bruney dropped about 30lbs of fat, and seems to have gained a little more musculature. Now I know Bruney struggled the second half of the 07 season, but it’s hard to ignore what he did down the stretch in 06: 21IP, 14 hits, 25 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.87. He has an explosive 97mph fastball and a serviceable slider. I hope all of his off-season work pays off, because a guy like this coming out of the pen and attacking hitters could be downright amazing. I’m expecting Bruney to break camp.

Chris Britton before-

Chris Britton after-

Do you see the transformation in Britton? This is by far the most impressive change. He was a solid reliever to begin with, and should have been used more consistently by Torre during the 07 season. In a full major league season with the Baltimore Orioles, Britton threw 54 innings, giving up only 46 hits, and posting an ERA of 3.55. This was 06, in the American League east, facing the thunderous Yankee, Red Sox and Blue Jay’s line-ups.

Britton doesn’t have overpowering stuff, he relies on an assortment of pitches and solid control. I have noticed in the past that Britton’s belly has gotten in the way of his mechanics. With the loss of his gut and better balance, Britton should have a more solid delivery with a much better follow through, resulting in improved location, slightly increased velocity and more bite on his breaking pitches.

Other players have also showed up in better shape, including Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, and Bobby Abreu. This is great news for the Yankees–it shows the impact that Joe Girardi has already made, and the fact that he’s going to get the best out of his players. After watching numerous Yankee interviews on The YES network website everybody seems hopeful and relaxed, even though Girardi is more of a disciplinarian than Torre. Hell, Mike Mussina is showing a sense of humor. More and more, as spring training progresses, I’m starting to believe that this could be the year the Yankees take it all back.