Brett Gardner

2013

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2012

Gardner gives fantasy owners plenty of speed, leading the American League with 49 steals in 2011 after swiping 47 bags in 2010. He's got some shortcomings in his game that limit his value, but his excellent defense in left field should keep him in the lineup even when he slumps offensively. Gardner drove in only 36 runs in 2011, and saw his batting average drop 18 points to .259. Although his contact rate improved to 82 percent, he's unlikely to be an asset in the batting average category given his combination of skills and batted ball profile. Gardner has committed to working with hitting coach Kevin Long to improve his timing, and we saw what working with Long did for Curtis Granderson in 2011, but expect most of his value to come from steals and runs scored again this season.

2011

Some questioned the Yankees' decision to enter 2010 with Gardner as their starting left fielder, but the experiment produced better results than probably even the team expected. Gardner played 150 games, stole 47 bases, was very sound defensively and made up for his lack of power with some impressive plate discipline (13.9 percent walk rate, .383 OBP). With potential Yankee free agent target Carl Crawford now in Boston, Gardner will again be the team's starting left fielder in 2011. You'll need to monitor his recovery from a December wrist surgery, but he's a player on the rise playing in a strong offense.

2010

The Yankees outfield situation is unsettled heading into spring training, leaving Gardner's role uncertain, much like it was heading into last season. He’ll likely have a shot at the center-field job heading into spring training after showing improved plate discipline in 2009, raising his OBP from .283 to .345. The added productivity at the plate gave him more opportunities to flash his best skill – speed – en route to 26 steals in 31 tries. He’d been a dynamite source of steals if given semi-regular playing time, though fantasy owners would have to sacrifice some power numbers to take advantage.

2009

Things seemed to click for Gardner at Triple-A during the first half of 2008, which ultimately resulted in his callup to the Yankees for a look in left and center field down the stretch. Given that Melky Cabrera has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Yankees, Gardner has an opportunity to put himself in the mix for outfield at-bats again with a strong showing in spring training. Between New York and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Gardner stole 50 bases in 60 attempts over 136 combined games, but speed is by far the most valuable aspect of his skill set. With no power to speak of, he'll need to get on base at a much greater clip than the .283 mark he posted last season in order to fully take advantage of his speed, though it's worth noting that his minor league track record suggests potential for some improvement.