The Resurgence of the "Old Guys"

If I were to tell you in Spring Training that Alex Rodriguez would be one of the team's best hitters or that Mark Teixeira would 15 home runs you would call me crazy. The fact is that these two have found the fountain of youth and look very similar to the 2009 versions of each other. These two former all stars are currently making their cases for spots in Cincinnati. This has truly been amazing and just what the doctor, Brain Cashman, ordered.

The new age of statistics in baseball has helped fans and organizations view the game in a different scope. The stats in the preseason projected dismal seasons from both sluggers as there were more questions asked about them than the combined home run total of the two. Alex Rodriguez was coming off a PED suspension and multiple hip surgeries. He was also entering his age 40 season which caused the team much concern. Teixeira had not had a quality season since 2010 and his average was dropping significantly throughout the last 3 seasons. Teixeira also battled wrist and leg injuries that led him to missing significant time. These two used the doubt as a way to motivate them into potential All Star candidates. Teixeira may have also used his now famous gluten-free diet to hit a couple of more home runs.

These two along with the recent upswing of Carlos Beltran has showed that these former stars still have some game left in them. Now it might not continue but this has been impressive as they have carried this team. The Yankees will rely on these three and the rest of their lineup to battle for the AL East title as it looks like the race will be a dog fight for the ages.