The Yankees, winners of five straight, are about to embark on a rarity in baseball scheduling: five consecutive day games.
Luckily for the Yankees, they have thrived this season in day games, going 31-16.
The teams collectively hits better during the day, with a team batting average of .283 in day games compared to a .262 clip at night.
Here are some individual player statistics of those who fare better during the day than at night:
- The red-hot Mark Teixeira loves the day this season. He is batting at a higher average of .326 during the day, compared to .228 at night. His on-base percentage during the day is .415, 72 points higher than his .343 at night. He is also slugging .646 in day games, while only slugging .431 at night.
- The struggling Derek Jeter has significantly better numbers in day games this year, batting .326 compared to his .233 at night.
- Today’s starting pitcher CC Sabathia (18-5, 3.14), who is currently 10-0 at Yankee Stadium this season, boasts a 2.93 ERA during the day, and hitters are only batting .203 against him in day games.
- The ever inconsistent A.J. Burnett (10-12, 5.15), whose scheduled turn in the rotation would occur Monday, September 6th in game two against Baltimore, has pitched incredibly better during the day this season. Compared to his 5.91 ERA at night, he has a 3.02 ERA during the day. That is difficult to imagine considering the struggles he has gone through all season long. Also, he holds opponents to a .236 average in day games, compared to .298 at night.
- Phil Hughes (16-6, 4.10), scheduled to start on September 5th against Toronto, has fared slightly better during the day than at night. His ERA during the day is 3.91, a little better than his 4.19 during the day, while also going 6-1 this season during the day (10-5 at night).
- Jorge Posada bats .316 during the day, while slugging .617, with an OBP of .397 during the day compared to .222, .378, and .348 respectively at night.
- Brett Gardner’s daytime batting average is .304, while his nighttime batting average is sitting at .275. His OBP is better during the day at .418 compared to .372 at night.
As the Yankees look to extend their five-game winning streak, the daytime isn’t a bad time to do so. Look for the above players to have an impact, considering their success in day games.
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