The New York Yankees have found their newest shortstop in Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The 26-year-old was acquired as part of a blockbuster trade between the Yankees and the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Along with Josh Donaldson, Kiner-Falefa looks to help shore up an infield that struggled defensively in 2021. While not as flashy a name as Trevor Story or Carlos Correa, Kiner-Falefa is an upgrade relative to what New York had at shortstop last year. Let’s break down who Isiah Kiner-Falefa is as a player and what to expect from him in pinstripes.
Outstanding Defense and Speed
In 2021, the Yankees’ shortstops produced -15 defensive runs saved (DRS). Along with that came a -2.7 ultimate zone rating (UZR) and an overall defensive value of 4.7, per Fangraphs, which ranked 22nd in baseball. Additionally, they made a combined 23 errors, which were the sixth most in the sport. On the other hand, the Texas Rangers graded out much better at shortstop, which was Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s primary position in 2021. Kiner-Falefa put up 10 DRS and a 1.2 UZR in 2021, along with a defensive value of 8.1, per Fangraphs. He brings the sort of athleticism and defensive skills that the Yankees have been lacking in recent years. Gleyber Torres is much better suited for second base and Didi Gregorius’ defense declined throughout his Yankee tenure. It has been a while since New York has had a stable defensive shortstop like Kiner-Falefa. Not to mention, he has also played catcher and third base during his time in the majors, making him very versatile.
Additionally, Isiah Kiner-Falefa posted a sprint speed of 28.0 ft/s in 2021, placing him in the 75th percentile of the league. The Yankees only had one full-time player with a sprint speed higher than that last year, in Brett Gardner. He put that speed to good use as he stole a career-high 20 bases. That number would have been the highest total on the 2021 Yankees. Per Fangraphs, Kiner-Falefa posted 4.2 baserunning runs (BsR) last year, which ranked fifth among all AL shortstops. Despite a paltry .670 OPS, .293 wOBA, and 85 wRC+ in 2021, Kiner-Falefa still managed to put up a 2.3 fWAR.
Bat-to-Ball Skills
Speaking of his not-so-good offensive stats, the Yankees could certainly do much better than Kiner-Falefa. He does not hit for power as evident by his career-high eight home runs last year and .357 slugging percentage. He does not hit the ball hard or find the barrel very often, as he ranks in the bottom six percent or worse in those categories. Additionally, his 85.5 mph average exit velocity and 4.1% walk rate rank in the bottom four and one percentiles, respectively, in the league. What this all means is Isiah Kiner-Falefa is not a very impactful hitter. However, what he does well is something that some of the big hitters in the Yankees lineup do not do.
Bat-to-ball skills are somewhat overrated in the modern baseball world, as that does not really translate into complete offensive value. With that said, Kiner-Falefa’s 13.3% strikeout rate and 14.5% whiff rate both rank in the 95th percentile. His .271 batting average would have ranked third on the Yankees in 2021. His 172 hits would have led the team outright. Neither figures are especially fantastic, but they portray a player whose skill set can help diversify this Yankees lineup, even if he may not be the most valuable offensive shortstop in the league.
Final Thoughts on Isiah Kiner-Falefa
All in all, Kiner-Falefa is a player from a different generation. He is a light-hitting defensive-minded shortstop with speed and athleticism. He is one of the best defenders in the league and is versatile enough to move around if the Yankees decide to make a late push for a better offensive shortstop. Additionally, Kiner-Falefa has two years of team control remaining. He serves as the perfect stopgap for one of the Yankees’ top prospects, two of whom are shortstops. The type of flexibility he brings on the field and in his contract will benefit the team in a major way as they are still exploring options to continue improving the roster for the 2022 season.
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Players mentioned:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa, Gleyber Torres, Didi Gregorius, Brett Gardner
