There are two kinds of bench players. The first is a player whose job it is to play when a starter can’t. The worst version of that player is someone like Marwin Gonzalez or Rougned Odor: sure they won’t embarrass you on defense, but they can’t field, hit or run better than a replacement player. The problem is that sometimes instead of them playing three or four times a month when a veteran needs a day, they end up starting every day during a long IL stint.
The other type of bench player is the specialist. They are better at something than the starter they replace, but that thing is only useful in specific situations. Think about a designated pinch runner, ace defensive replacement or one-dimensional left handed slugger off the bench. If used correctly, they can add a tremendous amount to a team in close and late games.
Isaiah Kiner-Falefa is a bad starter. He’s not as bad as the Marwins of the world, but a World Championship team shouldn’t have him starting anywhere on the field. However, I think he’s exactly the kind of player that a World Championship team should have on the bench.
Let’s look at his Statcast skills:
I see a lot of blue, but let’s focus on the red. IKF’s one great offensive skill is his ability to make contact. He is one of the best hitters in baseball at not swinging and missing or striking out. How many times have we seen the recent Yankees late in a close game strike out with men on and no one out? IKF is about as good of a bet as anyone to get a runner in from third with one out. With new baserunning rules, there is going to be renewed emphasis on situational hitting.
IKF is also pretty fast. He’s by no means a burner, but he is faster than 80% of baseball players, including pretty much anyone other than Harrison Bader and Oswaldo Peraza on the Yankees roster. He stole at an 82% success rate over his last two seasons. The Yankees have carried guys like Tim Locastro in the past for this role, but they always suffer from not being versatile enough to stick. IKF is a little slower than those guys, but I think he could reliably run for half a dozen Yankee starters late in games.
What about versatility? Here is where IKF has played over his major league career:
Pretty versatile! In addition to his core positions on the left side of the infield, he has real big league catching experience. If the Yankees want to leverage their deep bench, then they will be pinch hitting for a lot of catchers this season. It’s nice to have a better-than-emergency catcher on the bench in case someone gets injured after a substitution. The Yankees have even indicated that he could play a little outfield in a pinch. There’s no room on a modern major league bench for a light-hitting guy who can’t play all over the field. IKF is like Marwin, but better.
Players like Kiner-Falefa usually find a starting job somewhere. He is owed $6 million this season. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Dodgers or some other contender offer to take his salary in order to fill a hole. However, I hope the Yankees keep him around. It’s not Kiner-Falefa’s fault that he was pushed into a role beyond his talents in 2022. Let’s build the best darn bench in major league baseball.