In terms of championships, the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals have been the two most successful franchises in the World Series era. However, they haven’t shared many of the same players. Since 1903, when the Baltimore Orioles moved to New York and became the Highlanders (the original name of the Yankees), only 145 players have worn both uniforms. At 1.33 players per year, the Yankees’ crossover with the Cardinals is the lowest rate among all current teams.
Crossover Players, Yankees and Other Current Teams (click to enlarge)
Note: Only considers players who wore the uniform in the current city of all teams. When compared to original NL and AL teams, the Yankees inaugural season in New York (1903) is used as the basis.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
At the other end of the spectrum is the Washington Nationals, with whom the Yankees have shared 25 players in only seven seasons, or 3.57 per year. Meanwhile, Cleveland represents the greatest overlap in terms of total players. Since 1903, 231 individuals have played for both the Indians and Yankees.
Among American League teams, the Yankees have had the least overlap with the Twins. Since the Senators moved to Minneapolis in 1961, only 73 players have worn both uniforms, including Luis Ayala, who currently pitches out of the bullpen for the Yankees, and Carl Pavano, who fronts the rotation of the Twins.
Top-10 Yankees and Twins Crossover Hitters, 1961-2011
| bWAR | |||
| Player | Yankees | Twins | Total |
| Chuck Knoblauch | 6.6 | 35.4 | 42 |
| Graig Nettles | 40.6 | 0.8 | 41.4 |
| Cesar Tovar | -0.3 | 25.8 | 25.5 |
| Dave Winfield | 25.6 | -0.4 | 25.2 |
| Butch Wynegar | 10.4 | 14 | 24.4 |
| Roy Smalley | 5.9 | 18.3 | 24.2 |
| Jimmie Hall | -0.4 | 15.5 | 15.1 |
| Roberto Kelly | 11.3 | 1.5 | 12.8 |
| Eric Soderholm | 1.6 | 8.9 | 10.5 |
| Matt Lawton | -0.5 | 9.3 | 8.8 |
Note: bWAR is baseball-reference’s calculation of WAR.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
Not only have the Yankees and Twins shared very few players, but most have not made a significant impact for both teams. Among hitters, only Chuck Knoblauch, Roy Smalley, and Butch Wynegar amassed a bWAR above 4 in Minnesota and New York. All three players also rank in the top-10 for cumulative bWAR compiled while wearing either uniform. In aggregate, the Twins have enjoyed 149.4 bWAR from the 32 crossover position players, while the Yankees have garnered 125.2 bWAR.
Top-10 Yankees and Twins Crossover Pitcher, 1961-2011
| bWAR | |||
| Pitcher | Yankees | Twins | Total |
| Jim Kaat | -0.1 | 28.1 | 28 |
| Scott Erickson | -0.4 | 11.9 | 11.5 |
| Bob Tewksbury | 1.8 | 6 | 7.8 |
| Roger Erickson | 0.9 | 6.1 | 7 |
| LaTroy Hawkins | -0.2 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| Ron Davis | 5.1 | 0.4 | 5.5 |
| Carl Pavano | -0.1 | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Kenny Rogers | 3.6 | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| Pedro Ramos | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 |
| Shane Rawley | 4.8 | 0.2 | 5 |
Note: bWAR is baseball-reference’s calculation of WAR.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
The contrast among the pitchers who have thrown for both the Yankees and Twins is even greater. In fact, not one hurler has amassed more than 2 bWAR with both teams (the only two pitchers to come close were Pedro Ramos and Mike Morgan, who both surpassed the threshold for Minnesota, but topped out at 1.8 bWAR in New York). In total, the Twins have had the upper hand in extracting value from the pitchers they’ve shared with the Yankees. While Minnesota received 87.5 bWAR from the 41 hurlers to throw for both teams, New York’s total was only 31.8. Apparently, the Twins’ pinstripes are more flattering.
Leave a Reply