Comments (0) Best Acquisition - 2009
Mark Teixeira
A power-hitter who is also a Gold Glove first baseman, Mark Teixeira has been a star wherever he's played—Georgia Tech, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels. No surprise that the Yanks gave the 29-year-old $180 million over the next eight years. Earlier this year, he was named 17th on the list of the 50 best current players. Jesus, the guy's even a switch hitter! Is there anything he can't do? Well, on the basis of his first year with the Yanks, the answer has to be a resounding no. By midseason, he was second in the league in homers and RBIs. Unlike the more celebrated Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira is a winner: Traded in July 2008 to the Angels, he helped them to their first 100-win season. And his stats aside, Yankees fans have got to love the guy: His boyhood idol was the revered Don Mattingly, and the only reason he is not continuing to wear the number "23" (which he has worn his entire career) is because the Yanks retired Mattingly's jersey. To top it all off, he even likes going to Broadway shows.
