ESPN.com: MLB - Ten infields that make a daily difference

If the New York Yankees are really baseball's Evil Empire, then it follows that they have their own battlestar, a collection of super weapons capable of blowing up the American League's other planets.

Alfonso Soriano
Even a broken bat can't stop Alfonso Soriano from getting hits.

Of course they do. It's the infield.

Nowhere else on this $150-million team is there as great a concentration of firepower. For all the talk about Joe Torre's eight-man rotation and the addition of Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui, the strength of the Yankees day in and day out lies in the middle of the diamond.

George Steinbrenner and his minions have assembled one of the best infields of all time, by almost any standard.

With all eyes on 2002 newcomer Jason Giambi, Alfonso Soriano quietly emerged as a devastating force. He put together one of the greatest seasons ever by a second baseman, finishing one homer short of a 40-40 performance. Across the infield, Derek Jeter and Robin Ventura remain almost as productive as they are professional.

Giambi (122), Soriano (102) and Ventura all finished 2002 with at least 93 RBI. No other infield trio has accomplished that; in fact, no other trio on any team, regardless of position, has done it. And Jeter can be counted on for 190 hits and 75 RBI annually.

Statistically, it's not a great group defensively. Jeter's fielding has slipped in recent years. Ventura is as good as the health of his arm. But Soriano, who makes spectacular plays but botches routine ones, is the only worry at crunch time. Along with the reliable Giambi, Jeter and Ventura compensate for any limitations with off-the-charts instincts.

While the 35-year-old Ventura has hit the year-at-a-time portion of his career, the Yankees made a smart move by re-signing him. He's as good of a fit as predecessor Scott Brosius. And in terms of performance, he's an upgrade.

Put this infield on an otherwise ordinary team and it might be good enough to get it to the playoffs. But the reality is this: This infield is the centerpiece of a team that could probably win with Tony Clark, Eric Young, Deivi Cruz and Joe Randa around the horn.

No wonder Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino has turned into a crybaby.

Baseball's next-best infields:

2. Rangers

Top: Palmeiro, Young
Bottom: Rodriguez, Perry 1B: Rafael Palmeiro; 2B: Mike Young; SS: Alex Rodriguez; 3B: Herbert Perry/Hank Blalock/Mark Teixeira
It never hurts to have the best player in your league, if not the entire sport.
And the Rangers have Rodridguez. Any infield with A-Rod in the middle of it would be a good one, but the corners make this special. Palmeiro, who is in the last year of his contract, has had at least 38 homers and 104 RBI for eight straight seasons. Assuming he recovers from minor elbow surgery, Blalock could emerge as a star.
Teixeira is considered a better prospect than Blalock but will start the season in the minors and is suspect defensively. He could wind up moving Palmeiro into the DH role.

3. Phillies

Top: Thome, Polanco
Bottom: Rollins, Bell 1B: Jim Thome; 2B: Placido Polanco; SS: Jimmy Rollins; 3B: David Bell
Who would have thought Philadelphia would be stronger after losing Scott Rolen?
On paper, this looks like a brilliant overhaul by GM Ed Wade. Even with Rolen gone, the infield's combined OPS increases from 2.966 to 3.303. But the burden will be on Thome to show he can thrive in the role of go-to guy. He took the money and a chance to start a new tradition over his comfort zone in Cleveland, where historically he was protected by the likes of Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Juan Gonzalez.

4. Athletics

Top: Hatteberg, Ellis; Bottom: Tejada, Chavez 1B: Scott Hatteberg; 2B: Mark Ellis; SS: Miguel Tejada; 3B: Eric Chavez
Tejada is an absolute warrior, as his streak of 432 consecutive games attests. His arrival as a league MVP kept Giambi from being too badly missed. His contract status will be a regular topic of conversation as free agency beckons after 2003. Giambi showed him how to handle the situation with his 2001 performance, but it remains to be seen if Tejada can avoid being sidetracked by mind games. His free-swinging approach can be exploited by smart pitchers.
Newcomer Erubiel Durazo is likely to be the regular DH but could join Chavez to give new manager Ken Macha thunder on the corners.

5. Cardinals

Top: Martinez, Vina; Bottom: Renteria, Rolen 1B: Tino Martinez; 2B: Fernando Vina; SS: Edgar Renteria; 3B: Scott Rolen
These are baseball's Knowledge Brothers. They average 1,141 games, including 990 by Renteria, their youngest member. There's nothing they haven't seen between them, whether in June or October.
Despite a sub-par season from Martinez, they appeared poised to carry the Cardinals to the World Series before Arizona's Alex Cintron inadvertently took out Rolen. He was badly missed in the championship series, when St. Louis averaged only 3.2 runs per game. Tony La Russa believes Martinez is poised to bounce back in his second tour of the National League. With Rolen in the lineup, he should not feel under the gun.

6. Angels

Top: Spiezio, Kennedy; Bottom: Eckstein, Glaus 1B: Scott Spiezio; 2B: Adam Kennedy; SS: David Eckstein; 3B: Troy Glaus
Amazingly, there's not an OPS higher than Spiezio's .807 in this bunch. But these guys turned into The Beatles once they got a chance to play together.
All are solid-to-terrific fielders. Spiezio and Eckstein, as smart as any hitters anywhere, were the keys to their 2002 success. Spiezio, in fact, was one of only 13 big-leaguers to drive in at least 80 runs while collecting more walks than strikeouts. The list is a Who's Who of elite hitters, including the likes of Barry Bonds, Brian Giles, Vlad Guerrero, Gary Sheffield, Chipper Jones, Luis Gonzalez and Todd Helton. Spezio is not a secret anymore.

7. Astros

Top: Bagwell, Kent; Bottom: Lugo, Blum 1B: Jeff Bagwell; 2B: Jeff Kent; SS: Julio Lugo/Jose Vizcaino; 3B: Geoff Blum/Morgan Ensberg
Getting old is a pain. Kent carries a lifetime 1.032 OPS at Minute Maid Park. He and Bagwell should be an ultra-productive tandem, but it is Lance Berkman who carries the Astros. Bagwell slipped a little last year and both will play most of the season at age 35. The infield defense could drive Jimy Williams crazy. The left side is a patchwork quilt, but don't overlook the switch-hitting Blum, who could drive in 80-plus if he improves right-handed.

8. Blue Jays

Top: Delgado, Hudson; Bottom: Woodward, Hinske 1B: Carlos Delgado; 2B: Orlando Hudson; SS: Chris Woodward; 3B: Eric Hinske
Once Brian Butterfield arrived as part of Carlos Tosca's coaching staff, Hinske's below-average fielding became less of an issue. The Rookie of the Year will have to show that he can deliver now that pitchers have seen him a few times. Hudson is a bundle of potential who has yet to deliver. Woodward, a second-half surprise, was productive enough for GM J.P. Ricciardi to trade Felipe Lopez. Mike Bordick, the human Hoover, is available as a defensive replacement and sometimes starter.

9. Giants

Top: Snow, Durham; Bottom: Aurilia, Alfonzo 1B: J.T. Snow; 2B: Ray Durham; SS: Rich Aurilia; 3B: Edgardo Alfonzo
Trying to show there is life after Dusty Baker, GM Brian Sabean gave Durham (three years, $20.1 million) and Alfonzo (four years, $26 million) two of the winter's best contracts. But this is an infield, and a team, going the wrong way. Alfonzo is an upgrade on David Bell, but Durham won't come close to matching Kent's offensive production and, like Kent, is a defensive liability. Aurilia seems poised for a big 2003 after recovering from elbow surgery.

10. Twins, White Sox (tie)

Top: Mientkiewicz, Guzman; Bottom: Konerko, Valentin Twins: 1B: Doug Mientkiewicz; 2B: Luis Rivas; SS: Cristian Guzman; 3B: Corey Koskie

White Sox: 1B: Paul Konerko; 2B: D'Angelo Jimenez; SS: Jose Valentin; 3B: Joe Crede
As much as anything, these units perfectly illustrate the difference between the top two teams in the AL Central. The Twins won the title even though none of their infielders drove in 70 runs. They win with their gloves and attention to detail. The White Sox dogmatically continue trying to slug opponents into submission. They have the only infield outside of Yankee Stadium that features four regulars with at least a .790 OPS but annually give away far too many runs with their ham-fistedness. Jerry Manuel once again bows to offensive production by moving Valentin back to short, where he committed 36 errors during the first-place season in 2000, but the Sox should improve defensively with Crede and Jimenez as regulars. If Jimenez's winter is an indication (first in the Dominican with a .529 slugging percentage and third with a .385 on-base average), he could be a pleasant surprise.