BASEBALL PREVIEW: In Big Apple, Cano is a cut abov...

BASEBALL PREVIEW: In Big Apple, Cano is a cut abov...

Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Robinson Cano posts stellar numbers over the past three seasons, with averages of 27 home runs, 104 RBI, 103 runs scored, a .314 average and 332 total bases per year.

All-time greats Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter r oam the left side of the Yankees infield. Across town in Flushing, David Wright has posted a 30-30 season.

Taking all that into account, there is still little question as to who is the best player in the Big Apple.
Robinson Cano.

Most players downplay their personal statistical goals, reciting the standard clich that the teams win-loss record is the only stat that matters.

Cano is not most players.

BEST OF THE BEST: N.Y. BASEBALL AWARDS

Sure, the Yankees record means more to him than anything else, but the All-Star second baseman knows that his performance will go a long way toward defining the Yankees' season, so youll have to forgive him if hes taking aim at some lofty personal numbers.

Everybody would like to win an MVP, a batting title, reach some of those milestones 600 homers, 3,000 hits and get to the Hall of Fame, but you cant do all of that in one year, Cano said. You hav e to stay consistent for your whole career. I know how long it took these guys to get to that level, so thats what Im trying to do.

CANO'S CAREER STATS

Cano has teammates who have accomplished those milestones, from Jeters 3,000 hits to Rodriguezs 600 home runs and three American League MVPs. Their resumes will land them in Cooperstown someday although Rodriguez will have to deal with the stigma of having admitted steroid use but for now, they all take a back seat to Cano.

I think hes the best player on the team right now, said Mark Teixeira. Hes the best second baseman Ive ever seen, so its pretty cool to say I get to play next to him. I dont think he gets the credit he deserves because he makes it look so easy.

SCOUTING THE 2012 YANKEES

Cano has posted stellar numbers over the past three seasons, averaging 27 home runs, 104 RBI, 103 runs scored, a .314 average and 332 total b ases per year. The only other player to record those numbers during the same stretch? Miguel Cabrera, widely considered the best all-around hitter in the game.

The sky's the limit, A-Rod said. If you told me (Cano) would hit 45 homers and drive in 140 this year, I think its in there.

Cano smiles when told of his teammates comment, the look in his eye making it abundantly clear that the second baseman himself has had similar thoughts.

I would like to see how that feels one day, Cano said.

How pretty is Canos swing? A future Hall of Famer with more than 450 home runs, 1,500 RBI and a career line of .304/.402/.533 would trade in his own stats for the chance to hit like Cano.

Cano is the one guy in baseball that, if I could emulate his swing from the left side, I would. Its the best swing in the game, Chipper Jones said. You started to see him take another step toward superstardom last year, and in the ballpark he plays in, he could win at least two legs of the Triple Crown if not the whole thing. Hell be a perennial contender for the batting title for the rest of his career.

Cano will also be a frontrunner for the Gold Glove for many years to come, and although his fielding is often overshadowed by his big bat, his reputation among his peers has as much to do with his defense.

I don't think people realize how good this kid is, even though they think hes a superstar, A-Rod said. Hes even better than that. What he does defensively, how fast his hands are, how good his arm is, how he turns a double play; he's a special package.

Cano downplays the idea of being the best player on his team, let alone in the city. He points to his veteran teammates as what he strives to be, a superstar still posting numbers in his mid-to-late 30s.

I know Ive been doing good the last three years, but this is about more than three years, Cano said. Those gu ys have been consistent for 15, 16, 17 years, so Im just happy to be around them and learn from them. I dont think Im the best player in here.

Joe Girardis decision to move him into the No. 3 spot on a full-time basis would indicate otherwise. Cano says he takes his new spot seriously, having hit everywhere else in the lineup other than leadoff at least 60 times during his career.

That means a lot to me, Cano said. I came here and started out batting ninth, then moved up to eighth, seventh, sixth and so on. Hitting third in front of A-Rod and Teixeira, behind Jeter and Granderson, its a great honor. It makes me want to work harder, because you dont want to let your guys down.

Canos on-base percentage is the only thing keeping him from the same level as Cabrera, who posted a .421 OBP to Canos .361 over the past three years. Cano might not walk as much as other stars, but as Girardi notes, Part of his DNA is that he believes he can hit an ything.

Cano has watched Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada retire since he broke into the league in 2005, while Andy Pettitte, Jeter and Mariano Rivera will surely hang up their pinstripes for good in the next few years. That will leave Cano as the homegrown Yankee to lead the team into its next era.

I like that idea, Cano said. Ive learned from these guys, because I want to follow in their footsteps. I want to carry on the tradition they have, the winning. This is the house that theyve built for us.