Alex Rodriguez: greatest Yankee since Mickey Mantle.

The New York Yankees have an unparalleled big four: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle. Mantle retired after the 1968 season but his last big season was 1964. Alex Rodriguez is the greatest Yankee in the 52 years since then.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/leaders_bat.shtml

That link has top ten Yankees for seasons and career.

I don't like the total, as opposed to average, stat Wins Above Replacement (WAR). But for those who do, Rodriguez is ranked 8th in Yankee WAR for non-pitchers and 9th in offensive WAR, both with far fewer plate appearances (PA) than any of the others in the top ten. Top ten Yankees in WAR:

Rank	Player	WAR Position Players	PA
1.	Babe Ruth	142.7	9198
2.	Lou Gehrig	112.4	9663
3.	Mickey Mantle	109.7	9907
4.	Joe DiMaggio	78.1	7673
5.	Derek Jeter	71.8	12602
6.	Yogi Berra	59.6	8350
7.	Bill Dickey	55.8	7065
8.	Alex Rodriguez	54.4	6512
9.	Willie Randolph	53.7	7464
10.	Bernie Williams	49.4	9053

Now those same ten sorted by WAR/PA:

	WAR	PA	WAR/PA
Ruth	142.7	9,198	0.01551424223
Gehrig	112.4	9,663	0.01163199834
Mantle	109.7	9,907	0.0110729787
DiMaggio	78.1	7,673	0.01017854816
Rodriguez	54.4	6,512	0.008353808354
Dickey	55.8	7,065	0.007898089172
Randolf	53.7	7,464	0.007194533762
Berra	59.6	8,350	0.007137724551
Jeter	71.8	12,602	0.005697508332
Williams	49.4	9,053	0.005456754667

OPS+, minimum 5,000 PA:

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Babe Ruth	209	9198	1920	1934	25-39	2084	7217	1959	2518	424	106	659	1978	1852		1122	35	94			110	117	.349	.484	.711	1.195	*97/8H31
2	Lou Gehrig	179	9663	1923	1939	20-36	2164	8001	1888	2721	534	163	493	1995	1508		790	45	106		2	102	100	.340	.447	.632	1.080	*3/H976
3	Mickey Mantle	172	9907	1951	1968	19-36	2401	8102	1676	2415	344	72	536	1509	1733	126	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.298	.421	.557	.977	*8397H/645
4	Joe DiMaggio	155	7673	1936	1951	21-36	1736	6821	1390	2214	389	131	361	1537	790		369	46	14		130	30	9	.325	.398	.579	.977	*8/79H3
5	Alex Rodriguez	137	6516	2004	2016	28-40	1508	5573	1012	1579	262	9	351	1095	779	60	1291	104	0	60	151	152	30	.283	.378	.523	.900	*5D/H63
6	Dave Winfield	134	5021	1981	1990	29-38	1172	4485	722	1300	236	35	205	818	477	53	652	8	9	42	155	76	36	.290	.356	.495	.851	*97/8HD5
7	Tommy Henrich	132	5410	1937	1950	24-37	1284	4603	901	1297	269	73	183	795	712		383	34	60		62	37	19	.282	.382	.491	.873	*93H/87
8	Don Mattingly	127	7722	1982	1995	21-34	1785	7003	1007	2153	442	20	222	1099	588	136	444	21	13	96	191	14	9	.307	.358	.471	.830	*3/D9H7584
9	Bill Dickey	127	7065	1928	1946	21-39	1789	6300	930	1969	343	72	202	1209	678		289	31	51		49	36	32	.313	.382	.486	.868	*2H
10	Robinson Cano	126	5791	2005	2013	22-30	1374	5336	799	1649	375	28	204	822	350	65	689	54	10	41	171	38	28	.309	.355	.504	.860	*4/DH6

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/12/2016.

Rodriguez is right behind the big four in both the total WAR and the average OPS+.

It's pointless to look at WAR or OPS+ for individual seasons as the big four take all of the top ten spots. Mantle had OPS+ 177 in 1964. Here are the tops for Yankees since then.

Rk	Player	OPS+	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Bobby Murcer	181	1971	25	NYY	AL	146	624	529	94	175	25	6	25	94	91	13	60	0	1	3	9	14	8	.331	.427	.543	.969	*8/H
2	Paul O'Neill	177	1994	31	NYY	AL	103	443	368	68	132	25	1	21	83	72	13	56	0	0	3	16	5	4	.359	.460	.603	1.064	*97H/D
3	Alex Rodriguez	176	2007	31	NYY	AL	158	708	583	143	183	31	0	54	156	95	11	120	21	0	9	15	24	4	.314	.422	.645	1.067	*5/D
4	Alex Rodriguez	173	2005	29	NYY	AL	162	715	605	124	194	29	1	48	130	91	8	139	16	0	3	8	21	6	.321	.421	.610	1.031	*5/6D
5	Jason Giambi	172	2002	31	NYY	AL	155	689	560	120	176	34	1	41	122	109	4	112	15	0	5	18	2	2	.314	.435	.598	1.034	*3D
6	Reggie Jackson	172	1980	34	NYY	AL	143	601	514	94	154	22	4	41	111	83	15	122	2	0	2	7	1	2	.300	.398	.597	.995	*9D/H
7	Bobby Murcer	169	1972	26	NYY	AL	153	654	585	102	171	30	7	33	96	63	7	67	2	0	4	6	11	9	.292	.361	.537	.898	*8/H
8	Jason Giambi	161	2005	34	NYY	AL	139	545	417	74	113	14	0	32	87	108	5	109	19	0	1	7	0	0	.271	.440	.535	.975	*3D/H
9	Don Mattingly	161	1986	25	NYY	AL	162	742	677	117	238	53	2	31	113	53	11	35	1	1	10	17	0	0	.352	.394	.573	.967	*3/5D
10	Bernie Williams	160	1998	29	NYY	AL	128	578	499	101	169	30	5	26	97	74	9	81	1	0	4	19	15	9	.339	.422	.575	.997	*8/D

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/12/2016.

Wow, Bobby Murcer, who knew? O'Neill did his in only 103 games because the season ended in August due to a dispute between the players union and team owners. Giambi was much better than many Yankee fans realized at the time.

MVP since 1964:
Thurman Munson 1976
Don Mattingly 1985
Alex Rodriguez 2005
Alex Rodriguez 2007

At least 40 home runs since 1961 when Roger Maris hit 61 and Mantle hit 54; BOLD indicates leading the league:

Rk	Player	HR	AB	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Alex Rodriguez	54	583	2007	31	NYY	AL	158	708	143	183	31	0	156	95	11	120	21	0	9	15	24	4	.314	.422	.645	1.067	*5/D
2	Alex Rodriguez	48	605	2005	29	NYY	AL	162	715	124	194	29	1	130	91	8	139	16	0	3	8	21	6	.321	.421	.610	1.031	*5/6D
3	Tino Martinez	44	594	1997	29	NYY	AL	158	685	96	176	31	2	141	75	14	75	3	0	13	15	3	1	.296	.371	.577	.948	*3/DH
4	Curtis Granderson	43	596	2012	31	NYY	AL	160	684	102	138	18	4	106	75	4	195	5	1	7	5	10	3	.232	.319	.492	.811	*8/HD
5	Curtis Granderson	41	583	2011	30	NYY	AL	156	691	136	153	26	10	119	85	0	169	12	4	7	12	25	10	.262	.364	.552	.916	*8/HD
6	Jason Giambi	41	535	2003	32	NYY	AL	156	690	97	134	25	0	107	129	9	140	21	0	5	9	2	1	.250	.412	.527	.939	*3D/H
7	Jason Giambi	41	560	2002	31	NYY	AL	155	689	120	176	34	1	122	109	4	112	15	0	5	18	2	2	.314	.435	.598	1.034	*3D
8	Reggie Jackson	41	514	1980	34	NYY	AL	143	601	94	154	22	4	111	83	15	122	2	0	2	7	1	2	.300	.398	.597	.995	*9D/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/12/2016.

The most recent Yankee to lead the league was Mark Teixeira with 39 in 2009, his first Yankee season. The only other Yankee to lead since 1961 was Graig Nettles with 32 in 1976.

Finally the top ten Yankees in career home runs:

Rk	Player	HR	AB	PA	From	To	Age	G	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Babe Ruth	659	7217	9198	1920	1934	25-39	2084	1959	2518	424	106	1978	1852		1122	35	94			110	117	.349	.484	.711	1.195	*97/8H31
2	Mickey Mantle	536	8102	9907	1951	1968	19-36	2401	1676	2415	344	72	1509	1733	126	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.298	.421	.557	.977	*8397H/645
3	Lou Gehrig	493	8001	9663	1923	1939	20-36	2164	1888	2721	534	163	1995	1508		790	45	106		2	102	100	.340	.447	.632	1.080	*3/H976
4	Joe DiMaggio	361	6821	7673	1936	1951	21-36	1736	1390	2214	389	131	1537	790		369	46	14		130	30	9	.325	.398	.579	.977	*8/79H3
5	Yogi Berra	358	7546	8350	1946	1963	21-38	2116	1174	2148	321	49	1430	704	49	411	52	9	44	146	30	26	.285	.348	.483	.830	*2H79/35
6	Alex Rodriguez	351	5573	6516	2004	2016	28-40	1508	1012	1579	262	9	1095	779	60	1291	104	0	60	151	152	30	.283	.378	.523	.900	*5D/H63
7	Bernie Williams	287	7869	9053	1991	2006	22-37	2076	1366	2336	449	55	1257	1069	97	1212	39	12	64	223	147	87	.297	.381	.477	.858	*8D/9H7
8	Jorge Posada	275	6092	7150	1995	2011	23-39	1829	900	1664	379	10	1065	936	78	1453	74	1	47	186	20	21	.273	.374	.474	.848	*2DH/34
9	Derek Jeter	260	11195	12602	1995	2014	21-40	2747	1923	3465	544	66	1311	1082	39	1840	170	97	58	287	358	97	.310	.377	.440	.817	*6/DH
10	Graig Nettles	250	5519	6248	1973	1983	28-38	1535	750	1396	202	20	834	627	55	739	31	8	62	115	18	25	.253	.329	.433	.762	*5/HD6

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/12/2016.

Only Yogi Berra gets between Rodriguez and the big four. Rodriguez hit 50.4% of his 696 home runs for the Yankees. Among the top ten only Nettles has fewer at bats.