Ellsbury's a question mark heading into postseason

Owen Watson

OW

When the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million contract in the offseason before 2014, they were certainly hoping for at least a version of the 2011 center fielder: a speedy, defensively-sound player with serious power upside. A prevalent thought was that the short porch in Yankee Stadium’s right field might help him regain some of his power after injury-marred seasons in 2012 and 2013.

Following a healthy 2014 -- in which the left-hander was able to post a respectable but not outstanding power/speed combination while staying relatively healthy -- 2015 has seen Ellsbury take a step back. In recent weeks, during the thick of a September pennant race, he’s…