Chad Jennings asks readers to predict Alex Rodriguez‘s season on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is he doesn’t play to five is where he returns to superstar status. I’m somewhere between three and four:

3. All too familiar
Last season was a fairly accurate glimpse of what Rodriguez has become. Maybe he won’t be as bad as he was in September, but he no longer hits for power against right-handers, and he’s more of a complimentary piece than a difference maker. He’ll be better than what the Yankees have right now, but it’s not saving the lineup.

4. Turn back the clock
The hip problem was significant, and it explains much of what Rodriguez has shown the past two seasons. He’s not what he was in his prime, but he’s still an elite hitter capable of slugging in the low .500s and getting on base 35 percent of the time. He hit 16 home runs in the second half of 2010. He’s certainly capable of reaching that number again.

With all the other issues that surround A-Rod, it’s easy to forget he was a truly great hitter. If the hips are fixed and they let him return to his normal swing, he should do some damage.