Recap of the Yankees Season…
So Far
After completing a three game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Yankees are one game above .500. Obviously the first nine games of a 162 game Major League Baseball season is not a very large sample size. However, with the help of advanced statistics and careful observations, we can locate some early flaws and strengths of the Bronx Bombers. Like everything in life, let’s get the bad news out of the way first.
Negatives
Despite Yankees fans refusal to recognize their team’s flaws, the team still has a lot of them. The most troubling issue is the team’s batting with runners on base. According to teamrankings.com, on average, the Yankees leave 7.88 runners on base (LOB) and 4.12 runners in scoring position. Those numbers rank 27th and 30th, respectively amongst MLB teams. This habit of squandering opportunities to score runs hurts their pitchers and their chances to win ballgames.
Injuries: The Yankees first man down was Didi Gregorius. After hitting .276 with 20 home runs in 2016, the Dutch shortstop has been sidelined since he injured his throwing shoulder during the World Baseball Classic and will miss most of April. Toward the end of Spring Training, first baseman Greg Bird injured his right shoulder and has yet to replicate his Spring Training dominance thus far (.063 batting average). This past Saturday, during an at-bat in Camden Yards, star catcher Gary Sanchez suffered a Grade 1 strain of his bicep muscle and is set to miss four weeks. Earlier today the Yankees announced that pitcher, James Kaprielian, will require Tommy John surgery: ending his 2017 season. Kaprielian was drafted 16th in the 2015 MLB draft and is a top pitching prospect in the Yankees organization.
Masahiro Tanaka (0–2) has yet to pitch like an ace this season. Throughout his first two games, the 28 year old Japan native has yet to escape the fifth inning. His inflated 11.74 ERA has fans up in arms. To me, this is seems more like smoke than fire. No need to panic.
Positives
Aside from Tanaka, the Yankees starting pitching has not been too shabby. This past Monday, during the Yankees home opener, Michael Pineda put on a show against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 28 year old Dominican flirted with a perfect game as he gave up one run on two hits and fanned 11 Rays en route to his first win of the season. Earlier tonight, Luis Severino’s watershed start mirrored Pineda’s. He struck out a career high 11 batters and allowed two runs on five hits. Even CC Sabathia is enjoying the fun. The 36 year old started the season hot, posting a 1–0 record with a 1.64 ERA.
In addition to the starting pitchers, the Yankees are enjoying a boost from the bullpen. Reliever Dellin Betances, showcased his dominance earlier tonight. After relieving Severino in the 8th inning, Betances dug himself in an early hole by allowing the first two hitters on base. 94% of situations with runners on the corners and no outs result in at least one run being scored. Betances retired the following three batters and left the field unscathed.
Then there’s Aaron Judge. The 6'7 230 pound outfielder has been compared to Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Cabrera, and rightfully so. The former 32nd overall pick of the 2015 MLB draft recently swatted three home runs in three consecutive days. The lumberjack holds the bat like a toothpick and will continue to intimidate pitchers throughout the season.
Earlier I listed the Yankees injuries. Despite the loss of Didi, the Yankees found a temporary band-aid in Ronald Torreyes. The 5'8 Venezuelan may resemble a horse jockey more than a baseball player when standing next to Judge. But on the field, Torreyes glides around like a skater. He has been a fine replacement for Didi and will be a great utility option for manager Joe Girardi.
The mouthwatering cake is the farm system, which includes seven players ranked in the top 100 2017 MLB Prospect Watch. Gleyber Torres (ranked 2nd overall), Blake Rutherford (34th) and Jorge Mateo (44th) are each hitting well over .300 and continue to dominate the Minor Leagues.
Again, this long season is young and there is no way to tell who will be good or bad. These are just a few observations and comments on the Yankees’ performance to date April 13, 2017.
