James Paxton

New York Yankees Weekly Recap + Yankee Player of the Week for 8/19-8/25

by
New York Yankees, James Paxton

Weekly Recap:

After going 6-2 the week before, the New York Yankees started the past week on an unsatisfactory note. Starting their last west coast trip of 2019, the Yankees were swept in three games by the A’s in Oakland. Oakland Coliseum has been the Yankees’ house of horrors in recent years, as evidenced by their 7-21 record in their last 28 games at the Coliseum. The offense was quiet in situations where they typically shined this year and were outdueled on the mound.

Riding a four-game losing streak, the Yankees then headed to Los Angeles, where they would begin a Players Weekend series against the Dodgers. In a battle between the best teams in baseball, a potential World Series preview, the Yankees would leave Chavez Ravine winning two of three.

Overall, they finished the week 2-4, but their series win in LA sent a huge statement. The two games they won came at the expense of the Dodgers’ two aces, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Clayton Kershaw. Their starting pitching was at its finest in all three games. James Paxton and Domingo German both dominated in their starts, while C.C. Sabathia was solid despite only pitching four innings. Finally, in a matchup of two great offenses, the Yankees outscored the defending N.L. Champs 16-5 in three games.

This comes as the calendar is about to turn to September for the stretch run. Riding a nine-game lead over Tampa Bay entering Monday, it would take a near-total collapse for the Yankees to not lock up their first division title since 2012.

El Kraken hits 100th career dinger:

Catcher Gary Sanchez wrote his name into some more history books Friday night in LA. In the third inning, Sanchez hit a home run off Dodgers southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu, the 100th of his young career. With that long ball, Sanchez not only became the fastest catcher to 100 home runs but also the second-fastest all-time by games played, accomplishing the feat in his 355th career game. Only former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard did it faster, at 325 games.

Sanchez continues to make a strong case for A.L. Comeback Player of the Year. In 91 games played entering Monday, Sanchez is batting .233/.306/.519/.825 with 29 home runs and 67 RBI.

Aaron Judge Heating Up:

After suffering a left oblique strain on April 20, an injury that kept him out for two whole months, slugger Aaron Judge seemed to concern many fans. Coming into the week, Judge had hit 12 home runs, none of which going to left field. This led many to believe that the oblique is still an issue, and may require time in the offseason to heal fully.

The 27-year-old put those fears to rest this past week. In the first game of the Oakland series, Judge hit a home run that went an estimated 467 feet. Not only was this home run crushed, but it was also to deep left field, the first dinger he pulled all year. That one blast, his only hit of the series, was one of few bright spots in an otherwise putrid series.

The blast turned out to be no fluke when the Yankees took on the Dodgers next. Judge ended up with a home run in every game of the series, a sign that the slugger is starting to heat up.

Empire Sports Media’s Yankee Players of the Week:

Aaron Judge:

6 games, 8-25 (.320), 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 Runs Scored, 1.186 OPS

James Paxton:

Vs. Dodgers (8/23): W, 6.2 Innings, 5 Hits, 2 ER, 11 SO

All Rise for the honorable first-ever two-time Players of the Week, the Judge and the Big Maple!

As stated earlier, Judge is starting to heat up, pulling home runs with more regularity, including a 467-foot bomb in Oakland. In LA, he hit home runs in every game of the series, including ones off Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw.

James Paxton was also huge in his start against the Dodgers, opposing Ryu. He lifted the bombers on the mount with 6.2 strong innings, striking out 11. This includes striking out N.L. MVP frontrunner Cody Bellinger three times. More importantly, he lifted the team’s spirits with his performance after the Yankees were swept in Oakland. With the win, Paxton has now won his last five decisions and is 5-0 with a 3.56 ERA in August.

Honorable Mentions (In no order):

Didi Gregorius:

6 games, 6-21 (.286), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.014 OPS

Gleyber Torres:

6 games, 9-23 (.391), 3 HR, 3 RBI, 1.266 OPS

Mike Ford:

5 games, 6-12 (.500), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1.083 SLG %

New York Yankees: The New James Paxton and What He Changed

by
New York Yankees, James Paxton

The New York Yankees traded for James Paxton last year that sent their best pitching prospect Justus Sheffield to the Seattle Mariners. In Seattle, Paxton was regarded as one of the premier pitchers in the league. This season in the Bronx, Paxton has struggled up until the month of August.

Paxton’s last two starts truly show the type of pitcher he is. Going up against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup, Paxton went six and two quarters with 11 strikeouts. He limited the intimidating lineup to just five hits while dominating Cody Bellinger with three strikeouts. His next start against his old team, the Mariners, Paxton went five full innings while fanning four. In both outings, he allowed a total of four runs which has dropped his ERA significantly.

What’d he change?

James Paxton knows when to throw what kind of pitch. He knows how to set up a batter to get a swing-and-miss when he needs one. He’s also mastered the lost art of tunneling. Tunneling is best described as two pitches that travel down the same trajectory long enough to look the same. The pitch gets to the “decision point” of the batter and then breaks. It’s easier to see this rather than explain, so watch below for an example:

Paxton has always been a dominant pitcher, however, he’s just changed how often he throws his pitches. He now throws his slider to set up his fastball, and now sprinkles in a changeup just enough to have the batter thinking more in the box. Here’s a perfect example of Paxton utilizing the art of tunneling:

New York Yankees to gain back essential slugger very soon

by
New York Yankees, Edwin Encarnacion

As we journey towards the post-season, the New York Yankees are attempting to return several influential players who have been hampered due to injury. Starting pitcher Luis Severino and relief option Dellin Betances are both preparing for minor-league rehab assignments that would allow them to return to the team before the end of the regular season.

However, one of the more impactful bats in the lineup and starting quality defender, Edwin Encarnacion, is inching closer to a return as well. The Yankees mid-season acquisition from the Seattle Mariners was on a home run tear before going down with a fractured wrist, but has been hitting in the cage and manager Aaron Boone stated he should be back sooner rather than later.

Encarnacion plucked ground balls and played catch, further proving his successful rehab.

“From my understanding that went well,’’ Boone said of Edwin.

The Slugger was hitting .238 for the Yanks before suffering the injury, and while that number doesn’t jump off the page, his home run totals are what make him a significant weapon in the batting order. With 30 homers on the year, the Bombers need his influence back, along with fellow first-baseman Luke Voit.

Statistically, Encarnacion is the better defensive option and will likely return in that facet, while Voit acts as the everyday designated hitter.

The Yankees will need both players healthy for the playoff quest considering their lack of quality pitching in the starting rotation and bullpen. I expect to see heavy doses of Adam Ottavino and Domingo German/Masahiro Tanaka. It also seems as if James Paxton will earn the nod ahead of J.A. Happ in the rotation.

Another New York Yankees injury update:

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is also on the track to recovery, as he was seen launching lasers during batting practice on Tuesday night. Consistent injuries have derailed him this year, forcing him to the injured reserve list. Having just 38 total plate-appearances this year, Stanton will look to return before the playoffs to gain some momentum and help his team succeed down the stretch.

New York Yankees: Has James Paxton finally found his groove?

by
New York Yankees, James Paxton

With injuries littering the New York Yankees starting pitching rotation, their healthy options needed to reach their potential and 2019.

Players like James Paxton and J.A. Happ Have struggled to impress after receiving a contract extensions after the 2018 season. Both have ERAs over 4.00 and are struggling to find their groove.

Lefty pitcher James Paxton played exceptionally well against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. To be playing, he dominated. He struck out seven batters while walking just one giving up one hit over 6 1/3 innings.

Paxton threw 108 total pitches on the night, more than usual for the starting option. However, it was a necessary performance to get him back on track. While it was just the Baltimore Orioles, Paxton has struggled this season mightily with a 4.61 ERA over 19 games. He is currently six-and-six on the season and has allowed 18 home runs while striking out 123 batters.

This is his first season with the ERA over 4.00, which is concerning considering the entire Yankees starting rotation has been wayward. With Ace Luis Severino spending the whole season on the injured list up to this point, the remaining starters were forced to compensate for his loss.

Now, with CC Sabathia on the injured list and Masahiro Tanaka struggling as well, it is essential that Paxton elevates his game to help the Yankees retain the top spot in the AL East.

Paxton’s most frequent pitches are his fastball and knuckle-curve. Separated by 14 mph, they are used to keep the opposing batter guessing with their timing. This season has seen those pitches drop off a bit which has it directly affected his ERA.

“Guys can kind of cover both of those pitches with the same bat speed,” Paxton said of his fastball and cutter combination. “They can kinda take my fastball and hit it away, or they can catch it a bit more out front with the cutter. Throwing a curveball that comes in at 80 to 83 just makes them respect a different pitch speed so they have the thought in the back of their mind that, ‘Oh, this might be slow,’ which can make them late on my fastball.”

[su_posts template=”templates/teaser-loop.php” posts_per_page=”3″ tax_term=”1622326″ order=”desc”]

While it could be the difference in pitch speed, it seems as if the revolving door at catcher has affected his game. Calling the wrong pitches and the inconsistencies at the position have hurt the Yankees, despite having the best record in baseball.

 

New York Yankees: Weekly Recap + ESM Yankee Players of the Week for 7/29-8/4

by
New York Yankees, Domingo German

Weekly Recap:

After winning only one of four games at Fenway Park last week, the New York Yankees returned home hoping to regain momentum. After splitting a two-game series with Arizona, the legendary rivalry resumed in the Bronx, though the story would be very different this time. The Yankees would sweep the series, sending Boston plummeting further down in the standings, dropping to 14.5 games back after Sunday’s finale.

The sweep was huge, not just in terms of the standings, but also in showing that the starting rotation is improving. James Paxton, Domingo German, and J.A. Happ all went at least five innings and got wins in their respective starts in this series.

Torres, Ursehla avoid I.L.:

While the Yankees relished in finishing off the sweep on Sunday, it came with a couple of brief injury scares. Gleyber Torres, who was 0-3 with a walk on Sunday, was taken out in the eighth inning with what the team called a “core issue.” Not too long afterward, Eusebio Torres, Gleyber’s father, tweeted:

Translated from Spanish, the tweet reads:

“After the scare tonight, GT is leaving the hospital and everything is fine, the bus waits for him, and they go straight to Baltimore.”

Most likely as a precaution, Torres played the following day against Baltimore as the DH. Torres going to the I.L. would have been another significant blow to the Yankees. They already lost both Aaron Hicks (strained flexor tendon in right elbow) and Edwin Encarnacion (right wrister fracture) last Saturday.

Gio Urshela was also banged up on Sunday after fouling a pair of pitches off his left shin and right knee. He did not play in the first game against Baltimore.

Sanchez to go on rehab assignment:

According to manager Aaron Boone, catcher Gary Sanchez will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Following games on Wednesday and Thursday, the all-star catcher will rejoin the Yankees sometime this weekend in Toronto. Sanchez has been on the 10-day I.L. since July 24 with a Grade 1 Left Groin Strain. This is his third I.L. stint due to groin injuries in the past two seasons.

 

And now, with that out of the way, it is now time for this weeks…

Empire Sports Media’s Yankee Players of the Week:

James Paxton & Domingo German:

Paxton:

Vs. Boston (8/2): W, 6.0 Innings, 2 Hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO

German:

Vs. Boston (8/3): W, 7.0 Innings, 5 Hits, 2 ER, 7 SO

That’s right, the Big Maple and the Ant are ESM’s first-ever Yankee Co-Players of the Week! Both starters turned in quality starts in back-to-back days against the Red Sox, helping the Yankees to a four-game series sweep.

Paxton kicked off the series with his typical first-inning troubles, allowing a two-run home run to J.D. Martinez. After a Gleyber Torres grand slam in the bottom half of the first, Paxton settled down, allowing only one hit and two walks from the second inning on, finishing with six innings of two-run ball and six strikeouts. This was a huge redemption start for Paxton after getting shelled for seven runs in four innings during his last start at Fenway Park.

The next day, German had arguably one of his best starts of the season in game one of a doubleheader. Despite giving up solo shots to Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradly Jr., German tossed seven innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts. This start helped keep the bullpen fresh, as the Yankees deployed Chad Green as an opener in the nightcap.

Honorable Mentions (In no order):

Gleyber Torres:

6 games, 5-24 (.208), 3 HR, 7 RBI, .667 SLG%

Despite hitting just over .200 for the week, Gleyber Torres contributed to the sweep of the Red Sox. In game one, down 2-0, Torres took Eduardo Rodriguez deep for a go-ahead salami, capping off the offense for both teams. The next day, in the nightcap of a doubleheader, Torres knocked a pair of solo shots as part of a 3-for-5 night scoring three runs.

Mike Tauchman:

5 games, 5-17 (.313), 1 HR, 6 RBI, .353 OBP%

The sockman continues to show why GM Brian Cashman may just know what he’s doing despite the opinions of some Yankee fans. After Sunday’s game, Tauchman has slashed .372/.433/.617/1.050 with four home runs and 22 RBI since May 5.

J.A. Happ:

Vs. Boston (8/4): W, 5.2 Innings, 7 Hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

While Happ’s stat line in his latest start isn’t fantastic, he was cruising through the first four innings, allowing only two hits during that span. It was one of his better starts of the year, and the Yankees are now 15-7 in Happ’s started in 2019.

Tommy Kahnle:

1-0, 3.0 Innings, 0.00 ERA, 4 SO, 2 Hits, 1 BB

Kahnle continues his resurgent 2019 with an excellent month of July overall. In 12 July appearances, the righty allowed only one earned run, good for a 0.77 ERA during that span. He also struck out 17 and held opposing batters to a .128 BAA. Due to his strong month, Kahnle was named the American League Reliever of the Month for July.

Gio Urshela:

5 games, 7-18 (.389), .421 OBP%

 

Did the New York Yankees make a mistake not trading Deivi Garcia?

by
New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

After a 6-1 loss for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Rochester Red Wings, the New York Yankees might have stepped on their foot by not trading youth pitcher Deivi Garcia.

Garcia allowed six runs on eight hits over five innings after escaping the trade deadline and staying put in an impressive Yankees farm system. He’s the youngest player to reach the top level in the minors for the Bombers this year, but he’s struggled as of late due to the different grips on the ball and increased talent.

At just 20-years-old, Garcia has plenty of time to refine his skillset and adapt to the quality of players in Triple-A ball. There’s no rush to call him up to the big leagues just yet unless injuries being to mount and manager Aaron Boone has no choice.

However, he could have been used as a trade piece ahead of the deadline, and several teams were calling for him in a potential deal. The issue was — the Yankees had no leverage and were being asked for far too much in return for a quality pitcher.

They missed out on Zack Greinke, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard and more, but staying put might have been the best move considering the asking price for most of the options available.

Was it a smart move for the New York Yankees to keep Garcia?

At such a young age, Deivi has a ton of potential that’s yet to be understood and unlocked. He can turn into an ace-caliber player with a bit more development and experience, but trading him for a proven option is justifiable. There’s no guarantee he will emerge as a starting pitcher in the Big Leagues, and the Bombers needed to add reinforcements to a rotation that has been awful recently.

Not a single starter has an ERA lower than 4.00 and injures piling up with CC Sabathia being moved to the IL. General manager Brian Cashman seems to have more confidence in his pitchers than most, considering the quality they displayed in 2018. They have taken a significant step back, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take two major ones forward to return to glory.

Maybe it’s Larry Rothschild at fault, or perhaps it’s a confidence issue. Something realistically needed to be done, and now we will have to bear the burden of staying put with the current rotation.

 

 

New York Yankees: Why Brian Cashman didn’t trade for a starting pitcher

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

While New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s trade deadline track record speaks for itself, his lack of action this year caused a bit of confusion.

With the Yankees coming off a devastating series against the Boston Red Sox and a good portion of the pitching rotation injured or playing with prolonged ailments, it was all but guaranteed they would trade for a pitcher. As the 4 PM cutoff rolled around and the Yanks were leading by a small amount against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cashman elected to call off the dogs.

The pursuance of any relief was over, and once again, the Bombers’ GM stayed put. Maybe, this was the right move, ultimately, time will tell, however, the reason for this is quite simple.

“You fall back and look at the roster you have and feel like, ‘This is a damn good roster,’ and we can compete with anybody in the game,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

The New York Yankees can compete with anyone:

He trusts his players and knows what they’re capable. Having the ball in the hands of Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, Zach Britton, and James Paxton should be comforting, but the last few weeks have been concerning. So concerning that the fan-base was sure he would trade away offensive juggernaut Clint Frazier or young third baseman Miguel Andujar.

It seems as if the price was too high for a pitcher, and when the Mets came knocking to flip Marcus Stroman for Estevan Florial and Deivi Garcia, Cashman laughed the offer to the bank. Similar to what he did with Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman, and Cameron Maybin, there’s hope for a struggling pitching rotation.

[su_posts template=”templates/teaser-loop.php” posts_per_page=”3″ tax_term=”1622326″ order=”desc”]

Extracting the value and quality can be difficult when pitchers go through a cold streak. The entire Yankees starting staff now have ERAs over 4.00, with Domingo German just barely over the threshold. Bringing in reinforcements might have been the ideal scenario, but there’s no doubt the talent on the roster should theoretically be enough to win games and reach the World Series.

Gaining back Luis Severino and Dellin Betances bt the end of the season will help significantly, but the Yankees will inevitably face their fair share of challenges when it comes to pitching until they eventually make their return.

New York Yankees looking into Zack Greinke ahead of trade deadline?

by
New York Yankees interested in Zack Greinke?

As the July 31 trade deadline creeps up on the New York Yankees, the pressures of finding a starting pitcher are increasing dramatically. The last decent start for the Bombers was on Sunday by CC Sabathia, but he’s since been placed on the 10-day injured list.

With the Blue Jays trading ace Marcus Stroman, the market for quality pitchers took a small hit, but there are still plenty of avenues the Yankees can explore.

One remaining target is Diamondbacks’, Zack Greinke. The 2009 CY Young award winner is having a vintage season. The righty holds a 10-4 record and a 2.87 ERA in 22 starts, and 141 innings pitched. The fact is, Greinke is one of the more consistent pitchers in the league, and that reality alone should make him a top target for the Yanks.

In the last two seasons, he’s eclipsed 200 innings while posting ERAs of 3.20 and 3.21, respectively.

Adding the likes, Greinke would immediately help a struggling rotation that’s littered with inefficient pitchers. After robust campaigns from both James Paxton and J.A. Happ in 2018, nobody expects them to regress to this point.

However, the Yankees would have to give up valuable assets in a Greinke-centric deal. Players such as Deivi Garcia, Miguel Andujar, and Clint Frazier would all have to be on the table if the Yankees even want to approach the Diamondbacks with an offer.

What issue would the New York Yankees face?

In the scenario that the Bombers do acquire Greinke, they would be on the hook for his massive contract. Earning a six-year, $206.5 million contracts in 2015, Zack is still owed $31.5 million this season, plus $32 million in 2020 and 21′. Committing to that type of salary requires some caution, as he’s heading into the back-half of his career and could see a drop-off. However, two more seasons shouldn’t see him degrade that much, and joining a contender might fuel him even further.

 

Will the New York Yankees pull up Deivi Garcia to help pitching struggles?

by
New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The Future Look of the New York Yankees’ Rotation

As the second half of the season is underway, it’s apparent that the Yankees need a few pitchers to solidify their rotation. It’s becoming evident that both J.A. Happ and James Paxton simply aren’t producing the way they should be. Masahiro Tanaka has also gone through a rough patch since the pitching in the all-star game earlier this month, giving up a whopping twelve runs on July 25th at Fenway.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, it’s obvious that adding a pitcher is at the top of their priority list but there’s also another option if the pitching continues the downhill slide: Deivi Garcia. 

Diehard Yankee fans who follow the progression of top minor league prospects may have recognized his name before the season started but many first discovered him when he showcased his abilities in the MLB Futures Game in Cleveland. Garcia had a quick 1-2-3 inning, using his 96 mph fastball to punch out Atlanta Braves top prospect Christian Pache. 

Even with the struggles the Yanks have had with pitching, there’s no reason to panic. They have lots of options, especially with Luis Severino returning to the staff in the near future. Calling up Garcia could be the Yankees missing piece to the pitching puzzle. If the Yankees get a starter via a trade and call up Garcia, a lot still needs to happen for the Yanks to have a World Series caliber rotation. 

Fans have different opinions as to who’s at fault for the rotation’s lack of consistency but we can all agree on this; baseball is a very difficult game and sometimes the ball does not bounce the way we want it to. None of the pitchers (except D. German) have pitched to their full potential and that’s the frustrating part for many of us.

What needs reiterated time and time again throughout the season is that baseball is a contagious game. Even if Deivi Garcia is promoted to the big league club, it will not solve all of the Yankees’ problems. There will still be four pitchers in the rotation that need to produce and it only takes one bounce-back start to get that ball rolling.

The uncertainty of the staff’s ability is frustrating but if this same rotation has quality outings in the playoffs, none of us will even remember the struggles in late July.

New York Yankees: Starting Pitching Fails Again To Open Weekend In Boston

by
New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The starting pitching struggles did not end when the New York Yankees traveled to Boston to start a four game set with the Red Sox. Masahiro Tanaka was shellacked on Thursday, and James Paxton wasn’t much better on Friday.

Thursday

Masahiro Tanaka had no doubt the worst outing of his career on Thursday. He went just 3 and 1/3 innings, giving up 12 runs. Yes, you read that right. I have no idea what Aaron Boone was thinking leaving him in for so long. Tanaka gave up seven first inning runs but Boone kept trying to stretch him longer and longer.

Tanaka also walked three and gave up two home runs. He did strike out four and get seven swings-and-misses.

His ERA for the season is now up to almost five, and he was an all-star just weeks ago. Crazy how things can change.

Friday

James Paxton had a poor outing to follow Tanaka’s on Friday. He gave up seven runs in four innings, but nine of his twelve outs registered came from strikeouts.

Paxton gave up nine hits, and four of which came from the longball. J.D. Martinez had a two run home run, and Mookie Betts took Paxton deep three times, two of which were solo-shots.

Paxton’s ERA is also almost up to five, and the team now is in the bottom half of the MLB in starting pitching.

Brian Cashman needs to make a move to get a starter like Marcus Stroman, or this team won’t be winning their 28th world series here in 2019.