Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees: Do the Yankees have a true ace in their pitching rotation?

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New York Yankees, Luis Severino

Lacking consistent quality starting pitching was a real burden for the New York Yankees last season. Even though the offense was the reason why the Yankees went down in the postseason, having dominant starting pitching would have helped tremendously.

Last season I think there was no clear ace. There were two guys, James Paxton and Domingo German, who had their streaks of several strong outings, and were the studs of the staff. But there was really no clear cut starter like a Gerrit Cole or Justin Verlander, that every time they went out you knew the team had a very good shot at winning.

Luis Severino is the ace of the Yankee starting pitching. He has been ever since the 2017 season and if it wasn’t for several injuries that hindered him last season, he would’ve been considered the ace again. I expect Severino to make a full comeback next season and put up great numbers like he’s used to doing.

There’s also an argument that James Paxton could be an ace next year. After having a rough start to the beginning of last season, he really turned it around and finished with a 15-6 record with a 3.82 ERA during the regular season.

Another possibility could be Domingo German, given that he avoids suspension from his domestic violence case that prevented him from playing in the playoffs last season. German was having a fantastic season with the Yankees before his removal from the roster, holding a 18-4 record with a 4.03 ERA. If he returns for next season there’s a case that he could lead the rotation.

I would love to add Masahiro Tanaka due to his absolute dominance in the postseason, but he’s just too inconsistent during the regular season. You never really know when he’s going to have a great outing or last 2.1 innings.

Of course, New York Yankee fans would love to see a Gerrit Cole or Stephan Strasburg signing during the offseason to immediately know they are getting an ace. However, if this doesn’t happen, I have full confidence in Luis Severino coming back and returning to his ace role.

Hal Steinbrenner will hold the Yankees back this offseason

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

General manager Brian Cashman might be making decisions for the New York Yankees at the executive level, but the influence of Hal Steinbrenner cannot be overlooked. The owner of the Bronx Bombers stated that the team doesn’t need to add to their starting pitching rotation with Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery returning in featured roles next season.

“For the most part, I think our starting pitching was good this year,’’ Steinbrenner said. “Even missing [Luis] Severino and [Jordan] Montgomery [for most or all of the season due to injuries].”

However, the reality is that the Yankees need a bonafide starter that can dominate when the postseason rolls around. A player like Gerrit Cole would undoubtedly give them a significant edge, but at a severe cost — upwards of $30 million per season.

Steinbrenner might not be keen on spending that type of money on a premium talent, but he must then ask himself why his team hasn’t won a World Series in a decade yet consistently makes the playoffs without avail. Then again, he allowed Cashman to splash the cash on Giancarlo Stanton, who barely played a lick in 2019. The Yankees need to add players with healthy track records, and Cole is one of those proven commodities.

The New York Yankees brass thinks their pitching is in a good place:

Both Cashman and Steinbrenner agreed that the pitching was stable during the postseason, and they are right for the most part. Spending $17 million on J.A. Happ to feature as a relief option, though, is ludicrous, and the Yankees need to do a better job evaluating their pitching talent, especially in free agency.

Alternatively, they can save themselves the hassle of guessing on pitchers and paying top dollar for premium arms that rarely falter. It’s easier said than done.

Steinbrenner also stated that any deals Cashman brings to his attention he will always consider, which is the right thing to do. However, giving his general manager the autonomy to make his own decisions seems like the right thing to do.

EXTRA:

“If the 2020 season was to start tomorrow, I would feel considerably more confident than I did a year ago at this time,’’ Steinbrenner said. “We will have both Severino and Montgomery back. We now know that [Domingo] German can pitch effectively at this level. And we know [James] Paxton can be the guy that we were hoping for when we made that trade. We have [Masahiro] Tanaka, [J.A.] Happ, [Jonathan] Loaisiga, and perhaps [Deivi] Garcia at some point. A very good rotation.’’

 

New York Yankees: Is Stephen Strasburg a possibility for the Bombers?

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Could the New York Yankees pursue Stephen Strasburg this offseason?

With the New York Yankees curious about the available starting pitching options this upcoming offseason, it leaves the door open for several quality targets. Of course, Houston Astros ace, Gerrit Cole, will top the list of pitchers the Yanks will undoubtedly pursue, but Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg could also be of interest.

Strasburg, who’s likely to opt-out of the final four years of his contract with the Nationals, will be seeking more money. However, there are beliefs that he wants to stay in Washington D.C. due to preference for comfort. His spectacular postseason, earning a 1.93 ERA proves he’s one of the best in baseball, but injury concerns have made him a liability at times.

Cole, who is the best option in baseball on the mound, has maintained his health throughout his career, while Strasburg has missed ample time. The latter will likely command less money than Cole, but neither will resemble anything close to being cheap.

Strasburg did pitch 209 innings this season compared to Cole’s 212, proving he can manage a full workload. The Yankees will favor Cole and his health, but general manager Brian Cashman stated that he’s not prioritizing pitching this offseason. He blamed a lack of run production for the team’s faltering in the ALCS, not the starting pitching.

Hypothetically, here’s a look at what the New York Yankees starting pitching rotation could look like:

1.) Gerrit Cole/Stephen Strasburg

2.) Luis Severino

3.) James Paxton

4.) Masahiro Tanaka

5.) J.A. Happ

This rotation would give the Bombers consistency in a place where they suffered consistent injuries and deficiencies this season. Paxton struggled during the regular season before taking over in the playoffs, and Severino only joined the team later on in the year to help in their postseason run. Tanaka was inconsistent during the regular season but dominated in the postseason, as usual, and Happ was a significant disappointment in every facet.

Alleviating any pitching concerns should be a priority for Cashman, even after his comments blaming the ALCS loss on the hitters. Cole or Strasburg are two fantastic players who would inject pure quality into the rotation — at a cost.

Are the New York Yankees the favorites to sign Gerrit Cole this offseason?

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Could the Yankees pursue Gerrit Cole this offseason?

Gaining the best pitching baseball would not only be a massive boost to the New York Yankees starting pitching rotation, but it would provide them with a player to lean on when the going gets tough. This season, Bombers were forced to guess with the pitching at times, unsure if their starters would rise to the occasion or falter in the face of adversity.

James Paxton was one of the risers, as he pitched well in the postseason and proved his worth for 2020. J.A. Happ faltered, and Luis Severino was decent in limited action after missing a majority of the regular season. However, they have an opportunity to add an arm that would revolutionize their team and make reaching the World Series that much easier.

Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole is the featured pitcher, and the Yankees will undoubtedly make a bid after speaking with mega-agent, Scott Boras. Cole will likely earn $30+ million per season, which could cause issues with the Yankees’ luxury tax threshold, especially if other players are being considered at a high price point.

Third baseman Anthony Rendon has also been linked with the Bombers, but having Miguel Andujar and Gio Urshela should satisfy their needs at the hot-corner if they have a legitimate shot with Cole.

Why the New York Yankees could lose out on Gerrit Cole:

There’s always the possibility that Cole takes his talents elsewhere, but there’s no indication that he does not favor the Yankees. He grew up a fan of the illustrious franchise but also comes from the West Coast, which could influence his decision. Alternatively, he did play for the Houston Astros in the south-east, which makes him coming up North a bit more realistic.

It could ultimately come down to money, and which team is willing to splash the cash for the best pitcher in the MLB. General manager Brian Cashman can not low-ball Cole in this process because any disrespect could send him to a different city.

Theoretically, if the Yankees managed to sign Cole, their starting rotation would look something like this:

  1. Gerrit Cole
  2. Luis Severino
  3. James Paxton
  4. Domingo German (if not suspended)
  5. Masahiro Tanaka
  6. J.A. Happ
  7. Jordan Montgomery
  8. Michael King

New York Yankees could solve starting pitching problem with top prospect

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees elected to not rush the No. 1 pitching prospect in the minor league’s during the regular season, keeping him in the minors at just 20-years-old.

Deivi Garcia, one of the most highly touted young pitchers, is working his way into the big-leagues, and 2020 could be the year he finally reaches the mound.

General manager Brian Cashman commented on how great Garcia has looked, per NJ.com:

“For his age, to do what he’s doing,” Cashman said. “I was just looking at Baseball America last night and he’s listed as like, Double-A All-Star and I think it opened up with him being the youngest pitcher in the Eastern League. And I was like, he was probably the youngest pitcher in the International League, and if he got here, he would have been the youngest pitcher in the big leagues. It was an incredible run. But obviously he’ll go on the roster this winter and we’ll see what we got in the spring.”

The Yankees will add Garcia to the 40-man roster over the Winter and carry him into Spring Training. They will test his abilities against major league players in that scenario, allowing him to prove his value.

Garcia may be a part of the Yankees’ starting pitching rotation next season, even if they bring in a premium-level arm like Gerrit Cole over the offseason. Replacing CC Sabathia will be a priority, and whether it’s with home-grown talent like Deivi or an outside one, finding reinforcements is a priority.

What could the New York Yankees starting rotation look like next season?

With the Bombers look to add a real ace and several players returning from injury, they could have a solid starting rotation come next season. This is entirely theoretical, though:

1.) Gerrit Cole

2.) Luis Severino

3.) James Paxton

4.) Masahiro Tanaka

5.) Deivi Garcia

6.) J.A. Happ (?)

Bringing in one high-priced arm would be enough to solidify this rotation for the entire season barring injury. Severino returning to form and giving the Yankees a full-season of work would be a huge benefit. While the Yankees did manage to crawl to 103 wins during the regular season, they missed the presence of Severino and his consistency.

New York Yankees: Will Game Four being Postponed Help or Hurt the Yankees?

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New York Yankees shortstop, Didi Gregorius.

The New York Yankees lost game three 4-1, due to a below-average start by the Houston Astros, Gerrit Cole, who the Yankees drafted 28th overall in 2008 (MLB.com). However, Cole decided to stay with his commitment to UCLA. Cole was not at his best but still held the Yankees scoreless over 7 innings. The Yankees now trail the series 2-1. There is no need to panic though, the Yankees can still take the series lead before they head back to Houston.

The Yankees are still very much alive after an off game three. Severino battled for all five of his innings, but the Yankees’ hitters did not take advantage when they had runners in scoring position, which is a rare occurring for the highest-scoring team in baseball during the regular season.

The Pros and Cons of Game Four being Postponed

With game four being postponed on Wednesday, October 16th, the Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, made the decision to send playoff ace, Masahiro Tanaka, to the bump. Tanaka now has a career 1.32 ERA in the postseason, after winning his two starts in this year’s playoffs (Baseball-Reference). Tanaka has been brilliant this postseason and maybe the only reason the Yankees are only down a game in the 2019 ALCS. With Tanaka on the mound, the Yankees should do everything in their power to provide run support and tie this series back up.

On the other hand, the game being postponed means the Yankees have to face ageless Justin Verlander. In his postseason career, Verlander is 14-8, with a 3.18 ERA, and a 9.9 strikeout per nine innings ratio (Baseball-Reference). He has dominated the regular season and postseason for over a decade. This matchup will be one for the record books.

There is a possibility Stanton will need to head to the IL yet again. Thankfully, Mike Tauchman is healthy and could replace Stanton on the roster. He will most likely be a pinch-runner and a defensive upgrade with Cameron Maybin off the bench. Gardner is struggling significantly this series and it is possible Maybin will start in left field in game four. There is also a possibility Austin Romine will start and replace Sanchez, who has struggled in every postseason he has been in.

The ultimate question is: will an extra day help or hurt the Yankees? Aaron Boone has the toughest job in the world right now is creating the best lineup, so that he can get this team back in the win column. Facing Verlander again will certainly not help with that, but to be the best you have to beat the best. If the Yankees come out strong out the gate, get Verlander out of the game early, that is the best chance fo the Yankees to win game four. Let’s see what Yankee team we get: the game one or game three teams. The way the Yankees played in game one has to give fans hope that this team can rebound and get it’s 28th World Series title.

New York Yankees: Tanaka Pitches Gem, Torres Takes Care of the Rest

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees marched into Minute Maid Park with one goal on their minds: win game one and put the pressure on the Houston Astros. The Bronx Bombers stood true to this goal and have now taken a 1-0 lead in the ALCS.

Masahiro Tanaka, who has been an electrical force throughout most of his starts in the postseason, rose to the occasion on Saturday night. He pitched six marvelous innings, allowing one hit and striking out four batters on 68 pitches. Yes, only 68 pitches through 6 innings of work.

The bullpen, which consisted of Adam Ottavino, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Zack Britton, pitched a combined three innings, allowing two hits and striking out two batters on 39 pitches.

Gleyber Torres had an explosive night in the batter’s box, going 3 for 5 with 5 RBI and one home run. Torres started the entertainment by driving in an RBI double to left-center field in the top of the 4th, granting the Yanks with their first run of the game.

Aaron Judge, who went 2 for five on the night, also executed a gorgeous play in the bottom of the 5th. After a great running catch, Judge rocketed the baseball to DJ LeMahieu and doubled off a sleeping Alex Bregman.

Torres came back to haunt Zack Greinke in the top of the 6th, blasting a 320-foot solo shot to left field. Shortly after, Giancarlo Stanton demolished a 406-foot solo bomb to right-center field, extending the Yanks lead to 3-0.

Yet again, Torres came in clutch with another impressive at-bat in the top of the 7th. With the bases loaded on a 3-2 count with two outs, he punched a 2-run double into shallow right-center field, extending the Yanks lead to 5-0.

At the top of the 9th, Gio Urshela smoked a 361-foot solo homer to the right field. The 7th and last run for the Yankees was recorded by no other than Torres, who drove in an infield RBI, extending the Yanks lead to 7-0.

With game number 1 in the hands of the Yankees, there is still unfinished business left to take care of. The magical number is now seven, and the pressure has been put on the Astros.

 

 

 

The New York Yankees solved their biggest problem

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New York Yankees, Didi Gregorius

Before the New York Yankees faced off against the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, the primary concern was their starting pitching rotation. The unit consisted of Janes Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and Luis Severino.

Both Paxton and Tanaka were inconsistent during the regular season, but Moose caught fire towards the end of the campaign. Tanaka remained luke-warm but has been stellar during the postseason, allowing just one run over two games. His performance against the Houston Astros was not only strategic but rather magisterial by manager, Aaron Boone.

What has been the New York Yankees’ biggest weakness?

The Bronx Bomber’s biggest weakness was undoubtedly their starting pitching. For a majority of the regular season, the starting unit had above a 4.00 ERA. The postseason has been different, but the concerns still lie dormant beyond the void. In game two against Houston, Paxton will be the featured option. If he can replicate Tanaka’s performances the Yankees, they could theoretically play their first home game with a significant advantage.

How important is game two?

With the Yankees blanking Houston 7-0 on Saturday night, the confidence boost and psychological advantage will be significant moving forward. Second baseman Gleyber Torres was stellar in all facets of the game, showing off his athleticism and plate discipline against Zach Greinke. The youth stats for the Yankees displayed their influence, which was exactly what the Bombers needed in their first game of the series against the Astros.

The infield seems concrete, as they turned multiple double plays. First baseman DJ LeMahieu was terrific in game one, picking numerous balls out of the dirt and helping Tanaka get out of minor jams.

The defense for the Yankees isn’t the problem, though; in fact, the pitching doesn’t seem to be either. If the rotation can continue to perform and the bullpen is adequately managed, the Yanks can dominate the series against the Astors,

New York Yankees: Tanaka confident for Game 1 start

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees are ready to take on the Houston Astros tonight in Game One of the American League Championship Series. Masahiro Tanaka was named the Yankees’ game one starter and Zack Greinke will be on the mound for the Astros.

“I felt like it was a good decision,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Tough one to be made, but similar to the Division Series, where I was going back and forth a lot. Just felt like Masa here in Game 1 is the way I wanted to go in the end.”

Tanaka, who is credited to a 1.54 ERA in the postseason, seems to turn on a switch come playoff time.

“One thing I can say is that we’ve been here in 2017,” said Tanaka. “We know what it’s like in here. So I think that experience will definitely help going into the game.”

Following Tanaka’s outing in Game One, James Paxton will be taking Game Two and Luis Severino has Game Three. The Houston Astros are sending Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, and Gerrit Cole to the mound for Games one, two, and, three respectively.

“As far as facing the Houston lineup, obviously it’s going to be a challenge,” Tanaka said. “But you try not to do anything sort of different going into the game. You prepare for it. You make your plans, and basically you go out there and execute.”

Game one will be played in Houston at 8:08 PM EST. This is a highly anticipated series as these are the best teams in baseball, and most likely whoever wins this series will win the World Series.

New York Yankees: Can the Yankee starters match Houston?

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees are set to play the Houston Astros tonight for Game 1 of the ALCS. A rematch from the 2017 postseason when both clubs also squared up during the ALCS – Houston taking the upper hand that year.

Both teams have announced their starting pitchers for the series:

The only question now is: can the New York Yankee starting rotation match the Astros?

Game one will be up in the air for either team to take. Playoff Tanaka is a different animal, however, Greinke has had two very good starts against the Yankee earlier in the season.

On Greinke’s end, it’s tough for any pitcher to shut down a lineup three times in a season, including playoffs. On Tanaka’s end, he’s shut down the Astro lineup both in the postseason and regular season in his career.

Game two between Paxton and Verlander will be an absolute dogfight between the two teams. These are two aces matching up one another, so it’ll most likely turn to which team can do the most damage off the other’s bullpen. Something to note, the Yankees have a significantly better bullpen in terms of numbers.

Game three will be an interesting watch. Luis Severino, which will basically be his fifth start of the season, will be squaring up against the 18-0 at home Gerrit Cole. Both power pitchers with both high swing-and-miss rates. Severino is also significantly better at home – but so is Cole on the road.

This series will most likely be a pitchers duel every game with a low score. People are saying it’s essentially the real World Series since these are the two best teams in baseball. No matter what, this will feel like the longest seven-game series on both sides.