Matt Blake

New York Yankees: Matt Blake feels “really good” about James Paxton’s progress

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

Coronavirus has pushed back the start of the MLB season. The worst thing about it is that we don’t know when will that be. The New York Yankees, like every other team, are patiently waiting. However, while they wait, they are getting excellent news on the injury front.

Because of the delayed season, chances are that they will have every injured player back, except for Luis Severino, of course, who is out until 2021 with Tommy John surgery.

Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and James Paxton are all progressing nicely and are expected to be ready when the season starts, or shortly after.

According to what Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said Wednesday to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, he feels “really good” about Paxton’s progress.

Paxton started playing catch in early March, a little over a month after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his spine on February 5. Initially, his timetable was about three or four months, which would have meant losing nearly all of the first half.

But as things stand right now, a hypothetical season would start in June at the earliest, and July seems like a more appropriate target given that the virus isn’t yet under control in the United States.

The delayed start of the season will benefit Paxton

While it is a sad development, it represents an advantageous position for the New York Yankees’ southpaw to be, as he has a chance (and a very good one, at that) to be ready when things get rolling again.

The southpaw was solid in 2019, his first season in pinstripes. He had a 3.82 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 186/55 K/BB ratio over 150 2/3 innings (29 starts.)

He is slated to become a free agent in 2021, and he will surely want to have a great season to leave on a high note or to increase the chances of a reunion later down the road.

New York Yankees: Will the Yankee pitchers be plagued by the long ball again this season?

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez, Gerrit Cole, Aaron Boone

The New York Yankees, like all of MLB, eagerly await the beginning of the shortened baseball season.  The Yankees are also following all the CDC recommendations to protect players, most of who have returned home, although some do remain at the training camp at George M. Steinbrenner Field.   Whenever the season starts, the Yankees will follow gathering guidelines, which could mean the season starts without fans in the stands.

The morning we look at the New York Yankee pitching rotation and their propensity to give up the long ball.  With the delay in the start of the season, the Yankees seem primed to have a full rotation with James Paxton that was supposed to miss the first two months of the season, now ready to start when baseball resumes.

The rotation will be headed by Gerrit Cole, who the New York Yankees went after during the offseason and acquired him with a nine-year $324 million contract.  He will be followed hopefully with James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and most likey Jordan Montgomery rounding out the rotation.  Missing is Luis Severino that will be out the entire season after having Tommy John surgery.  That impact is lessened by the fact that the Yankees won 103 games without him last year when he also suffered injuries.

In the past few years, the Yankee pitchers have suffered from giving up too many home runs.  Masahiro Tanaka last year gave up 28  long balls, and in the past three years, he surrendered  88.  His 2019 season wasn’t stellar, he had an unflattering 4.45 ERA while allowing a career-high 40 base on balls.  James Paxton, who did have a good season pitched to a 3.80 ERA and a 15-6 record.  But with those good stats, he also gave up 23 home runs.

J.AHapp heading the list of Yankees that gave up home runs allowed 34 while having a 12-8 record and 4.19 ERA.  Jordan Montgomery, who has started just seven games in the past two years due to his own injuries, surrendered 21 home runs in his last full season of pitching in 2017.  The odd man out is Domingo German, who was to miss the first 60 games of the season due to his suspension.  Now with the delayed season, those 60 missed games will not start until the season finally starts.  With a baseball season that may now be only 80 or 90 games, his presence will not make much of a difference.  However, it should be noted that with an excellent 18-4 record in his shortened 2019, the long ball was an issue for him as well with 30.

That leaves us with ace Gerrit Cole who led the league with the lowest ERA 2.50 for pitchers pitching at least 150 innings.  In 2019 while with the Houston Astros, Cole allowed 29 home runs, so he isn’t making the Yankee long ball situation any better.  In fact, he could be making it worse.  He may be one of the best pitchers in the game, but over the past 3 years, while becoming a pitching star, he has surrendered 79 long balls while giving up only 36 in the previous four years while with the Pirates.  That shows a constant increase in allowed home runs.  If that continues he could top the Yankee staff on the home run front.

Hitters seem to like his fastball, as the highest percentage of long balls allowed have come off that pitch.  Looking at the projections for Cole says that this may be his worst year issuing home runs.  This spring, he gave up four home runs through two innings against the Tigers in his third start of camp.  That is four home runs across only nine innings total of spring training.  His spring training ERA for four games sits at a scary 7.00.

With all these home runs allowed across the entire New York Yankee pitching rotation, new pitching coach Matt Blake will have his hands full trying to solve this problem that in total causes the Yankee team ERA to be over 25% higher than it should be.  Last year the Yankee home run total put them right in the middle of all MLB teams with a team ERA of 4.41.  If Blake, with all of his analytics, can improve on the home run situation, the Yankees can get closer to the ERA leader Los Angeles Dodgers, who own a team ERA of 3.37.

Many in baseball feel that the 2019 season when the Yankees won 103 games, the tremendous offensive lineup carried the pitching staff.  Strangely the Yankees lineup was mostly silent during the postseason while the pitching was better than in the regular season.  The New York Yankees have to find the formula to lower the home runs allowed by the pitching staff and while making the offense more constant so that they can achieve their 28 World Championship.

 

New York Yankees: Have the Yankees hired a second pitching coach?

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New York Yankees, Larry Rothschild

During the offseason, the New York Yankees made significant moves to improve the entire team. On October 28, 2019, they fired longtime pitching coach Larry Rothschild.  Rothschild had been the Yankees pitching coach since 2011. In the firing of Rothschild, the Yankees were signaling a move more toward a more analytic/technological model in developing their pitchers and preparing them for games.  Following through on that, they hired Matt Blake as their new pitching coach.   They also hired Sam Briend midseason to be their director of player development and run their minor league pitching operations.

Matt Blake’s hiring was surprising as many Yankee fans said: “Matt, who”.  But Yankee fans quickly learned who he was and why the Yankees hired him.  Blake is part of a new breed of pitching coach that is focused on analytics but also uses video from all angles to find the best delivery performance based on positioning that prevents injuries.  He has been called a “pitching guru” by his old college coach at Holy Cross in New England. Matt Blake was hired by the Yankees just two days after he was promoted as head pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians.

During the winter meetings in San Diego, the Yankees sent an entourage of Yankees, including General Manager Brian Cashman, team manager Aaron Boone, new pitching coach Matt Blake, and Andy Pettitte, who was a childhood idol of pitcher Gerrit Cole.  Cole was the free-agent prize this postseason up for grabs.  With the blessing of Yankee’s General Partner Hal Steinbrenner, Cashman offered Cole the large pitching contract ever, $324MM over nine years with a five-year opt-out.  Money and the persuasion of Andy Pettitte sealed the deal.

This week pitchers and catchers prepared for the new season with two workouts at the spring training complex at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.  All eyes were on the Yankees new ace Gerrit Cole.  Over the past few days, a phenomenon that might not have been expected has quickly shown manager Boone and the coaches more of who the real Gerrit Cole is.  He is a world-class talker, Boone said.  Cole, who threw his second official bullpen session on Friday morning, was quite talkative afterward. “He probably goes into the most detail [about pitching] that I’ve seen,” the Yankees manager said of Gerrit Cole.

“[It] seems like there’s no stone left unturned with him,” Boone said. “And he really has a specific understanding or intention with everything he’s doing. Which I think is really valuable not only for him, obviously, because his intelligence is part of what makes him great, along with having elite characteristics to his pitches, but his ability to communicate with myself, the pitching coach, catchers, teammates.”

“I think it really benefits him, and it’s hopefully something that speeds up that learning curve for all of us that are trying to learn and support him. As well as speeding up the building of those relationships.”

Cole seems more than willing to share his love of pitching and the techniques he uses; the Yankees just may have added another pitching coach.  As the season progresses it will be extremely interesting to see how both coach Matt Blake and Gerrit Cole develop together with the total focus being bringing a World Championship back to New York City.

 

Should the New York Yankees be Concerned About Matt Blake Already?

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New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole

Spring Training doesn’t begin till next week, but questions already surround the New York Yankees pitching staff. And when James Paxton and Domingo German each return to the Yankees around the All-Star game (realistically), how do you get them to bring their A-game right out the gate, after not pitching most of the season? This is where Matt Blake’s inexperience could bite him, and the Yankees, in the butt.

Don’t Think Analytics Makes Him Better Than Rothschild

I felt Larry Rothschild wasn’t as good of a pitching coach as everyone wanted you to believe. When the bullpen was right, the starters were off, and vice versa. Look at last season. There were painfully long stretches where our starting rotation was garbage, and our bullpen was what kept us in the game. Then, when the bullpen was able to rest because the starting rotation got itself right, the key players in the pen before Otta, Britton, and Chapman floundered.

Part of what sold Gerrit Cole on coming to the  New York Yankees was Matt Blake’s sales pitch about his analytical approach to helping pitchers pitch better. If you don’t think Larry Rothschild didn’t have that same information, you’re in denial. Spin rate on a breaking pitch isn’t going to help Tanaka get through 5 on a day he just doesn’t have it. And he’s been losing it more and more as his career in pinstripes progresses.

How Much Will the Other Pitchers Accept Blake’s Approach?

Part of Blake’s success is going to be how much the other pitchers respond to Blake’s coaching. Cole is open to it, and Montgomery is probably going to take what Blake is teaching and run with it. But what about Severino, Tanaka, Happ, and Paxton? Just because he’s their coach doesn’t mean what he teaches them is going to work for them. Mariano Rivera isn’t shy about admitting then pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyer, tried to get him to abandon the cutter. Happ is about 5 years older than Blake, and seen success. Who’s to say Happ doesn’t lead a revolt against neglecting Blake’s coaching the first sign things look bad for our fragile rotation? Who’s to say Blake’s teaching doesn’t result in Cole needing Tommy John? As I said, we’re already down 2 in the rotation. And when they get back, how fast can Blake get them up to speed?

All of the questions that STILL surround the Yankees rotation may be too much for this 34-year-old. I hope it doesn’t, but, let’s just see.

What the New York Yankees are doing to reduce injuries in 2020

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

During the 2019 season, the New York Yankees fell ill to the injury bug, suffering 39 different stints on the injured list. Subsequently, their now former strength and conditioning coach, Matt Kraus, who had been with the team for years, was fired and replaced.

New health coach, Eric Cressey, will take over for Kraus, installing a new system that should minimalize soft tissue injuries and reduce the overall frequency of damages.

Aside from the behemoth signing of Gerrit Cole, the overall of the backend health staff marks the second-largest change for the Yankees this offseason. Notably, Cressey becomes the Director of Player Health and Performance, while Steve Donohue will be moved to Head Athletic Trains and Director of Medical Services.

“Steve brings a wealth of information in terms of the flow of baseball, the travel schedule that dynamic. He knows all the players incredible well, but he is also very, very networked within the game,” Creesey said. “We can lean on Steve’s network really heavily so there’s a wealth of information we absolutely plan to to tap into that a ton and I’m really excited to work with him.”

The Yankees’ pitching coach position was also turned over, as Matt Blake, formerly of the Cleveland Indians, will feature in the role, previously held by Larry Rothschild. Reportedly, Blake’s influence was a significant reason the Yanks were able to lure Cole to the Bronx, as his modernized approach towards spin-rate and overall pitching represented the team’s progressive mentality.

Moving forward, we should hope to see fewer injuries, especially during the preseason. In 2019, Dellin Betances and Giancarlo Stanton, two significant players, missed the entire season virtually with individual injuries. This hurt the Yankees’ chances of reaching the World Series, and while a lack of run support ended up being the primary reason for their demise, Betances’ skill-set might have been a difference-maker in game six (bullpen game).

 

How the New York Yankees will maximize Gerrit Cole’s abilities in 2020

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, Gerrit Cole

Aside from the two bottles of wine that sold Gerrit Cole on the New York Yankees and their illustrious franchise, new pitching coach Matt Blake played an integral part in luring arguably the game’s best pitcher to the Big Apple. Cole, who earned a nine-year, $324 million deal, will slide in as the Yankees’ top pitcher in front of Luis Severino and James Paxton.

Cole’s numbers are earth-shattering, as he ranked in the top five among MLB starters in total innings, K/0, LOB%, ERA, xFIP, and WAR (2019). Part of the reason he chose the Bronx was because of Blake, who received fantastic reviews from other players, including Trevor Bauer, who stated via Twitter:

For all the @Yankees fans coming to my page to ask me about @Blake_Matt, he’s awesome. One of the smarter guys I know. Knows a lot about pitching. A lot about development. Good communicator. Etc. Really excited for him getting this opportunity and pumped to see the results.

The principal negative Cole has is a 17% fly-ball rate, which could be problematic in Yankee stadium. Domingo German faced a similar challenge last season but managed to overcome it, for the most part, seeing a decrease of .62 HR per inning in 2018 to .44 HR per inning in 2019.

Firing Larry Rothschild, who spent years as the Yankees’ pitching coach, was an unfortunate reality of modern-day analytics and progression, something that Blake factors into his game-plan.

Matt Blake on joining the New York Yankees:

“Watching it from across the field in Cleveland, there’s a bevy of really talented pitchers — I think it’ll be interesting to get to know where they are in terms of the things they’re thinking about and the things they’re wanting to work on and improve upon.”

As per Nick Nielsen of Empire Sports Media:

Nothing more reassuring than hearing a new pitching coach praise the talents and look toward the future and improvements down the road. Blake prides himself on his relationships with his players, as well as using analytics and different techniques to get the most out of them, seeing as to how talented the New York Yankees farm system is flooded with young, prosperous arms — Garcia, Gil, Medina, Abreu, Schmidt, Acevedo, etc. — and how the starting rotation has all the pieces and talent to be elite, Blake should be able to make an immediate impact.

The Yankees have numerous pitchers returning from significant injuries last season, which bodes well for Blake, who will have a fresh start with guys like Severino and Jordan Montgomery. However, helping Cole continue to develop and add new tools to his arsenal will be the priority in 2020.

New York Yankees: 3 secret weapons that inevitably landed Gerrit Cole

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New York Yankees, Larry Rothschild

As the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman initiated a wild goose chase that led them to Southern California, where arguably the best goose in all of baseball resided, the result was precisely what they had hoped. Gerrit Cole, the subsequent name of this goose, was enticed by the Yankees’ efforts in bringing him to the Bronx.

The two bottles of specific wine that tranced Cole and his wife on their anniversary in Florence last year were part of the elaborate equation, smoothing over talks with a bit of sulfite and grapery. However, Cole is a man of ambition and intelligence, two factors that were deciphered after hearing his eloquence at the revealing press conference.

The second of three secret weapons the Bombers used against Cole in their pursuit was former pitcher, Andy Pettite, one of Cole’s childhood figures on the mound. Pettite is a personable man who used his charm to further lure the former Astros ace to New York, but he only carved out a sliver of the credit, a good portion must be attributed to new pitching coach, Matt Blake.

The Yankees hit the nail on the head with Matt Blake:

Blake, who was formerly with the Cleveland Indians, has replaced Larry Rothschild. Big shoes to fill for the young coach, but his analytical approach and benevolence towards progression in modern-day baseball was too appealing to pass up for the Yanks.

Cole, who is a master manipulator of the seams, utilizes new techniques and analytical approaches to improve his abilities, something that Blake can undoubtedly help with, despite this being his first head pitching coach job.

“Matt was pretty impressive in the meeting that we had when I first got to know him,” Cole said.

Blake has never engaged in a mound visit before, and we can imagine he will get plenty of experience with the Yankees, maybe not as much as if he were heading the Red Sox’s crew, but enough to weather the storm.

“I’ve known a couple of pitchers that have come through the Cleveland system and I think any pitcher in the league has probably admired Cleveland from afar,” Cole said. “They’re really unique organization, I think, in the sense that over the last 10 years, they haven’t signed a free-agent pitcher starting pitcher.”

Cleveland has taken an incredible approach towards their pitching, and while the Yankees are a bit more lucrative in their free-agent ways, both systems work. Nonetheless, the knowledge and skill-set that Blake brings with him to New York played a significant part in the landing of Cole on a nine-year, $324 million deal. An excellent start for the 34-year-old coach in Pinstripes.

New York Yankees: Matt Blake will take the Yankees to another level

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New York Yankees, Larry Rothschild

Besides signing Gerrit Cole, hiring Matt Blake as the new pitching coach to replace Larry Rothschild was the best decision the New York Yankees made this offseason. In comparison to Rothschild, he offers a strong knowledge of analytics and what to add to a pitcher’s repertoire.

Cleveland Indians’ pitcher Shane Beiber credits Blake for his breakout season last year. “He was an integral part of me using my curveball more,” said the All-Star. “Matt had a lot of ideas of how to add that to my repertoire and the pitch had a lot to do with the success I had last year. He worked with me on when to throw it, how to get more spin on it and what counts it was most effective.”

Besides Beiber, Blake is credited to improving Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger – two pitchers who are regarded as premier in the Major Leagues.

It seems that since Blake is around the age of most players, he’s able to connect and communicate with players efficiently. Since pitching is pretty much all mental, having that connection with a coach is crucial. You don’t want to be on different pages than the guy whos usually telling you what to throw and how to throw.

Blake also seems stoked about the new job and had this to say about the Yankee pitchers.

“Watching it from across the field in Cleveland, there’s a bevy of really talented pitchers — I think it’ll be interesting to get to know where they are in terms of the things they’re thinking about and the things they’re wanting to work on and improve upon.”

I am especially excited to see Blake work with Gerrit Cole. Cole is already the best pitcher in the MLB and Blake could take him, and the whole rotation, to a new level.

New York Yankees rumors: Brett Gardner, Dellin Betances, Martin Maldonado

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New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole, Martin Maldonado

The New York Yankees have started the offseason active, but there’s plenty of work left to be done with players like Brett Gardner and Dellin Betances waiting in the wings. Reports have indicated that Gardner is a likely retention candidate while Betances could be on his way out, as GM Brian Cashman can’t spend every last dollar he has before the season even begins.

However, there are several free agents that still make sense for the Bombers, one of them being catcher Martin Maldonado.

Here are your latest New York Yankees rumors:

Mark Feinsand: The Yankees have interest in C Martin Maldonado, per source. Interesting stats to consider: Maldonado caught Gerrit Cole 10 times in 2019 – and Cole had a 1.57 ERA and .471 opponent OPS in those starts, his lowest numbers with any of Houston’s catchers last season.

Jon Heyman: Yankees are hopeful to get a Brett Gardner deal done soon. Gardy belongs in pinstripes.
Joel Sherman: #Yankees were described as far down the line on a new contract with Brett Gardner. It would be a surprise if it doesn’t get done. #Reunion
Dan Federico: Heard from a source earlier that the Mets are pushing hard for a one year contract with Dellin Betances. Yankees still have interest.

Regarding Betances, the Yankees have an interest in retaining him on a one-year deal, but his price-tag might be too steep considering the hefty cost of Gerrit Cole and the expected agreement with Gardner. Manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake could elect to stick with Zack Britton as their primary relief arm, especially since Betances missed all of 2019, and the Yankees still had one of the best bullpens in baseball.

On the Gardner front, a contract is expected within the next few days; it would be ludicrous to let him go anywhere else, considering his familiarity with the organization and ability to supplement injuries.

New York Yankees: Why Matt Blake is the offseason’s best acquisition

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New York Yankees, Larry Rothschild

NEW YORK YANKEES – With Stephen Strasburg and Zach Wheeler having both hauled in massive contracts, and Gerrit Cole’s future potentially being decided within a few days, let alone hours, the offseason is in full effect.

Winter Meetings are the Free Agents’ chance to sit down with all teams and representatives interested. For many players, like Castellanos — who had an incredible stretch with the Cubs, but won’t likely return because of salary problems in Chicago — Winter Meetings are the best chance they have to pitch their case to the big market teams.

Despite all the talk of whether or not Gerrit Cole will earn the largest pitching contract in MLB history — Strasburg just broke it with a 7/245m deal to resign with WAS — the consensus opinion is that he is without a doubt the best pitcher on the market, and was viewed as arguably the best pitcher in the AL with Houston the previous two seasons. Not to mention Anthony Rendon still awaits his potential destination, and will likely be traveling there for mass amounts of money. With that being said, it is way too early to discuss who will be the best signing, but there’s one acquisition that I believe will stand tall, regardless of what deals are made in the coming weeks — and that is the Yankees hiring Matt Blake.

Who exactly is Matt Blake?

The New York Yankees hired former Indians developmental pitching coach Matt Blake, as they elected to move on from longtime pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Matt Blake is regarded as one of the most influential and intelligent coaches in the league, and his ability to get through to his players is arguably second to none. Blake played an integral role in the development of Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger, and Shane Bieber, amongst others. Having such a massive impact on three of the most electrifying arms in baseball, Blake did whatever he could to maximize their talents.

Before his rise within the Indians organization, he was developing high school pitchers at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, where he was already instilling the importance of analytics and focusing on spin-rates and advanced metrics, rather than just the up-front delivery and mechanics of a pitcher. Blake applied those same teachings and ideals to the Indians pitching prospects in their farm. Eventually, he made such a profound impact that the Indians promoted him in 2016 to Assistant Director of Player Development, and thus the bromance with Bauer began.

Cleveland Indians’ pitchers & their success under Blake’s guidance

Bauer’s love for statistics and his fascination with the ins-and-outs of spin rates on his fastball and curveball can be attributed in part to Matt Blake. Bauer changed his approach and style of pitching the 2016 season when Blake was promoted. Bauer’s tweet speaks for itself when it comes to how he feels about Matt Blake:

The difference in statistics for Bauer before Blake was given his new role the 2016 season, and what Bauer did with the tips, is pretty substantial (* = first half with CLE in 2019) — info via Fangraphs:

YEAR 2016 2017 2018 2019*
IP 190.0 176.1 175.1 132.0 
ERA/FIP 4.26 / 3.99 4.19 / 3.88 2.21 / 2.44 3.61 / 4.11
K/9 7.96  10.00 11.34 10.16
BB/9 3.32 3.06 2.93 3.48
Swinging Strike % 9.0% 9.2% 13.3% 12.2%

The 2016 season was before Blake began getting more involved with AAA and even MLB level players, but come 2017, he was more involved and frequently talking to Indians pitchers on the MLB staff. Blake wasn’t directly on the Indians’ MLB Pitching staff, but he was vital to the development of the new ace pitcher. While the numbers for Bauer from 2018-2019 jumped a bit, that can be more attributed to Cleveland’s first-half struggles, and his relationship with the Indians’ front office as well. When Bauer was dealt with the Reds late July of last year, his ERA rose tremendously up to 6.59 across 56.1 IP, but despite that, the majority of his numbers looked the same, if not better.

His K/9 went up to 10.90, and his BB/9 dropped to 3.0 across that same stretch. Bauer got hit around more when he arrived in the NL (57 H in 56.1 IP, compared to 127 H in 156.2 IP with CLE & a 1.35 WHIP compared to a 1.23 with CLE), and part of that could be attributed to the fact that out of his 10 games he started for the Indians, 7 of those came against sound offensive teams that were making a playoff push — PHI, NYM, STL, CHC, WAS, even SD and ARI. Bauer was tossed into the fire, and while he got burned and singed, he still managed to put together solid peripherals that show his 6.59 ERA was not who he is as a pitcher. His FIP and xFIP with the Reds were roughly 4.80 and 4.30, respectably.

As for both Clevinger and Bieber, they also saw gradual improvements over the past three seasons with Matt Blake’s guidance. Bieber was a CY Young candidate this last season after tossing an astounding 214.1 IP to pair with a 10.88 K/9 and a superb 1.68 BB/9 — good for a 6.48 K/BB Ratio. Having Shane Bieber’s dominance start so soon only bodes brilliantly well for the Indians. In 2018, Bieber was seen as a guy that can limit the walks and would be their spot-starter if needed. Now, he’s viewed as one of the best pitchers in the AL, and his future is looking blindingly bright. Clevinger, despite his injury troubles, was also elite for Cleveland last year.

With Clevinger, it is all about whether or not he can locate his fastball and pound the corners of the plate. A very similar pitcher to Jack Flaherty, he excels at limiting the long-ball, and striking people out far more than allowing them to get on base. Since 2017, Mike Clevinger has struck out at least 25% of the batters he faces and has seen his BB% decrease each year as well. Add onto that his array of three incredible pitches: 4-seam, Curveball, Slider, and how he can mix them all in effectively and timely. His fastball last season had a Fangraphs Pitch Value of 19.1, with his slider at 9.1, and despite a down year with his CB (-0.1) the year prior, it was at 5.7. Essentially, having those three pitches all being plus pitches makes Clevinger’s life a lot easier. Not to mention that he hasn’t ended the year with an ERA over 3.15 since 2017 — despite failing to reach 150.0 IP twice, due to injuries.

There is no doubt that the Indians are more than grateful to Matt Blake for the work he did with their two young aces, and hopefully, he can do the same for the New York Yankees and their future.

What Blake brings to the table

Matt Blake on joining the New York Yankees – “Watching it from across the field in Cleveland, there’s a bevy of really talented pitchers — I think it’ll be interesting to get to know where they are in terms of the things they’re thinking about and the things they’re wanting to work on and improve upon.”

Nothing more reassuring than hearing a new pitching coach praise the talents and look toward the future and improvements down the road. Blake prides himself on his relationships with his players, as well as using analytics and different techniques to get the most out of them, seeing as to how talented the New York Yankees farm system is flooded with young, prosperous arms — Garcia, Gil, Medina, Abreu, Schmidt, Acevedo, etc. — and how the starting rotation has all the pieces and talent to be elite, Blake should be able to make an immediate impact.

While Blake may not have been a direct call line for all the Indians pitchers, the fact he maintained such a great relationship, as well as kept an eye out for the well-being of their careers shows me that he is dedicated to the game, and wants everyone under his guidance to succeed. The Yankees have one of the most analytical front offices in baseball, and adding Blake — a guy who bleeds stats & analytics and prides himself in looking at the numbers to maximize proficiency — is a match made in Heaven.

I have nothing but high hopes and expectations coming into the 2020 season, and regardless of whether or not Gerrit Cole signs with the New York Yankees, this rotation should be mightily improved next year. There is nothing but talent and upside with this New York Yankees pitching staff, with the likes of veterans James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka, as well as young guns with high-end potential — Domingo German (interesting to see what happens with him next season), Jordan Montgomery (coming off TJ surgery), and the others in the farm. Add to that Luis Severino, who will be fully healed and back on the mound ready for war, and the potential of Gerrit Cole coming to the Bronx, and now we’re cooking with fire. I view it as if you’ve just given the Hulk a double-barrel shotgun.

Adding Blake didn’t make the headlines like the signings of many FA’s wills, but this move will benefit the Yankees for many years to come.