With the 2017 Spring Training camp having opened about a week ago for pitchers and catchers and with the rest of the position players set to join them tomorrow, we Yankees’ fans all await the first official Yankees’ game of this coming season (set for April 2 against the Rays in Tampa Bay). Just like last season, this team doesn’t seem destined for winning the World Series, but there’s still a great deal of anticipation of youthful progress towards achieving another World Series championship in the near future.
This past Yankees’ offseason has had slightly more activity than last season:
Key Subtractions
Brian McCann (Catcher/via trade)
Mark Teixeira (1B/via retirement)
Key Additions
Matt Holiday (LF, 1B, & DH/via free-agent signing)
Chris Carter (1B & DH/via free-agent signing)
Aroldis Chapman (Closer/via free-agent re-signing after a mid-season
trade to the Cubs, helping them win the World Series)
In regards to the Yankees’ offensive players, the Yankees’ fans have
now experienced more from very young hitters named Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin
at their early stages and witnessed the unbelievable debut of their
now-starting-catcher, Gary Sanchez - who came in second place for rookie of the
year, even with a very late debut!
In regards to the Yankees’ pitching, the Yankees’ fans have seen more
of their very young pitchers including Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell, and
Luis Severino. The latter pitcher,
Severino, has offered us quite a roller coaster review. As a starter in 2015, he demonstrated
immediate expectations as a starter (5 wins/3 losses/2.89 ERA). Unfortunately, last year, as a starter he
didn’t even achieve 1 win (0-8 8.50 ERA)!
Thankfully, as a reliever, he demonstrated strong numbers (3 wins/0
losses/ 0.39 ERA). Rookies tend to do that - offer us hope, let
us down, offer us hope again, and so on and so forth. In the end, the true hope is that the
positive numbers are the ones that define them the most! If he wants to succeed as a starter, Severino
must learn command of his pitches (especially his changeup); but, most
importantly, he must learn how to pitch his arsenal with the same delivery so
the hitters can’t identify the incoming pitch.
If he doesn’t, we can all still hope that his lesser arsenal is still
enough to enable him to become the same type of reliever he proved to be at the
end of last season.
As for the other 3 (Green, Cessa, and Mitchell), they are also contending
to become starters for the 2017 season.
At this point, all 4 (including Severino) are competing with Adam Warren
for the last 2 starter spots to follow the Yankees’ established 3 starters for
2017: Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, and Michael Pineda.
Here’s a Quick-Glimpse Breakdown of the Aforementioned Relievers
with Starting Potential
Luis Severino/3 wins/8 losses/5.83 ERA
Luis Cessa/4 wins/4 losses/4.35 ERA
Chad Green/2 wins/4 losses/ 4.73 ERA
Bryan Mitchell/1 win/2 losses/3.24 ERA
Adam Warren/4 wins/2 losses/3.26 ERA
Just like any other season, I expect the Yankees to continually explore strengthening opportunities for their team, especially during these upcoming weeks when all teams are feeling their way into the new season. In the interim, let’s also hope that we get to see the likes of other very youthful Yankees rookies that can potentially join them this season - especially pitchers. Due to the fact that pitching is this season’s biggest vulnerability this year, it’s reassuring to know some are within reach:
Top 5 Pitching Prospects (from the Yankees’ Minor League System)
Justus Sheffield/10 wins/6 losses/3.09 ERA
James Kaprielian/2 wins/1 loss/1.50 ERA
Domingo Acevedo/5 wins/4 losses/2.61 ERA
Chance Adams/13 wins/1 loss/2.33 ERA
Albert Abreu/3 wins/8 losses/3.72 ERA
Their added power of Carter and Holliday, their more established youth,
their other youthful top-tier players that could be added this season, and
their anticipated funds for more upcoming contracts (such as CC) coming off the
books by season’s end, will only help the Yankees continue to progress. It’s about time!!
