Michael
Pineda, not Masahiro Tanaka and not CC Sabathia, could be the ace for the New
York Yankees pitching staff in 2015 if all goes according to plan. Pineda last
pitched on Saturday and struck out six batters but more importantly showed an
ability to settle down and adjust after getting smacked around a bit in the
beginning of the game. It’s the confidence he showed in 2014 along with the
dominance and the veteran poise that may lead him to the top of the Yankees
rotation this season.
Pineda
got hit and got hit hard Saturday afternoon but quickly adjusted against the
Houston Astros and kept the Yankees in the game. He looked exceptionally sharp
and got more than enough swings and misses with his changeup. The changeup set
up the fastball that we all know that he has and Pineda finished with another
effective and, more importantly, another healthy start. If Pineda can stay
healthy this season and show that he has half an ounce of intelligence in his
brain, pine tar incident says it all, then three years if struggling, rehab and
hard work may finally pay off for the Yankees right hander.
Given
the question marks surround Tanaka’s elbow, Sabathia’s knee and overall
effectiveness, Nathan Eovaldi’s change of scenery to the American League and
his ability to put hitters away, Ivan Nova’s elbow, Chris Capuano’s quad and
Adam Warren’s stamina to stay in the rotation for an extended period of time
Pineda may become the ace by default early on.
We’ll
finish with a word from the man, Pineda himself, about his start on Saturday:
"I'm very, very happy in the spring, especially
today," Pineda said. "You know, I throw two innings, three innings
and I feel very strong. I like it."
This is the biggest reason I think the Yankees could surprise a lot of people this year. There are a lot of "ifs" here, but if things bounce the right way the rotation could be absolutely HUGE. A healthy Tanaka and Pineda, Eovaldi coming into his own with that huge fastball, and CC being able to be a strong presence in the middle of the rotation, could be killer.
ReplyDeleteI'm not willing to go all across the American League but if all the dominoes fall into place the team easily has the best pitching, rotation and pen, in the division.
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