Yankees Need to Manage CC like Rays Manage Pitching

I found an interesting article this week on the USA Today that revealed the secrets to the Tampa Bay Rays success this season despite losing half their team, their GM Andrew Friedman and their manager Joe Maddon all in the same offseason. The key to the Rays success in a nutshell in how they manage their pitching staff and bullpen which got me thinking, could the Yankees learn a thing or two from the Rays when it comes to the way they manage CC Sabathia?

The Rays have had success this season despite losing ace Matt Moore to Tommy John surgery, Alex Cobb to Tommy John surgery and Drew Smyly to a shoulder injury because the team is using common sense. The third time an offense see’s an opposing pitcher they are likely to do better against that pitcher. The pitcher is dealing with fatigue the third time around through the order and the batter has seen anywhere from five to twenty pitches off this pitcher already on the night. So what do the Rays do to combat this? They don’t let their pitchers see the opposing team’s offense three times in a night. Sounds simply enough, right?

In 2015 MLB hitters have a .696 OPS in their first at bats in a game, a .728 OPS in their second at bats and a .760 OPS in their third at bat of the game showing a no so surprising trend. These numbers are up from the 2014 marks of .681 in the first at bat, .708 in the second and .749 in the third at bat respectively. The Rays are on pace to let opposing offense’s see their pitchers three times in a game less than 1,000 plate appearances this season, by far the lowest in Major League Baseball this season. 

If the Tampa Bay Rays have an offense that sports just a .700 OPS at the time of this writing, 11^th best in the American League out of 15 teams, and are still in first place over the mighty Yankees then they must be doing something right. Buster Olney tweeted out the stats from CC when he faces an order a third time in a night and the stats were atrocious, and so is his record. Is it time to take notice and simply allow CC two times through the order before turning it over to the bullpen? If you’re asking me I have to say yes after seeing these Tampa Bay Rays stats.