The Yankees Are Moving at (a) Snell's Pace...

 

Blake Snell (Photo Credit: Mark J Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

Trying to decide the best route to Rotation Help…

2024, the year of Juan Soto. Spring Training reporting dates are a little more than a month away, and the Yankees, despite the acquisition of one of the greatest young baseball players in the game, are still a work in progress.

The swing and miss on Yoshinobu Yamamoto has led to endless discussions among the fan base about whether the Yankees should sign a free agent (Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell), or trade for a starter (Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox or one of the Miami Marlins’ young arms, Jesus Luzardo or Edward Cabrera). Of the free agents, while I think it would be cool to feature the reigning AL and NL Cy Young Award winners in the same rotation, I prefer a reunion with Montgomery. I know he can be a workhorse and he is not intimated by New York. There is no loss of draft picks for signing the former Yank like there is with Snell, who declined San Diego’s qualifying offer.

If the Yankees did sign Snell, I certainly would not be disappointed. I understand the pros and cons but at the end of the day, there is no perfect pitcher. Every pitcher has flaws. Some more than others. Whether Snell is not a fun pitcher to watch, or he walks too many guys (by design), he is successful and he will help a starting rotation. Yet, for me, Jordan Montgomery is more appealing. Snell may be the flashier signing but Monty’s reliability, consistency, and evident growth since he left Pinstripes are traits much needed by the Yankees’ current starting rotation.

Jordan Montgomery

Yesterday, there was some talk that Snell is interested in the Yankees, and Montgomery’s preference is to return to the World Champion Texas Rangers. Scott Boras represents both pitchers, and he is an expert in press manipulation to benefit his clients. So, until somebody signs the dotted line, talk and rumors are baseless and often not factual. If memory serves correctly, the Yankees were the clear frontrunner for Yamamoto’s services, and we see how that one turned out. Too many people like to use the press to sway opinions to their benefit, so I tend to look at baseball talk and rumors as fiction material.

Chicago’s Dylan Cease or Miami’s Jesus Luzardo (specifically among the two Marlins pitchers) seem like excellent options, but I do not see the Yankees trading multiple elite prospects. ‘Should they?’ and ‘Will they?’ invoke two vastly different responses. In terms of prospects, a talented team deep in superior prospect wealth like the Baltimore Orioles seems more capable of providing the White Sox or Marlins with the necessary ingredients for a trade than the Yankees. I am not trying to minimize Spencer Jones or Chase Hampton, but the Yankees have thinned the farm through trades in recent years whereas the Orioles are flush with young, overflowing talent. Everybody knows the Yankees need pitching, and no team is going to make it easy for them. Ultimately, Cash is King (money; not the Yankees' GM) and it is the Yankees’ greatest capital resource so they may have to take a bad contract to get a talented starter through trade along with the necessary highly-ranked prospects. These scenarios make signing Jordan Montgomery more attractive despite the inflated cost it will take. This offseason has shown teams are willing to break the bank for pitching. When the Cincinnati Reds are willing to pay an injury risk (Frankie Montas) $16 million or the New York Mets taking a similar gamble at $13 million with Luis Severino, you know that proven commodities like Montgomery and Snell are going to get paid for generations to come.

I know there is lots of time between now and Spring Training. Adding Juan Soto alone will not convert an 82-win team into a World Series contender. The Yankees would need so many ‘what ifs’ to go right. Hopefully, with the time remaining between now and Spring Training, the Yankees can add the necessary additional starting pitching to ensure the Yankees can compete with the league’s best.

I would place myself in the cautiously optimistic category. I want to believe the Yankees will add the necessary reinforcements…I am just not confident they will. I hope for better clarity in the coming days and weeks before the team starts arriving at Steinbrenner Field next month.

Several New Additions

The Yankees made two surprising moves yesterday even if neither one registers on the Richter Scale. It was first reported the Yankees had signed former Marlins pitcher Cody Poteet to a Major League contract. It is the second Cody obtained this offseason. Pitcher Cody Morris was previously acquired from the Cleveland Guardians for outfielder Estevan Florial. I guess when I said that I hoped the Yankees would acquire Cody (thinking Bellinger), I should have been more specific.

Poteet underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022. He refused an outright assignment by the Marlins after the 2022 season and became a free agent. He subsequently signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals and was able to make a two-inning start for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in September. Poteet’s minor league contract with the Royals contained an opt-out (in the event he was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft or subsequently added to the Royals’ 40-man roster).

Cody Poteet (Photo Credit: FOX News)

His contract with the Yankees is for one year, and it will pay $750,000 if Poteet is in the Majors or $200,000 if he stays in the Minors. He has options so he becomes the latest up-and-down starter to help fill the roles vacated by Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez (both of whom were dealt to San Diego in the Soto trade).

The Yankees officially announced the trade today, and Poteet has been added to the 40-man roster, filling the last open spot.

The Yankees also acquired outfielder Bubba Thompson through a waiver claim when he was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds. 

Bubba Thompson (Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The former Texas Rangers prospect, a 2017 first-round MLB draft selection, is only twenty-five and possesses elite speed. Unfortunately, his hit tool has not developed at the Major League level. He was designated by the Rangers in August, and claimed by the Kansas City Royals, finishing the season with their Triple-A affiliate. After the season was over, Thompson was claimed on waivers by the Reds. The Reds have been one of the more active teams this offseason, and they needed to clear a roster spot for reliever Buck Farmer, hence the waiver of Thompson.

When/if the Yankees add starting pitching and/or relief help, they will need to clear roster space. Thompson will be among those at risk of losing their seat at the Yankees table. He will join Jeter Downs and Matt Krook as guys who should not purchase homes in the New York City area.

MLB Yankees Roster

I wish the Yankees roster would be updated in real-time on the MLB/Yankees website. The site continues to show Alex Verdugo with the number 99. Blank (no number) would be a better option until the new number is revealed. Same with Trent Grisham who sports the retired number 2 on the website. I am confident he does not have Derek Jeter’s permission to wear the number.

Credit: MLB/Yankees.com

The Yankees also continue to show Sean Casey, who is not returning, as Hitting Coach along with new Hitting Coach James Rowson.

Credit: MLB/Yankees.com

I have also seen reports that Casey Dykes will return as assistant hitting coach but nothing about Brad Wilkerson.

Details matter and I wish the Yankees would clean up their website. They are quick to add and delete players. I just wish they paid as much attention to the content as possible. Sometimes it feels like they show the same disregard for the real roster.

A Bargain Sale

The Boston Red Sox front office, even if the names and faces have changed, has the luck of the Irish when it comes to unloading bad contracts. I was amazed they were able to trade former ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for a legitimate player (talented young infielder Vaughn Grissom who was blocked in Atlanta by Ozzie Albies). The Red Sox sent $17 million in cash to Atlanta as a partial offset to the $27.5 million that was owed to Sale, but it is still a net savings for Boston.

While I believe Sale can help the Braves, Boston was able to pull another money-saving deal like they once did with Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto when they shipped those contracts to the Los Angeles Dodgers more than a decade ago. Punto did not make much, but the inclusion of his contract, along with the other three, allowed Boston to get under the 2012 tax threshold and reset their luxury tax penalties. The Yankees never make these kinds of deals, sticking with players until the point that eating the remaining money owed becomes more tolerable than the player’s presence on the roster.

The chances Sale stays healthy are better in Atlanta since Sale is no longer the focal point of the starting rotation. They can afford to take it slower with him and put him in the best position to stay healthy. I have seen writers say new Red Sox General Manager Craig Breslow was fleeced by Alex Anthopoulos, but I do not see it that way. Boston is not going to contend next season, or if they do, they will not go far. Sale will be 35 this season and he did not figure into Boston’s long-term plans. They save money and get a new starting second baseman with Sale’s departure. Grissom is a piece to the puzzle in Boston’s attempt to rebuild a World Series contender. The money savings helped Boston sign free agent Lucas Giolito who will replace Sale in the starting rotation. While you can argue whether Giolito is a worthwhile addition (he was a hard pass for me as a Yankees option given his struggles last year), there is a chance that Giolito could find success in Boston. If he can rediscover the potential he once showed for the White Sox, the Sale trade will be a huge win for Breslow and the Red Sox.

Some trades are win/win for both teams, and that is how I view the Chris Sale trade for Boston and Atlanta…not that I want to say anything good about the Red Sox.

2024 Trade Deadline

Joel Sherman of The New York Post has reported that this season’s MLB trade deadline will be Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6 pm Eastern/5 pm Central. Last season’s deadline fell on August 1. Historically, the trade deadline had fallen at the end of July, but the latest collective bargaining agreement had empowered the commissioner to choose a date between July 28 and August 3 to give flexibility for scheduling purposes (avoiding afternoon games on deadline day when possible).

I preferred the simple July 31 deadline, but I get it. You do not want to impact players actively on the field (or withheld from play) in the hours and minutes leading up to the deadline.

So long as the Yankees are buyers on July 30, life is good.

As always, Go Yankees!

The Absence of Yankees Baseball...

Baseball Stadiums remain shuttered...

I type this as all of us, or most of us, are locked in the four walls of our homes. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly had a very great impact on everyone and I am hopeful that we’ll get to the point where the worst is behind us. Sadly, it does not appear we’re there yet. I look forward to days of easily buying toilet paper again. 

I don’t know about you but this is about as disconnected from Yankees baseball as I’ve ever felt. This includes times of player lockouts and strikes when we knew a return could happen quickly unlike the current situation. 

Although MLB Network is gladly showing replays of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych beating the Yankees with his famed mound antics in 1976 or listening to David Cone and Lou Piniella talk about the Mariners 1995 playoff win against everybody’s favorite team, it’s just not the same. I think watching one of those old classic games reminded me that I had forgotten Rawley Eastwick once pitched for the Yankees (he was the winning pitcher in the Phillies’ thrilling 23-22 victory over the Cubs in 1979 but had briefly played in the Bronx a couple seasons earlier). This is all too much information for me to know. I’d rather be talking about Aaron Judge or Gerrit Cole or Gleyber Torres.

Speaking of Judge, I was surprised to hear that he has also dealt with a collapsed lung (what?) that has since healed. As if the stress fracture in his right first rib was not enough. As for the stress fracture, it sounds like there has been some improvement but not enough to give him medical clearance so it continues to be wait and see. Hopefully this forced exile from baseball will allow him to return to health when the players can actually resume organized activities on the field. I am a little worried that injuries and Judge will go hand in hand for the years ahead and really hope that’s not the case. 

It is weird to think that Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, and James Paxton could all be available for “Opening Day” depending upon when that is. I saw Trevor Bauer’s comment that it would take him three to four weeks to get ready for regular season baseball which sounds about right to me. Those who say two weeks after a long layoff are kidding themselves and it would expose the players to unnecessary risk for injury by trying to get ready too quickly. 

I think we are realistically looking at the All-Star Break or just before for the players to start the regular season as it seems we are still a long way from the resumption of baseball activities. I don’t see how MLB could possibly play 162 games at this point, and it seems more probable to go with a schedule of only about 108 games, give or take, based on the actual return date. I wouldn’t want to see baseball being played in December. It’s unfortunate in what should have been a probable World Series year for the Yankees that they’ll encounter a shorter season that could benefit other teams’ chances. 

I may not be a Red Sox fan but I was sad to hear that Chris Sale needs Tommy John surgery. It is not something I’d wish upon anyone, but for Sale’s sake, he is able to make a full and healthy recovery to restore his status as one of the game’s best. I know the last few years have been frustrating for Red Sox fans as Sale has dealt with injuries, but hopefully this is the cure to his ailments and he’ll return as strong as ever. That’s certainly my hope for Luis Severino (if not more so because he is a Yankee). For Sale, it’s probable he won’t be back and ready until the 2022 season. I suppose late 2021 is possible but in my opinion unlikely given it is late March already.

In the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, I am dealing with a move that will take me from Colorado to California. I was too deep into the move to turn back when the pandemic set in. Not looking forward to moving in the current climate but there’s not really much I can do about it. My new home is near Angel Stadium in Anaheim.I had tickets to see all three games between the Yankees and Angels over Memorial Day Weekend which I fully expect to be cancelled or postponed.  Sitting in Denver, we got socked with a major winter storm on Thursday (Winter’s way of letting me know I am not out of the woods yet). Hopefully the warmer expected weather over the next week removes signs of the latest snowfall. If all goes well, it will be the last of snow for me for a very long time. If I want to see snow, I’ll go to it. It doesn’t need to come visit me.

I would have preferred to live closer to Dodger Stadium but I had no desire to deal with a two-hour one-way commute to/from work. I’ll just consider myself ‘Los Angeles Scott of Anaheim’. It seems to work for the Angels. No doubt I’ll be taking the train (and a bus trip via the Dodger Express) to see games in Chavez Ravine. But, also, I have plans to attend a few non-Yankee games at Angel Stadium over the course of the summer when/if baseball returns. It will be fun to finally watch Mike Trout play in person. No doubt I’ll be pulling for the Angels when they play a team like the Texas Rangers or any of the Yankees’ AL East Rivals or that trash team in South Texas.

I didn’t have much to write about today but wanted to get a few words out to everyone to express my hope you are staying healthy in this very trying time or if you are not doing well, I wish you a speedy and full recovery. The Yankees Family is exactly that, a true family. We care about each and every one of you, and without you, there is no us. Be well.

As always, Go Yankees!

Yankees Continue to Beat "Bad" Teams...

Aaron Hicks / Photo Credit: UPI

Red Sox Hardly Resemble Last October’s Champions…

Maybe Jared Carrabis is right and the Yankees can only beat bad teams. Case in point, the Yankees’ 4-1 win over the punchless Boston Red Sox. Seriously, I continue to be amazed by a team missing its top stars like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Dellin Betances, Luis Severino, Didi Gregorius and Miguel Andujar. If you removed a half-dozen of their very best players, I am not sure the Minnesota Twins or the Houston Astros, the league leaders with 38 wins, would be where they are today. The Yankees sit one game back in wins at 37, and the second best overall record (winning percentage) behind the Twins. 

Gary Sanchez and Aroldis Chapman / Photo Credit: Julio Cortez, AP 

I can’t say enough great things about DJ LeMahieu. As much as I wanted Manny Machado last winter, I never complained about the Yankees’ signing of LeMahieu. Living in Denver, I was able to see, day in and day out, how great LeMahieu is. He’s not a vocal guy and simply lets his play do his talking for him. Game after game in Denver, you’d hear DJ’s teammates with the Rockies talk about how much he meant to the them. When Colorado’s best players, such as Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, talked about how special LeMahieu was, you knew what you saw with your own eyes was the truth. The guy can play baseball. I am not saying LeMahieu is as good as or better than Machado, but LeMahieu is exactly what this team needs.  I had really felt bad for LeMahieu in the off-season when so many Yankee fans were trashing him and most felt he was a product of Coors Field. Sorry, altitude does not improve the ability to hit. It may help balls carry but that’s never been DJ’s game. I am sure that sliders don’t slide or cutters don’t cut like they would at sea level but it still comes down to hand/eye coordination. In 51 games and 221 plate appearances for everybody’s favorite team, I believe LeMahieu has proven he can hit outside of the Mile High City. He is batting .317/.368/.462 with .355 wOBA and 121 wRC+. He has hit 6 home runs (a figure he has only exceeded twice in his career with 11 in 2016, the year he won the NL batting title, and 15 last year). Last night against the Red Sox, LeMahieu was 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double in the bottom of the third and a home run, a solo shot in the fifth, both off Red Sox starter Chris Sale, for two RBIs. He was dazzling with the leather too.   

DJ LeMahieu / Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes was among the very first, if not the first, to suggest last Winter that LeMahieu to the Yanks made sense. I was unable to find the post or I would link it here. I am sure that Yankees special consultant Jim Hendry, the man responsible for originally drafting LeMahieu when he was the Chicago Cubs GM, already had his eyes on his former pupil. But Daniel had great vision for a fan, with no professional affiliation to the team, to see how nicely LeMahieu would fit into the Yankees’ lineup.  

LeMahieu certainly has my vote for Yankees MVP at this point in the season. I am not trying to minimize the contributions Domingo German and Giovanny Urshela have made, or the resurrection of The Kraken in the Bronx. LeMahieu has helped solve last year’s problem with runners in scoring position. He has helped those guys who would have been stranded last year step on home plate on their way back to the dugout this season.   

After the game last night, Manager Aaron Boone said “He’s out there to rip your heart out” after prefacing it by saying not to be fooled by DJ’s quiet demeanor. When asked about Boone’s comment, DJ just smiled and said “I don’t know about that”. I mentioned it to a friend, a die-hard Rockies fan, and she said “That’s DJ…quiet and mighty. He is pretty humble guy”. Humble or not, I’d hate to think where this team would be without LeMahieu.

With Didi Gregorius set to rejoin the Yankees soon, DJ’s role will change since Gleyber Torres will slide from shortstop to second base, but there’s no way the Yankees can remove DJ’s name from the lineup card. I think he’ll see most of his time at third base, but his versatility allows the Yankees to put him at first and drop Louis Linwood Voit III in at DH. Based on this, Kendrys Morales would be the guy I’d cut to make room for Didi. Use the DH as a revolving door for starters to keep a spot open for LeMahieu. I am sure Didi will see a fair share amount of time at DH as he works his way back although it’s incredible to think how great the Yankees will be defensively on the left side with Didi at short and either Gio Urshela or LeMahieu at third. Not trying to take anything away from the brilliant job Torres has done at short, but Didi is my shortstop…until he’s not. I really hope the Yankees move to sign him to an extension now that he’s healthy. The potential for a lack of motivation by the Yankees exists given how well Torres and LeMahieu performed as the keystone combo. I am not complaining about how well they played but I really do not want to lose Didi after this season.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre "Red Barons" Shortstop 5-31-19 / Photo Credit: Jason Farmer, The Citizen's Voice

With the calendar page turning to June, the talk about Dallas Keuchel should intensify. Well, it’s been intensifying for weeks but now that the MLB Draft is upon us in a couple of days and the drop of the qualifying offer/draft pick compensation attached to Keuchel, Keuchel’s market should finally form since the only cost will be money. If you believe Keuchel’s agent, Scott Boras, Keuchel is nearly in plug-and-play condition and would not require much time to get ready. Boras would never lead us astray, would he? Honestly, I’ve never been too excited about Keuchel and feel he is regressed from that pitcher that used to absolutely dominate the Yankees.  But, there’s no denying he is still a good pitcher and could help. If the Yankees don’t sign him, I could easily see the Tampa Bay Rays or Boston Red Sox make the move. I’d rather have Keuchel pitch for us than against us.  If you told me that I could have either Madison Bumgarner, for prospects, or Keuchel, for money, I’d take the latter. The Yankees need rotation help as there are still too many questions with the current rotation. I’d take Max Scherzer, with the high cost in prospects, above all, but that’s a topic for next month’s trade deadline.  

Everyone has been talking about how the Yankees blew it by not signing Patrick Corbin last winter. I recognize that he started off very well in Washington, but last night’s line was very ugly.  65 pitches in 2 2/3rd innings which led to 11 hits for the Cincinnati Reds and 8 runs (6 earned). Corbin still has a decent overall ERA at 3.46 but it’s not as nice as it was entering the game. I know, there’s no pitcher immune from a bad game but it’s reinforcement about how fickle pitching can be. We saw it yesterday in pushing perennial Cy Young candidate Chris Sale’s record to 1-7 despite Sale’s 10 strikeouts. @Eric_M888 had the best tweet after the game: “Can’t spell saLLLLLLLe without 7 L’s”.  

Sandy Leon and Chris SaLLLLLLLe / Photo Credit: Julio Cortez, AP

This is not a game recap but I’d be remiss for not calling out the great throw by Gary Sanchez with two outs and two on to nail former Yank Eduardo Nunez off second base for the final out in the top of the fifth. The Red Sox could have done some damage with the bat in the hands of Andrew Benintendi, who likes Yankee Stadium dingers, but it was not to be. It was simply a fantastic play by Sanchez, showing off his brilliant arm, but give equal credit to Gleyber Torres for the across the bag swipe of Nunez a split second before his hand reached the bag. The reaction by Torres was priceless and I am sure it will be a highlight replayed again and again as the season progresses. I felt that was the true turning point of the game.

Gary Sanchez / Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

Thanks to the win and a Rays loss (5-3 to the Minnesota Twins), the Yankees (37-19) moved up to a game and a half lead over the Rays in the AL East. The Red Sox are 8 1/2 games back. The Yankees’ record in May (20-7) was the best since their magical 1998 season. A successful June can start today with a win.  Domingo German (9-1, 3.43 ERA) goes for his tenth win after failing last week against the Kansas City Royals. He’ll be opposed by Rick Porcello (4-4, 4.41 ERA). I’d really like to see German nail down that tenth win but as long as the Yankees emerge victorious, I will be happy.

As always, Go Yankees!

Big Maple domination

                                                (Photo credit: New York Yankees official Twitter)


It was a great outing by Paxton tonight. Going 8 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts & 1 walk. Huge confidence builder after his first 2 starts weren’t ones to remember. Paxton becomes the first Yankees’ pitcher with 12+ strikeouts & 2 hits or less vs Boston at home. Paxton can now build on this  start, it was one to remember.


Chris Sale continues his struggles for the 2019 season. He did go 5 innings but gave up 4 earned runs to the Yankees lineup. Yankees took advantage with 3 homeruns by Frazier, Tauchman & Frazier. Tauchman had a break out game with 2 hits & 4 RBI’s. Urshela had an insane defensive play, throwing from his knees to nail Betts.


It was a great game for the Yankees winning 8-0 over Boston. Confidence for the Yankees as they look to win the Series tomorrow. J.A Happ pitching tomorrow, he’s looking to find it as he’s had rough starts to the season.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Cy Young Awards

Pitching can make or break a team, ask the 2018 Yankees that, according to some fans anyway, could never have enough pitchers. To a point, it’s true. Look at the first half Yankees from last season and the first half that their ace, Luis Severino, had. He was money and the Yankees were in first place. In the second half, Severino tailed off a bit, as did the Yankees who ultimately settled for a Wild Card berth and an eventual dismissal in the ALDS at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Pitching makes a huge difference, especially when you have Cy Young caliber pitching. Who will have that Cy Young caliber year in 2019 and win the award? Keep reading to find out!

Chris Sale has somehow never won a Cy Young Award. Shocking, right? Sale has finished in the top five of the votes for six straight seasons, but I truly think the 2019 season will be the year that he finally closes the gap and captures the award. I know this sounds like an easy pick, and I know many expected me to pick a Yankee like Luis Severino, but really, it’s not. Not after the second half that Sale had and the shoulder problems that he may or may not have had. I don’t feel like this is a safe pick whatsoever. Sale wins the award, but the Yankees win the ultimate prize. I’ll take that.

In the National League I wanted to go with Max Scherzer or even Jacob deGrom, but I just can’t. Aaron Nola is special and with the security of a long-term extension now comforting him, I can see the Phillies right-hander breaking out in a big way in 2019. Nola may win 20 games for all we know. Do I think Nola will have enough help behind him in the rotation to really put the Phillies over the edge as a team? Probably not, especially if you look at my predictions that had Philadelphia finishing third, but I truly think Aaron is lining up for a special kind of season here in 2019.

IBWAA SELECTS DEGROM, SNELL IN CY VOTE

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in its Cy Young category Wednesday, with the Tampa Bay Rays’ Blake Snell winning the group’s American League prize, and Jacob deGrom, of the New York Mets, being selected in the National League vote.

 

This is the tenth annual election for the IBWAA in the Cy category.

 

Election results are as follows:

 

AL Cy Young:

 

1^st Place:                  Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays – 731 points
2^nd Place:                 Justin Verlander, Houston Astros – 462
3^rd Place:                  Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox – 336

4^th Place:                 Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians – 298

5^th Place:                 Gerrit Cole, Houston Astros – 150

 

NL Cy Young:

 

1^st Place:                  Jacob deGrom, New York Mets – 828 points
2^nd Place:                 Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals – 564 
3^rd Place:                  Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies – 389

4^th Place:                 Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies – 155

5^th Place:                 Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks – 92

 

Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates, using the Borda Method.

 

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

 

Among others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Pedro Moura, Ken Rosenthal and Eno Sarris, The Athletic; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, Billy-Ball.com; Chris De Luca, Chicago Sun-Times; Jon Heyman, Fancred; Tyler Kepner, New York Times; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Brian Kenny, MLBN; Will Leitch, New York Magazine; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth, Los Angeles Times; J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; David Schoenfield, ESPN.com; and Bill Arnold.

 

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a $75 lifetime fee. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.

Contact:

 

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com

ALDS Game One Thread: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The American League Division Series officially begins tonight. In the opener of the best-of-five series the Yankees will send JA Happ to the mound to face off with the Red Sox ace, Chris Sale. The game will be played at 7:32 pm ET (only in Boston could see such a weird start time, but okay) and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the New York Yankees for the remainder of the postseason. Enjoy the game, get to Sale early in the first, and go Yankees!!

The Yankees Offense vs. Chris Sale – Career

What have the New York Yankees done against tonight’s Boston starter, Chris Sale, throughout their careers? And does it mean anything for tonight? Only one way to find out, stay tuned…

All stats and imagery credit go to ESPN and Baseball Reference.

With All Due Respect, The Boston Red Sox Don’t Scare Me

I started a trend last offseason with my “Why I am Not Afraid of the (fill in the blank team name)” posts and that is a trend that I will continue this postseason as well. I beat a dead horse telling you why the Oakland Athletics did not scare me as long as the Wild Card Game was played in the Bronx and now I am back to tell you why, with all due respect of course to a team that won 108 games this season, the Boston Red Sox don’t scare me either.

The Boston Red Sox are a great team, don’t get me wrong, but so are the New York Yankees. Both teams are young, hungry and aggressive, but there are a few distinct differences that should, and ultimately will in my opinion, decide the winner of this short, five-game series. Pitching, pitching, and pitching.

The Boston Red Sox have a terrible bullpen. Let’s call a spade a spade. Even Jared Carrabis, the biggest douche bag homer that covers the Red Sox would say so. The Yankees, nine times out of ten anyway, do not. In fact, the Yankees bullpen is a strength that can put up six-or-seven innings worth of zeroes on any given night when they are on. The Yankees offense can, and has for that matter, feast off that bullpen if given the chance. That’s not to say that Boston and their prolific offense couldn’t do the same against the Yankees, because they can, and they have, but (homer alert? Maybe?) I personally trust the Yankees bullpen a lot more than I would trust Boston’s, whether I was a Yankees fan or not.

But what about the starters? On paper and without looking at the stats I would imagine that Baseball Reference would tell you that Boston has a better starting staff. Good for them, and good for the paper (digital or otherwise) that it’s written on. 162 games for nothing. I said it before the postseason began and I will say it again. Throw those stats out the window, this is October. Chris Sale has not faired well in the postseason, albeit in two ALDS appearances that both resulted in a loss, and David Price has probably been playing Fortnite all night long hoping that his carpal tunnel would return so that he wouldn’t have to pitch against the Yankees on Saturday night. It goes beyond the stats at this point, it has to be mental by now. Especially for Price. The bright lights begin to shine, you try to do a little too much, you make one mistake and boom, the game is blown open. Rick Porcello inside Yankee Stadium doesn’t worry me and having JA Happ pitching twice in this series gives me all the confidence that I need. Happ may not walk away with two victories, but I guarantee he will give the Yankees two opportunities to win before it is all said and done. Masahiro Tanaka should keep the Yankees in the game and give them a shot to win and so should the savvy veteran, CC Sabathia, at home in the Bronx. Oh, and not to mention that the Yankees still have their ace in reserves for Game Four in the Bronx regardless of what happens in Boston.

Both teams have great offenses and both teams can pitch well, you don’t win 100+ games in a season if you don’t, but I truly, truly think that the Red Sox are going to play with everything to lose, while the Yankees will play with everything to gain. When you play loose, you tend to win. When you play timidly or cautious, you make mistakes. It’s a fact. Especially in October. The Yankees got their jitters out of the way on Wednesday night as Luke Voit, Giancarlo Stanton, and others got their first playoff games out of the way. Now they can go back to business as usual and continue on to their path of the franchise’s 28^th World Series Championship.

With all due respect to Boston, your Red Sox don’t scare me much. Yankees in five is my prediction, and I only say five games because the Red Sox clinched the division on Yankee Stadium turf, so I would love to end their season inside Fenway Park.

Yankees in five. Go Yankees!!

ALDS Game One Preview: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will kick off the American League Division Series tonight inside historic Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox won a whopping 108 games here in 2018 while the New York Yankees finished with 100 victories on the nose which should make for an intense five-game matchup. In the opener of the series the Yankees will send JA Happ to the mound looking to once again neutralize the Red Sox while Boston will counter with their ace, Chris Sale. It’s the playoffs, baby, so let’s get to it here in chowdah town.

Happ was held back from the American League Wild Card Game because of the possibility of him pitching against the Boston Red Sox twice in a potential five-game series. Manager Aaron Boone went with the long game strategy with his decision to pitch Luis Severino on Wednesday night and thus far it has worked according to plan. The first of Happ’s two potential ALDS matchups with the Red Sox comes tonight inside Fenway Park.

Sale was great against the Yankees in two starts this season against New York allowing just one run with 19 strikeouts in a combined 13 innings pitched. That was the regular season though and all that, plus about $15, will get you inside Fenway Park tonight is a beer to wash away your sorrows. Sale has pitched twice in the ALDS as a member of the Red Sox and has lost each of those games last season against the Houston Astros.

The game will be played at 7:32 pm ET inside Fenway Park and can be seen on TBS. You can also follow along with the game on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Please, for the love of God and everything that is holy, do NOT let Dennis Eckersley and that same crew that announced the AL Wild Card Game to announce tonight. Please, I beg.

Enjoy the game, remember that Chris Sale has a career 8.38 ERA and that Mookie Betts has just as many postseason RBI as you or I do, and go Yankees!!

Hello… WE GOT BOSTON!

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. Unless you have been living under a rock you know that the New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night in the Bronx to advance to the American League Division Series. Throughout the game I counted down the remaining outs in the game by saying “ X OUTS TILL BOSTON!” Well, 27 outs later and WE GOT BOSTON! The American League Division Series begins tonight inside Fenway Park in not only the fiercest rivalry in all of Major League Baseball history, but also in a matchup that puts a pair of 100-game winners head-to-head in a five-game series. I’m confident, I’m excited, and I’m ready. Let’s do this.

And baby, thank you for everything you are and for being you. Not many would stick by my side while I jump up and down at an Aaron Judge home run and not many would let me smack their butt every time Luis Severino struck out a batter, but you did… because you’re you, and I love you for it. Thank you, my good luck charm!

Remembering My 2018 Predictions: Cy Young Award

Here is a quick look back at my 2018 predictions for the American League and National League Cy Young Award winners! 

Cue the music, it is time for the big awards to be predicted and subsequently handed out as just two major awards remain here in Predictions Season. The AL and NL MVP Awards, which we will cover at a later date, and the hardware we will be handing out today for the American League and National League Cy Young Awards. The AL and NL Cy Young Awards go out to the best pitcher in each respective league and, again I am not saying this to incite a riot or really spark a debate, for that reason it is these awards that should, but don’t, disqualify a pitcher from winning either the AL or NL MVP Award. If a hitter could win the Cy Young Award, then sure. If not, then it just shouldn’t be allowed. My opinion only, just like these predictions are my opinion only as well. Leave your thoughts, comments, debate, banter and opinions in the comments section below or shoot us a line on Twitter by tweeting @GreedyStripes. Thanks in advance! 

Will it finally be time for Luis Severino to shine? Will Masahiro Tanaka regain his dominance despite a lackluster spring? Is Sonny Gray finally going to get some run support here in the Bronx? Not likely. Not with the amazing bullpen that these young men have behind them and the undoubtedly short leash that they will all be on with new manager Aaron Boone presumably wanting to make a statement in his first season as an MLB manager. Boone will want as many wins as possible, and that in turn may mess with the win/loss records and peripherals of the Yankees starters much like it did under former manager Joe Girardi. With that said a New York Yankees pitcher will not win the 2018 American League Cy Young Award in 2018, but I truly believe that a member of the *pukes* Boston Red Sox will in Chris Sale. Sale had a down season in 2017 by many standards including a year where he did not record a victory against the New York Yankees. With the power of JD Martinez backing him in his starts and a few key bullpen pieces coming back from injuries and such for Boston I do not expect the Red Sox to go down quietly here this season, and I expect a much better campaign out of Sale. Unfortunately. 

I wanted to go with Max Scherzer in the National League, I mean I do have his team heading to the World Series and all in these set of predictions, but I wanted to go a little outside of the box with my predictions. With that in mind I am going to go with a member of those Philadelphia Phillies I predicted to do so well this season. No, I am not going with Aaron Nola. I said I wanted to go outside of the box. Instead, I am going to go with Jake Arrieta. Arrieta’s velocity is down and his peripherals are not trending in the right direction, but a change of scenery and a change into a more pitcher-friendly ballpark should only help the right-hander. Plus, in a simple world anyway, Arrieta should draw some easier matchups on paper with Nola being the “ace” of the staff, but really this is just a gut feeling I am having. Go with your gut, win a prestigious award, and look like a wizard in the making. 

My IBWAA 2018 MLB Awards Ballot Reveal

2018 IBWAA Season Awards Ballot

	AL MVP	AL CY YOUNG	AL ROY	AL MANAGER	AL RELIEVER
1	MOOKIE BETTS	CHRIS SALE	MIGUEL ANDUJAR	KEVIN CASH	EDWIN DIAZ
2	JOSE RAMIREZ	IAN SNELL	GLEYBER TORRES	BOB MELVIN	CRAIG KIMBREL
3	MIKE TROUT	LUIS SEVERINO	SHOHEI OTANI	ALEX CORA	AROLDIS CHAPMAN
4	JD MARTINEZ	JUSTIN VERLANDER
5	FRANCISCO LINDOR	COREY KLUBER
6	MATT CHAPMAN
7	AARON JUDGE
8	JOSE ALTUVE
9	GIANCARLO STANTON
10	CHRIS SALE

	NL MVP	NL CY YOUNG	NL ROY	NL MANAGER	NL RELIEVER
1	NOLAN ARENADO	JACOB DEGROM	RONALD ACUNA	CRAIG COUNSELL	KENLEY JANSEN
2	FREDDIE FREEMAN	MAX SCHERZER	JUAN SOTO	GABE KAPLER	FELIPE VAZQUEZ
3	LORENZO CAIN	AARON NOLA	BRIAN ANDERSON	BRIAN SNITKER	RAISEL IGLESIAS
4	JAVIER BAEZ	PATRICK CORBIN
5	MATT CARPENTER	ZACK GREINKE
6	CHRISTIAN YELICH
7	PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT
8	EUGENIO SUAREZ
9	JACOB DEGROM
10	MAX SCHERZER