Why I'm Not Afraid of Carlos Carrasco in Game Two Tonight

 The New York Yankees offense was not afraid of 2020's presumptive American League Cy Young Award winner, so should they be afraid of Carlos Carrasco tonight in Game Two? In a word, no. Here's why!

The New York Yankees generally struggle against pitchers that they are seeing for the first time, it doesn't make sense but it is definitely a thing for this team. The good news tonight is that the Bombers have seen Carrasco plenty, to the tune of the stats below provided by ESPN: 

New York Yankees Career Statistics Vs. Carlos Carrasco

PITCHER	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Clint Frazier	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.667	1.000
Brett Gardner	22	6	1	1	0	3	5	6	.273	.407	.409	.816
Aaron Hicks	10	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	.000	.091	.000	.091
Aaron Judge	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	.000	.333	.000	.333
Erik Kratz	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.500	.500	.500	1.000
Giancarlo Stanton	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
TOTALS	42	9	2	1	0	3	7	14	.184	.277	.263	.540

Is that a huge sample size? Unfortunately not, but it is better than nothing. With the above, do the Yankees start Clint tonight or do they start Gardner? Originally, my thought process was that Clint would get the start, but that was before Gardy's big game last night against Bieber and the Indians. 

Carrasco has made 12 appearances, nine of them starts, in his career against the Yankees and currently owns a 5-5 record with a 4.04 ERA. Carrasco has allowed eight home runs to the Bronx Bombers over that span with a 1.204 WHIP. Carrasco will get his strikeouts against this team, he has struck out Yankees batters 60 times in 55.2 innings pitched against them while drawing just 15 walks. That's not what you want to see, but ultimately I think the Yankees offense should be fine. 

Remember, Carrasco is not the same pitcher he was just two-or-three seasons ago, he is a shell of his former self. A lot of this gaudy strikeout numbers came while Carrasco was at his peak, and Carrasco has since fallen from that level due to injury. Carrasco's 3-4 record, 1.206 WHIP and 1.6 WAR, while good, are not what he was in 2017 and 2018. 2017 and 2018 were his Cy Young contending years, while he has stepped back each of the last two seasons. 

Bieber scared me a little last night, although I wasn't worried, but Carrasco really doesn't. I'm not looking past Carrasco by any means, but I am confident that the Yankees will close out this series with a victory tonight. See you in the ALDS. 

AL Wild Card Game 2 - New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians

 The New York Yankees slugged their way to a victory in Game One of the 2020 American League Wild Card Series with the Cleveland Indians, hitting the first home run of the season off Cleveland ace Shane Bieber while knocking him out of the game after just 4.2 IP. Tonight the Yankees offense will look for much of the same, and a series victory, while they back Masahiro Tanaka. Playoff Tanaka tonight on the mound with the series on the line, let's do this. 

Masahiro Tanaka owns a career 1.76 ERA in the postseason along with 37 strikeouts across eight starts since 2015, thus earning the nickname of Playoff Tanaka. Tanaka also finished the 2020 campaign strong with a 2-1 record over his last three starts, compiling a 2.25 ERA over that span. Tanaka looks to send the Yankees into the American League Division Series with a victory tonight. 

Carlos Carrasco will make his third career playoff appearance tonight for the Indians with their season and backs against the wall. In his two previous postseason starts, one in 2017 and one in 2018, Carrasco has posted a 1.64 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. 

The game will be played at 7:08 pm ET inside Progressive Field and can be seen nationally on ESPN. Go Yankees!

Why I'm Not Afraid of Shane Bieber for Game One Tonight

 The New York Yankees begin their quest for the franchise's 28th World Series Championship tonight inside Progressive Field when the team takes on the Cleveland Indians in Game One of the AL Wild Card Round. The Yankees will have their ace on the mound, Gerrit Cole, while the Indians will counter with an ace of their own in Shane Bieber. Bieber has had an amazing 2020 campaign which included him winning the Triple Crown for pitchers, leading both leagues in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. That would normally spell disaster for the Bombers in October, but for some reason (and maybe it is actually having an ace of our own on our side this time around) I still feel confident tonight with Cole on the mound. Bieber is tough, but Bieber is not unbeatable, and here is why. 

Pros: 

• Bieber has a batting average against of .092 this season when the ball is hit to an infielder, but has a BAA of .506 when hit to an outfielder. Easier said than done, but don't hit it to an infielder and the Yankees should be fine... right?

 

• Bieber has never started a postseason game. Fans or not, that means something in my opinion. 

 

• Bieber is susceptible to damage in the second inning, posting a 3.75 ERA in the second inning in 2020. 

 

• Bieber compiled many of his stats against opposing team's offenses that do not stand up well when compared to the Yankees offensive capabilities. Facing DJLM, Judge, Voit, Stanton, etc. is not the same as facing Detroit, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee or even Cincinnati. 

 

• We still have Gerrit Cole on our side.

Cons:

• Bieber has not allowed a single home run inside Progressive Field in 2020. Zero. 

 

• Bieber has been money with five and six days rest, and last pitched on 9-23. Bieber should be sharp and on his game tonight in Cleveland. 

 

• Bieber is a strike out pitcher that will throw right-handed against a predominantly right-handed offense that is prone to the strikeout. 

Yankees fans, there's hope tonight. While the Bombers offense may not string together many hits or put up many crooked numbers, one thing you have to remember is that Bieber's stats were accumulated by beating up on the AL Central and NL Central, not the AL East. Don't get me wrong, the NL Central is tough and they sent four teams to the postseason in 2020, but Bieber hasn't really faced an offense like the New York Yankees much. 

Bieber faced the Royals twice, Detroit twice, and Pittsburgh once while facing off with the Minnesota Twins three times (twice without Josh Donaldson), Milwaukee once (barely slipped into the 8th seed in the NL) and the White Sox twice including Bieber's final start of the season. 

Bieber is good, Bieber is damn good in fact, but he is not unbeatable. It won't be easy, but if Cole World and Higgy can hold down Jose Ramirez and their offense I feel supremely confident that we will leave tonight with a victory and a 1-0 series lead. I've been right about a lot this season, and I don't expect to start being wrong now. 

Gerrit Cole career stats inside Progressive Field:

1-0 (2 GS)
2.57 ERA
14 IP
0.857 WHIP
7.7 SO/9
.178 BAA
1 HR allowed

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) September 29, 2020

AL Wild Card Game 1 - New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians

 This is what 60 games have led to, the 2020 MLB Postseason. The playoffs this year will be a little different than what we are used to, but I don't think that will make the second season any less interesting. Instead of five teams per league we have jumped to eight teams in each league, a total of 16 teams out of 30 have made the postseason, and two of those teams we will see on the field tonight inside Cleveland's Progressive Field. In the opener of the best-of-three series a pair of aces take the mound looking to give their team an early 1-0 lead in the series. On the mound for the Yankees will be Gerrit Cole, Cole World and Higgy, while the Indians will counter with presumptive 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber for Cleveland. 

This is why the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole, for a start just like this one tonight in Cleveland. Cole struggled early on in this 2020 campaign, but has seemingly turned things around just at the right time with his personal (yeah, I called him that. So what? Does anyone really want to continue to doubt me on this subject at this point?) catcher Kyle Higashioka. Cole has a career 2.60 ERA in this postseason across 10 starts including an impressive run in the 2019 MLB postseason that included a 4-1 record and a 1.72 ERA. 

Shane Bieber won the triple crown for pitchers in the American League in 2020, but all that and about $15 will get you a beer at the stadium tonight (if fans were allowed in attendance). Bieber will be making his first career postseason start tonight after posting an impressive 1.63 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 2020. The fans will not be a factor tonight, so I fully expect Bieber to be tough tonight with the Yankees heavy right-handed lineup looking for the big hit. 

The game starts at 7:08 pm ET inside Cleveland's Progressive Field and can be seen nationally on ESPN. Go Yankees!

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Award Winners

The best relief pitcher in the American League is now awarded the Mariano Rivera Award, while the best relief pitcher in the National League is given the Trevor Hoffman Award. Who will win each prestigious award in 2019? Keep reading…

Brad Hand of the Cleveland Indians is my pick for the Mariano Rivera Award. No, I’m not picking Aroldis Chapman, but I did seriously consider it to be completely honest. I just feel like Hand pitched extremely well for Cleveland after being traded from the Padres last season and I think that will translate to a strong 2019 campaign. Hand was splitting the closing duties with Cody Allen in 2018, but Allen has since departed via free agency at the time of this writing and will leave all the save opportunities to Hand. Hand has struck out at least 100 batters in three consecutive seasons and will look to make it a four-peat here in 2019.

Jeremy Jeffress of the Milwaukee Brewers is my pick to win the Trevor Hoffman Award for the National League. I have the Brewers making it to the World Series in 2019 and that cannot be done without a strong bullpen. I know some probably expected me to pick Josh Hader, if I was going to pick a Brewers player, or Edwin Diaz of the Mets, but I just had a gut feeling with Jeffress that I simply cannot ignore.

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 11th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

What Yankees player once pitched an inning wearing a cap of Babe Ruth's that he had bought for $35,000?

Leave your guesses below in the comments section and then highlight below to see if you're right!



David Wells, who came to the mound wearing a standard cap in the second inning after Joe Torre made him take off the Ruth hat. The Yankees lost the 1997 game to Cleveland. 



And a special good morning to my amazing wife, Kari. I know you're having a rough morning and you need to hear it, so I love you so very much. You're so special to me and I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Postseason

162 games are in the books, the field is set, and the new season is upon us. Welcome to October, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the postseason. If you tuned into the blog yesterday you saw the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics win their respective divisions in the American League while the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros clawed their way to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. In the National League the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers captured their respective divisions while the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies will battle it out in the one-game Wild Card playoff game in the National League. Who will win the pennant? Keep reading to find out!

American League Wild Card Game

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros

Anything can happen in a one-game playoff, which is why the Houston Astros, despite how much pitching they lost during this offseason, at least have a chance in this game against the Boston Red Sox. Undoubtedly the Red Sox will have Chris Sale on the mound against Justin Verlander, so I expect a low-scoring affair for much of the night. The Astros are a scrappy team, and the Red Sox have a great offense, but the battle of the bullpens may decide it. If this were a seven-game series, or even a five-game series, I’d be inclined to pick the Astros because of the state of the Red Sox bullpen, but it’s not and I think Boston will be fine. Alex Cora will do whatever it takes to win, whether that is pitching David Price or Rick Porcello in relief, or simply running Sale out there until his arm falls off. Cora will do whatever he has to in order to win, and I think at the end of the day he will.

Winner: Boston Red Sox

National League Wild Card Game

Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies

You have to wonder who the Nationals will pick to start this game. Will it be Max Scherzer or will it be Patrick Corbin? If it’s Scherzer you have to give the clear advantage, in my opinion, to the Nationals, but if the team uses Scherzer down the stretch to clinch this game at home the Rockies have a lot more of a fighting chance. At the end of the day I think the Nationals will win the game regardless, but only because I feel like they are a more complete team than the Rockies this season.

Winner: Washington Nationals

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The rematch of the century, but this time the Yankees have the home field advantage. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what I mentioned just a few paragraphs above in the AL Wild Card Game prediction. The Red Sox and their bullpen can, and in my opinion will, be exposed in a five-or-seven-game series. The Red Sox will likely have to use a starter in the AL Wild Card Game that they would prefer to start twice against the Yankees, but you can’t really plan for that and look past a team like the Astros. This will all work in the Yankees favor, but I still don’t see how this goes at least four or five games before we crown the New York Yankees the victor.

Winner: New York Yankees in five games

American League Division Series

Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians have great pitching, but their bullpen is suspect, and their offense is not as high-powered as you would like. The Indians have really benefited from a weak division in the AL Central and that will never be more obvious than it will be in the ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics have a great, young team that is only getting better, and I think the team will make easy work of the Indians in four games… and Billy Beane won’t see a single inning of it.

Winner: Oakland Athletics in four games

National League Division Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the most games of any team in the league in 2019 and that will continue heading into the postseason. The Washington Nationals will give the Dodger their money’s worth in my opinion, pushing the series to five-games, but if Clayton Kershaw is healthy, I cannot see a way the Dodgers go out this early in the postseason. They are too talented and far too good to lose in an extended series.

Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers in five games

 National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers

The Atlanta Braves are the new kids, literally and figuratively, on the block while the Milwaukee Brewers just grind out victories and find ways to win. If I were a betting man, I’d guess that we would see more Atlanta Braves highlights on Top Plays on Sportscenter and such than we will see the Milwaukee Brewers, yet I think it will be the Brewers that edge the Braves in four games in this series. Playing in the Midwest means a lot of casual fans don’t get to watch your games or pay attention to your team much, but the Brewers have a pretty damn good team that is stacked with talent. I can see first baseman Eric Thames having a huge 2019 season and an even bigger postseason, leading Milwaukee at least to the National League Championship Series.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in four games

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics

In a rematch of the 2018 American League Wild Card Game the New York Yankees will play host to the Oakland Athletics in the 2019 ALCS. I think these two teams are more evenly matched than most people would admit or give Oakland credit for, but I think the Yankees are a much deeper and complete team. The Athletics may push the Yankees to six games, but I can see New York clinching their first American League pennant in front of the Bronx faithful since the 2009 season.

Call me a homer if you want to, but I truly believe in this team and I TRULY believe this team can be special.

Winner: New York Yankees in six games

National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Classic David vs. Goliath. The Los Angeles Dodgers and their roughly $209 million payroll vs. the Milwaukee Brewers and their roughly $121 million payroll. The names on the Brewers roster will only pale in comparison to names like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Corey Seager, and others, but where the Brewers lack in “names” they more than make up for it in the talent department. Christian Yelich is the reigning NL MVP, Eric Thames is one or two injuries away from having a huge breakout season in 2018, guys like Jimmy Nelson, Corey Knebel, Chase Anderson and others now have Yasmani Grandal to pitch to, and guys like Ben Gamel, Josh Hader, and others can only get better in 2019 in my opinion. The Dodgers will presumably want a fight, and a fight they will get from Milwaukee. Just remember though, LA, sometimes even the most dominant fighter gets caught leaning, ask Anderson Silva, and I can totally see that happening again this year.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in six games

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 World Series will include the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. May the best team win, and good luck to both teams. Tune in tomorrow to find out the winner.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Ben Heller

The New York Yankees were without potentially one of their up-and-coming arms in their bullpen last season after Ben Heller had to undergo Tommy John surgery on April 6, 2018. Heller is expected to be back sometime here in 2019, so let’s get acquainted with him. Yankees #61, Ben Heller.

Ben Heller, 27-years old, is a right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Yankees organization that came over via trade from the Cleveland Indians system. Heller throws a 95 MPH four-seam fastball, an 83 MPH slider, and an 85 MPH changeup that he throws to keep hitters off-balance on his fastball. Heller fits the stereotypical mold that the Yankees like to employ in their bullpen, standing 6’3” and weighing in at 205 lbs. while throwing hard.

Benjamin Heller was born on August 5, 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Whitewater High School in Whitewater, Wisconsin. While at the school Heller set the team record for saves, pitched a pair of no-hitters, and had a 1.14 ERA during his senior season. Heller went on to play college baseball at Olivet Nazarene University where he caught the attention of the Cleveland Indians who drafted him in the 22^nd round of the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft.

Heller bounced around the Indians organization until July 31, 2016 when he was traded alongside Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, and J.P. Feyereisen to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miller. Heller was called up a pair of times during that 2016 season and made his MLB on August 26, pitching a scoreless 8^th inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Heller spent another nine games with the Yankees big league club in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2018 season.

Heller should be back around June of this season, if all goes well, and should be right back in the thick of things for a spot in the Yankees bullpen. Heller, a member of the team’s 40-man roster, should be one of the first arms on the Scranton Shuttle this season when needed. Good luck on the rehab, Ben, and we can’t wait to see you back in the Bronx this season.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Clint Frazier

Clint Frazier doesn’t want to be called “Red Thunder” anymore and has taken on the nickname of “The Wildling” this offseason. His new nickname goes along with his new drive to stay on the field, stay healthy, and produce for the New York Yankees in 2019. Will that translate? There’s only one way to find out, we have to tune in throughout the 2019 season, but until then let’s check in with the man I personally nicknamed “Red Squad” earlier in the winter. Clint Frazier, your starting left fielder for the New York Yankees if he gets his way.

Clint Frazier, 24-years old, is a right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder for the New York Yankees that was brought over in the trade with the Cleveland Indians for Andrew Miller. Clint played a lot of center field in the Minor Leagues for both clubs and possesses an impressive bat speed that allows him to reach and make contact on pitches that many others cannot effectively. Clint’s biggest issue, offensively speaking, is his ability to attack breaking pitches, but if he ever figures that out, he could truly become the special kind of prospect and player that he was projected to be when the Yankees acquired him a couple years ago.

Clint Jackson Frazier was born on September 6, 1994 in Loganville, Georgia to Mark and Kim Frazier. Frazier attended Loganville High School where he played baseball with fellow major league player Austin Meadows. As a junior in 2012, Frazier won the Jackie Robinson Award given to the Perfect Game national Player of the Year. Frazier later won the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year as a senior before committing to the University of Georgia. Despite being committed to the University of Georgia Bulldogs baseball team, Clint ultimately signed with the Cleveland Indians and forewent that commitment after the team drafted him fifth overall in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft.

Clint spent time working his way through the Indians organization until July 31, 2016 when Cleveland sent Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miller. Clint finished the 2016 season down in Triple-A with Scranton and started the 2017 season with the RailRiders as well until the New York Yankees promoted him to the Major Leagues on July 1, 2017. Frazier ended his season on the disabled list with a left oblique strain and did not participate in the 2017 postseason that saw the Yankees get within one game of the World Series. Frazier began the 2018 season on the disabled list with a concussion, an issue that he struggled with all season long and an issue that eventually ended his season prematurely. Now with the concussion symptoms behind him he will look to finally win a starting everyday job with the Yankees this spring.

Also, it is worth mentioning that Clint did an interview with the Short Porch podcast, and damn he is a great interview. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. It turned me into a Clint fan immediately, if I’m being honest. Good luck to you, Clint!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: CC Sabathia

“That’s for you, bitch.” I may or may not have imagined the Yankees and their GM, Brian Cashman, saying this as they offered CC Sabathia a one-year deal to anchor the Yankees rotation here in 2019. CC is a grizzly veteran and a great clubhouse presence that everyone around the league, players and fans alike, not only know, but respect as well. We don’t really need to re-introduce you to Mr. Sabathia, so we will more just check in with the big Yankees lefty.

CC Sabathia, 38-years old, is a veteran left-handed starting pitcher for the New York Yankees that is expected to anchor the rotation here in 2019 as the team’s fifth starter. CC will go out to the mound every fifth day or so and look to give the Yankees at least five innings of work with his 89 MPH cutter, 81 MPH slider, 91 MPH sinker, 84 MPH changeup and some impeccable command and control. CC is a big man, standing 6’6” and weighing in at 300 lbs. prior to his weight loss this winter, and comes with constant concerns about his right knee and the lack of cartilage surrounding it.

Carsten Charles “CC” Sabathia was born on July 21, 1980 in Vallejo, California where he attended Vallejo High School and played baseball for the school’s team while also playing football and basket as well. Sabathia was a pitcher in high school in baseball and a tight end in football, drawing scholarship opportunities from UCLA and Hawaii. Hawaii gave Sabathia the opportunity to play both football and baseball, so Sabathia signed a letter of intent to play there during his collegiate career. Instead, the Cleveland Indians came calling in the first round, 20^th overall, of the 1998 MLB First Year Players Draft, signing for $1.3 million. Sabathia would make his MLB debut with the Indians by the 2001 season and stayed with the Indians until the 2008 season when Cleveland moved the big left-hander to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade. On July 7, 2008 the Indians traded Sabathia to the playoff-hopeful Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. Sabathia dominated down the stretch and led the Brewers into the NLDS, but Milwaukee would eventually falter and fall to the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Sabathia would hit the free agent market for the first time in his career at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

On December 18, 2008 the New York Yankees agreed to sign the big left-hander to a seven-year deal worth $161 million, the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher at the time. Sabathia was named the Yankees Opening Day starter in 2009 as the team opened up the newest version of Yankee Stadium. Sabathia, along with new arrivals in AJ Burnett, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira, led the Yankees to a World Series championship in his first season, the team’s 27^th World Series championship in their history. Sabathia pitched well again in 2010, finishing third in the AL Cy Young Award vote, but his offseason was disrupted after a scan found a torn meniscus in his right knee. Sabathia was the Yankees Opening Day starter for the third year in a row in 2011, fresh off recovering from his torn meniscus surgery, with a little added pressure on the big lefty. Sabathia had an opt-out clause written into his contract that would have allowed Sabathia to opt-out of his deal after the 2011 season, but Sabathia made it clear that he had no intentions of doing so. Instead, Sabathia signed an extension with the Yankees worth an additional year and $25 million in salary, along with a $25 million vesting option for the 2018 season.

Another year in 2012 and another Opening Day start for Sabathia and for the New York Yankees. Sabathia was also named to his third consecutive All-Star Game with the Yankees in 2012, but a strained abductor muscle kept the lefty out of the game. Sabathia led the Yankees to the ALCS, but New York could not overcome a broken ankle from their captain and shortstop, Derek Jeter, and ultimately fell to the Detroit Tigers. After the season, Sabathia has surgery on his left elbow to remove bone spurs and was ready for the start of the 2013 season, another Opening Day start. Sabathia had to learn how to pitch with diminished velocity in 2013, and it was not always an easy transition. Sabathia struggled throughout the season after dropping 40 lbs. but did see flashes of improvement as he moved towards the 2014 season. His 2014 season was cut short, though, after learning that CC had a degenerative knee condition that cost him all but eight of his starts in 2014. The Yankees initially worried that CC needed microfracture surgery on the knee, a surgery that would have essentially ended his career, and were pleased with the relatively good news.

CC returned to the mound in 2015 fresh off the degenerative knee condition diagnosis still trying to learn to pitch without being able to rear back and blow away opposing hitters with his fastball. Sabathia had his worst statistical season of his career this year, but he improved after coming back towards the end of the season with a new brace on his knee. CC pitched the Yankees into the 2015 postseason, but the team ultimately lost the Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros. CC missed the game after checking himself into a rehabilitation center after a struggle with alcoholism became too much for him to handle on his own. Sabathia continued to improve with his pitching in 2016 after the surgery before seeing his career revitalized in 2017. CC posted his best statistical season since 2012 back in 2017 and ended up finishing the season with a 14-5 record and a 3.69 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 148.2 innings pitched. CC pitched the Yankees to the American League Championship Series before ultimately losing to the Houston Astros in seven games. Sabathia became a free agent after the season and quickly agreed to a one-year deal worth $10 million for the 2018 season.

CC continued to finesse his way through his starts in 2018, well until a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, Andrew Kittredge, threw at the head of Austin Romine. In response, CC hit the Rays catcher Jesus Sucre and was seen leaving the field pointing into the Rays dugout yelling “That’s for you, bitch!” CC was suspended for five games and will serve the suspension at the beginning of the 2019 season after agreeing to return to the New York Yankees on a one-year deal worth $8 million. CC is the heart and soul of this pitching staff, both on and off the field, in my opinion and is an asset worth $8 million tenfold. We all love you, CC, and we can’t wait to see what you bring us here in 2019.