The Yankees have played a total of 79 games this season as
we all saw in the “Yankees Leaders” post from earlier this morning and I don’t
believe one player has been criticized more than Nathan Eovaldi. Esmil Rogers
has been ragged on by the fans, CC Sabathia’s effectiveness as a starter is a
constant question and concern while Stephen Drew just sucks but I think much of
the animosity this season, whether deserved or not, has been thrown at Eovaldi
after the Yankees traded David Phelps and Martin Prado this winter for Eovaldi
and Garrett Jones. Many fans expected an ace rather than the unfinished work in
progress we were promised by the Yankees brass and revolted when he continued
to lead the league in hits allowed but if you’ve been watching his last three
starts you may have noticed that Eovaldi may have finally figured it out.
Ever since Eovaldi failed to make it out of the first inning
against his former team the Miami Marlins Eovaldi has been sharp, effective and
has pitched much better than his 4th starter title would suggest. In
his first start Eovaldi made a start on short rest against the Detroit Tigers
and looked good pitching 6.0 IP allowing just two runs and a walk with four K’s
notching his 6th victory of the season. His next start came against
the Houston Astros and it was once again Mr. Eovaldi and less of Dr. Jekyll as
Eovaldi pitched another 6.0 IP allowing two earned runs while striking out six
for his 7th victory of the season. On Wednesday night Eovaldi logged
his team-high 8th victory of the season against the Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim pitching 5.1 IP of scoreless baseball. Eovaldi wasn’t perfect
and he wasn’t always dominant but he pitched to certain spots and walked
certain batters when he had to and ultimately won those three games in a row in
convincing fashion giving Yankees fans everywhere a bit of hope.
Eovaldi was presented to the Yankees fan base as a work in
progress and that’s exactly what he is, a work in progress. Eovaldi will have
his ups and his downs and after this post he may go and lay an egg in his next
start, it’s called growing pains. He has the things you cannot teach though and
that’s velocity and, knock on wood, durability. The rest can be taught
including the baseball IQ to walk an Albert Pujols setting up an inning ending
double play as well as the addition of a new pitch or two to keep batters from
simply sitting on his straight fastball. Eovaldi may not win 15 games this
season or ever become an ace but he’s getting better with every start and
that’s all you can really ask for from a 25 year old flamethrower in his first
season in the Bronx. For the Yankees sake let’s hope Eovaldi is figuring this
thing out.
