Predicting the 2019 Season: The Rookies of the Year

Honestly, as a self-professed Prospect Humper, I think this award is the most fun to watch for, and to predict. The American League and National League Rookie of the Year Awards! Who will be the next Miguel Andujar (because we know Shohei Ohtani did not deserve the award) or Ronald Acuna in 2019?

In the American League, I think it would be silly for anyone to pick against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays. I know that’s the general consensus and the safe pick, but this kid is uber-talented and will get every opportunity to make it at the MLB level this season. Toronto may opt to start Vlad Jr. in the Minor Leagues to start the season, and to manipulate his service time, but once that deadline clock runs out you can guarantee that he will be with the big-league club. Vlad Jr., unlike Andujar last season, has the ability to learn the position on the fly as well given that he is on a losing team that can afford to take their time and be patient with their young stud. Andujar had to hit his way onto the team and into the spotlight, and he did just that in 2018. Vlad Jr. will do that very same thing here in 2019.

Now while I went with the safe pick in the American League, I cannot do the same in the National League. I think many are picking Victor Robles of the Washington Nationals, but I am going to go with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres. Why is this a bold pick and not a safe pick? Well, Tatis has never played above Double-A ball during his professional career and may end up spending half the season in the minor leagues. You know what I say to that? So what? Tatis Jr. has destroyed Double-A pitching and destroyed Dominican Winter League pitching this season as well. His bat is ready, and the Padres are ready to call him up and let him learn at the MLB level alongside Manny Machado sooner rather than later. You don’t sign a guy like Machado for 10-years to take your time with guys like Tatis in Triple-A. If he produces, and history says that he will, he will be in San Diego by mid-to-late June in my opinion.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: JA Happ

The New York Yankees got everything they could have asked for, well… almost everything, from JA Happ last season after acquiring him from the Toronto Blue Jays for a package made up of Brandon Drury and others. New York liked him so much, in fact, that on December 17, 2018 the team decided to bring him back on a two-year deal worth $34 million with an option for a third season. Yankees fans are already pretty familiar with Happ after his 7-0 record with the team in 2018, and his subsequent “let down” for lack of a better word in the postseason against the Boston Red Sox, but for those who aren’t, let’s meet him. Your 2019 New York Yankees, here is lefty JA Happ.

JA Happ, 36-years old, is a left-handed starting pitcher that handles himself well on the mound with his 6’5” and 205 lb. frame. Happ possesses a 93 MPH four-seam fastball, a 91 MPH sinker, an 86 MPH slider, an 86 MPH changeup, and a curveball that he rarely throws at 76 MPH.

James Anthony Happ was born on October 19, 1982 in Peru, Illinois with two older sisters. Happ attended High School at St. Bede Academy, where the lefty was a four-year letter winner in both basketball and baseball. Happ graduated from St. Bede in 2001 and continued his amateur baseball career at Northwestern University where he majored in history. Happ also played for the Northwestern Wildcats where he was named All-Big Ten Conference First Team in his freshman, sophomore, and junior years while attending the university. After his junior season the Philadelphia Phillies drafted the lefty in the third round, 92^nd overall, of the 2004 MLB First Year Players Draft. Happ signed immediately and was assigned to the Phillies minor league system.

Happ toiled in the Phillies minor league system and the Arizona Fall League through the 2007 season until Philadelphia called up the lefty to make his major league debut on June 30, 2007. Happ made one start against the New York Mets before being sent back to Triple-A for the remainder of the 2007 season. Happ started the 2008 season back in Triple-A as well, but he was back in the majors again starting against the Mets again on July 4^th. Happ was up and down between Triple-A and the majors for the remainder of the 2008 season until he became a mainstay in the Phillies rotation in 2009. Happ, with a World Series ring after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, entered the rotation in 2009 and led Philadelphia back to the World Series in 2009, this time against the New York Yankees. The Yankees would win the series in six games, sending Happ and the Phillies home with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Happ was back in the Phillies rotation in 2010 until the team traded him to the Houston Astros on July 29^th along with Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar in exchange for Roy Oswalt. Happ remained in Houston until the 2012 season when he was traded again, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Perez, and Kevin Comer. Happ pitched primarily out of the bullpen with the Blue Jays through the 2014 season before he was once again traded, this time to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Saunders. Happ was used primarily as a starter for the Mariners in 2015 before being shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31, 2015, Happ hit free agency after the 2015 season and could finally decide his own landing spot after being traded so many times before, and the lefty decided that Toronto was where he wanted to pitch after signing a three-year deal worth $36 million with the Blue Jays keeping him in Toronto through the 2018 season.

Happ lasted in Toronto until July 26, 2018 when the Blue Jays shipped him to the New York Yankees for outfielder Billy McKinney and third baseman Brandon Drury. Happ remained with the Yankees for the remainder of the 2018 season posting a 7-0 record, helping propel New York to the postseason as a Wild Card winner for the second consecutive season. The Yankees finished the season with 100 victories, but their season ended prematurely at the hand of the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series. Happ returned to the Yankees on a free agent deal after the 2018 season, this time for two-years and $34 million including an option for a third season.

Not that I have to again, but welcome back to the team, welcome back to the organization, and welcome back to the family JA.

New York Yankees 2019 Spring Training Schedule

Remembering My 2018 Predictions: MVP Award

Here is a quick look back at my 2018 predictions for the American League and National League Most Valuable Player Award winners! 

And for my grand finale, the American League and National League Most Valuable Player Awards!!!! But really, in all seriousness the MVP Awards in both leagues are the big one, the award that every player wants and the award that only a select few get to obtain during their Major League tenures. We all grew up pretending to be the batting champion, the World Series MVP that came up with the big hit in Game 7, and the perennial MVP and that feeling undoubtedly doesn’t change as you grow older and your dreams begin to come to fruition. The childhood dreams of being the league’s MVP is about to come true for these two men. 

Will Aaron Judge get robbed again? Will he get robbed by one of his own teammates in Giancarlo Stanton or Gary Sanchez? Will Judge truly get robbed by someone who can’t even see over the counter at McDonalds? In all seriousness, no he won’t in my opinion. That doesn’t mean I think he will win it either, although I do foresee a special kind of productive season for him once again here in 2018. No, I like to go bold and a little bit against the grain in these decisions. With that in mind I am going to go with Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays as your 2018 AL MVP. Now I know what you are thinking, Dan… MVP’s generally don’t go to a player on a losing team. No, they don’t. But Donaldson is in the final year of a contract with a team that doesn’t look likely to contend even for a Wild Card here in 2018, which means there is a huge possibility that the Blue Jays third baseman will be traded at or before the July 31st trading deadline. If Donaldson were to be traded to an American League team where his stats don’t have to be started over I truly think the Toronto right-hander will win the award and head into free agency fresh off a huge statistical season. 

Remember when Miguel Ozuna hit over .300 and smashed 37 home runs in a season? It feels like it was forever ago, but it was just last season with the Miami Marlins. Now that Ozuna has some protection in the lineup and is on a team in the St. Louis Cardinals that is expected to contend here in 2018 I think a lot more people will start to know and recognize the name, and just what he brings to the table. Ozuna could easily surpass 40 home runs here in 2018 with an average around .285. Sprinkle in 100+ RBI and a nice OBP and SLG percentage and ladies and gentlemen, we have an MVP in the making. It is a bold prediction, mainly because it isn’t Bryce Harper or Paul Goldschmidt, but that’s what I do. Bold predictions, and sometimes they come true. Stay tuned. 

That’s it. Prediction Season is over here on The Greedy Pinstripes. I hope you enjoyed, and we will see you after the season concludes to check in on some of these predictions to see how well I did. Until then, ciao and enjoy your day. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/18/18

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the middle game of this three-game weekend set the Yankees will hope for better days with their ace, Luis Severino, on the mound. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will counter with Sean Reid-Foley who will be making his second MLB start of his career. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast 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 Yankees all season long. Enjoy the game, win the game, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/18/18

Pitch like Pedro

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will continue their three-game weekend set tonight with the middle game of the series in the Bronx. In the start this afternoon the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound hoping that whatever has ailed him in his last few starts has been fixed and/or figured out, while the Blue Jays will counter with Sean Reid-Foley. Who? Exactly, but nonetheless, let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Severino has struggled for much of the second half of the season including his last start on Monday against the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom. Severino lasted just four innings allowing four runs on seven hits including two home runs in a loss to the Mets.

That 'stache though

Reid-Foley made his MLB debut on Monday against the Kansas City Royals lasting just five innings in a 3-1 loss for the Blue Jays. Reid-Foley pitched in and out of trouble for much of the afternoon but did a great job at limiting damage.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

This man wakes up today, book it.

Enjoy the game, how about scoring some damn runs for once…, and go Yankees!!

The Yankees Don’t Need Curtis Granderson

The Toronto Blue Jays placed former Yankees and Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson on waivers as a part of the waiver wire trade deadline here in August, and recently the left-handed hitting outfielder cleared revocable waivers. What does that mean for Toronto? Well, in a nut shell that means that the Blue Jays can trade Granderson to any team for the remainder of the season and that they can presumably get more for the veteran’s services if they trade him before the August 31^st trade deadline since Granderson would be postseason eligible. What does it mean for the Yankees? Honestly, it shouldn’t mean anything for New York because they don’t necessarily need him anymore.

The need arose for an outfielder for the Yankees when Aaron Judge was hit on the wrist suffering a chip fracture in his wrist that would require him to not swing a bat for at least three weeks. That was July 26th this is August 15^th. This Friday, the 17^th of August, will be three weeks. You have to assume that Judge will miss at least a week after being able to swing and pick up a bat and that he may even play in a rehab game or two. Is it truly worth acquiring another outfielder for, best case scenario, two weeks? I guess it depends on the cost associated with acquiring Granderson, but the Yankees are 10 games out of the division. Will two weeks of an aging Granderson really make that much of a difference, and is he worth taking at-bats away from Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Judge and Giancarlo Stanton once the Yankees regular right-fielder returns? I am leaning towards no.

And in no way am I bringing up the fact that the Yankees are down by 10 games as an excuse or as a reason to concede the division. I’m not. While I am comfortable with playing in a one-game playoff because I think this team is built better than any other to win a one-game playoff with their offense, bullpen, and potentially top-heavy rotation, I also wouldn’t mind watching the Red Sox play either the Houston Astros or one of the Oakland Athletics or Seattle Mariners either.

Trade for him, or don’t trade for him, I am indifferent really, but at the end of the day I truly do not believe that Curtis Granderson is necessarily a need for the New York Yankees.

Thinking Outside the Box w/ a Sonny Gray Trade

It does not feel ethical to basically crap on a pitcher that is scheduled to make the start for your team this week, but I never claimed to be ethical, or even all that nice. With the well-documented struggles of Sonny Gray within a Yankees uniform I wanted to think outside the box a bit and come up with a way for the Yankees to rid themselves of this disaster waiting to happen, but within reason. You have to remember that to get something you have to give up something, so with that in mind the New York Yankees should be looking at a “your reclamation project for ours” when searching for a potential trading partner for the former Oakland A’s right-hander. Luckily for you, and for Brian Cashman who clearly reads my work, I have included a few potential trade partners and targets for everyone to mull over and work through.

Keep in mind that not all of these trade proposals are necessarily considered to be a one-for-one swap, prospects can be added on either side to make the deal work as these are just the basics and the frameworks for a deal. That is especially the case with our first potential trade partner, the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta is slumping and may not be in first place in the National League East by the time the All-Star break comes around, and a lot of that comes down to their starting pitching. It just hasn’t been great, especially the right-arm that the team expected to be their ace in Julio Teheran. Teheran has well-documented struggles at home inside either Turner Field or SunTrust Park and a change of scenery for the young righty may make sense for a team streaking towards the postseason maybe a year-or-two before they had planned. Teheran makes sense for the Yankees because Gray has more than the 2018 season of team control as he is signed through the 2019 season before hitting free agency in 2020, much like Teheran who is signed through 2019 with a team option for the 2020 season worth $12 million with a $1 million buyout. Teheran is making $8,166, 667 this season, which the Yankees would be on the hook for a prorated version of that, while Gray is slated to make $6.5 million this season in arbitration. The production matches for the two pitchers to be an even swap, the money is close enough for New York to stay under the luxury tax threshold, and both pitchers could do with a change of scenery. Obviously, the Yankees would have to add something to sweeten the pot for Atlanta, but probably not as much as you would think.

Both are different pitchers at home and on the road, which can be seen below thanks to Baseball Reference:

Teheran’s Home/Away Splits:

Gray’s Home/Away Splits:

What would the Braves need to sweeten the deal? That I am not sure of, but with the imminent (in my opinion) addition of Justus Sheffield to the 40-man roster and the big-league club a la Luis Severino in 2015 I could see the Yankees including Chance Adams or Jonathan Loaisiga (as a player to be named later since he is injured) to accomplish the deal. I’m no expert on the needs of the Atlanta Braves despite living here, but I think that’s at least the start and the framework of a potential deal.

If Teheran’s fly ball rate scares you, which honestly it does me too… but we are talking about a replacement for Sonny Gray and not necessarily a second ace to pair with Luis Severino, then what about another reclamation project in Marcus Stroman? This trade proposal may be really reaching for the stars, but every deal that Brian Cashman does not ask for is a certain “no.” Stroman has struggled mightily this season, as have his Blue Jays who will undoubtedly be sellers at the trade deadline this season, leaving you to wonder if they would take on Gray for Stroman plus whatever prospects or players are needed. Stroman is a New York native that has always had a flare for the dramatics and the big stage, while Gray seems like the polar opposite of that making a deal make sense at least on paper. Again, the Blue Jays would potentially have a year-and-a-half of Gray’s services while giving up Stroman right before he gets expensive via arbitration. Clearly, the Yankees would have to really sweeten the pot and bank on Stroman turning around his 1-6 record, his -0.7 WAR, and his 1.574 WHIP, but not by much. Gray has posted a -0.6 WAR, a 1.571 WHIP and a 5-7 record that matches his “deer in the headlights” look every time he takes the mound in the Bronx. If the Yankees were to pull this off they would potentially grab an extra year of team control with Stroman as opposed to Gray while also saving a few bucks after a down season for the Toronto right-hander via the arbitration process.

The only hiccup in a Stroman for Gray potential deal would be if the Blue Jays do not think they can compete in 2019, making the need for Gray a moot point. The Yankees have made these types of “your trash for ours” type deals before under Brian Cashman, remember the Esteban Loaiza for Jose Contreras trade with the Chicago White Sox for an example, and it is not out of the realm of possibilities for it to happen again here with Sonny Gray. If Gray struggles again this week with the worst team in Major League Baseball you can believe that, especially after reading this, Brian Cashman will be on the phone trying to make a deal with either Atlanta or Toronto.

Oh, and Cashman. Just because I had this idea for you it doesn’t mean you get to contact Theo Epstein and take Yu Darvish off his hands. No. Hell no. Thank you in advance.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

To be the best, you have to beat the best. Not many teams want to be the best lately because not many teams have beaten the Yankees lately. To be fair the team hardly played last week due to scheduled days off, slumber parties inside of airports, and Mother Nature, but the team has picked back up where they left off during last week’s rankings. On top and winning.

The New York Yankees are in the top spot this week followed by the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, the Atlanta Braves (not a typo!), and the Milwaukee Brewers (also not a typo!). Wow, what a Top 5. Who had that Top 5 before the season? Nobody. Not even me, and I go way out there with my predictions sometimes.

The Philadelphia Phillies rose an impressive eight spots to the #7 position while the Washington Nationals are in danger of falling out of the Top 10 after falling five spots this week to tenth. The Cleveland Indians (16^th, down three spots) are behind the New York Mets (14^th, up three spots) in the rankings this week while the Oakland Athletics continue to defy the odds and climb the rankings. And then we have the Arizona Diamondbacks who fell eight spots to the #12 position, ouch.

The American League East looks weak right now aside from the Bronx Bombers and the Boston Red Sox with the Toronto Blue Jays ranked 20^th, the Tampa Bay Rays ranked 21^st and the Baltimore Orioles ranked 29^th overall.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings 5/6 – 5/12

Another week of Major League Baseball in the history books here in 2018, and what a week it was for the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers are red hot and they are coming for that number one spot, Boston better be put on notice. The most impressive part about this run by the Yankees, a run that matched that “omg it is so magical and wicked awesome” start by the Boston Red Sox to start the 2018 campaign, is that they, unlike the Red Sox, are doing it against great teams. The Yankees have all but caught up to the Red Sox in the American League East Division race, could the USA Today weekly MLB Power Rankings be next?

The New York Yankees were 4^th in last week’s rankings, up from the #9 position, and were able to rise another two spots to the second position overall. The only team in front of the Baby Bombers right now? Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox. Chris Sale is good at baseball and so is Mookie Betts, it is a long season though so color me “not worried.” The Top 5 includes the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The rest of the American League East shapes up with the Toronto Blue Jays finishing the week 8^th overall after jumping eight spots from last week, the Tampa Bay Rays finishing 21^st and the Baltimore Orioles finishing the week 29^th overall.

Surprises? Both the Baltimore Orioles and the Cincinnati Reds were on pace to finish the season with a 38-124 record heading into the week, that’s surprising. The Seattle Mariners climbed into the Top 10 quieting those people who sent hate mail to my personal email after I predicted the Seattle Cano’s would win the second Wild Card in the American League. Meanwhile the Mets dumped Matt Harvey and are in a free fall after dropping 12 (TWELVE) spots from last week’s Top 5 finish. The Los Angeles Dodgers fell seven spots to 19, and things aren’t looking better for them any time soon while the Texas Rangers could lose 100 games and become important sellers at the July 31^st trade deadline. Cole Hamels come on down.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

If you were a betting man I bet you wouldn’t have bet on the New York Yankees rattling off nine wins in a row to cut a huge deficit between them and the Boston Red Sox to just two games at the beginning of the week. If you were a betting man I bet you also didn’t have the Red Sox in a free fall during the same time. If you did, kudos to you. You’re betting prowess has won you the internet, but the rest of us humans definitely didn’t see it coming. How did the Yankees strong week and a tough week for the Red Sox translate into the weekly power rankings released weekly by the USA Today? Keep reading to find out…

I won’t make you wait for long, the New York Yankees climbed five spots this week back into the Top 5 with a fourth-place finish overall. The Boston Red Sox kept the top spot on the rankings and were closely followed by the Houston Astros and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The fifth best team in the league according to the rankings are the New York Mets.

To round out the rest of the American League East we have the Toronto Blue Jays at 16^th after falling six spots, the Tampa Bay Rays who are 21^st after climbing two spots, and the Baltimore Orioles who are 28^th after falling two additional spots on the rankings.

Surprises? The Philadelphia Phillies are 10^th after climbing four spots while the Atlanta Braves are 11^th overall after climbing five spots. The Seattle Mariners, who are no surprise to me as I had them making the postseason in 2018 when no one else did, rose six spots to the lucky #13 position while the Washington Nationals fell five spots to the #18 position behind a slumping Bryce Harper.

Think Mike Moustakas is regretting going back to Kansas City yet? Because I do. I bet you didn’t see that one coming either. Here’s another one you definitely didn’t see coming I bet. Mike Francesca’s return to WFAN. Boom.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Let me start this post by saying that I am not happy to bring you this set of weekly MLB Power Rankings by the USA Today. Why? I think we all know why, because I think we all know who will be on top of the list. UGH. Oh well, carrying on now. Maybe this is all a dream like that 2004 season was, I hate that Major League Baseball cancelled that season. The Yankees were doing so well too…

In all seriousness though the Boston Red Sox are at the top of the Weekly Power Rankings list this week, and ultimately, they should be. Right now, they are the best team in Major League Baseball and all I can do is tip my cap to them and move on towards brighter, greener and better days. Following the Red Sox and rounding out the Top 5 in descending order are the Houston Astros (#2), the Arizona Diamondbacks (#3), the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (#4) and the New York Mets (#5).

The Yankees were 7^th in the last set of rankings and the team fell two spots to the 9^th spot on this set. That is not the direction you really want to trend if you’re the Yankees, but despite what you read on various Facebook groups around the web it is STILL early. Plenty of time to make up ground, and the team seems to be finally turning things on now. I’m not worried.

The Milwaukee Brewers were the biggest risers of the week winning six straight games and moving up five spots to the #11 position while the Colorado Rockies were the biggest fallers on the list dropping eight spots to the #18 position. Better luck next time kids.

To round out the American League East we obviously have the Red Sox in the top spot and the Yankees have the 9^th spot while the Blue Jays give the AL East a third team in the Top 10 at tenth. The Tampa Bay Rays are 23^rd while the Baltimore Orioles are 26^th. Womp, womp.

You guys want some early surprises to the list? How about the Arizona Diamondbacks who have won each of their first seven series to start the season, the first team to do so in 15 seasons? Not impressed? How about the Dodgers and Nationals being 12^th and 13^th respectively? These both looked to be Top 10 teams easily, but again it is early. They better watch their backs though because the Philadelphia Phillies, yes, those Phillies, are within striking distance of them both at the #14 position. The Atlanta Braves are 16^th… Not a typo. The Miami Marlins aren’t last either!! But they are 29^th…

Gleyber Torres Discusses His Promotion to NYY

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/21

And just like that we are back in the Bronx with the third game of this four-game set between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the start this afternoon the Yankees will second Jordan Montgomery to the mound while the Blue Jays will counter with their ace Marcus Stroman. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, final score prediction of 7-2 in favor of New York, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/21

Good morning Yankees fans and welcome back to the Bronx, New York. Yankee Stadium will welcome the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays back today for the third game of their four-game set. In the start this afternoon the Yankees will send left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery to the mound to face off with future Yankee and current Toronto ace Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays. I love watching Stroman pitch, but I especially love watching Stroman struggle in New York so let’s make both happen this afternoon in the Bronx.

Montgomery heads into the start this afternoon fresh off his first victory of the young season in his last outing. Montgomery held the Detroit Tigers to three runs on six hits in the only victory of the rain-shortened series for New York. Monty was especially tough against the Blue Jays last season as well posting a 1-0 record in two starts with a 0.79 ERA as a rookie.

Stroman had a shorter spring training camp than most which may be the reason behind his wild start to the 2018 season. Stroman has walked 10 batters in 14.2 innings pitched this season, which is way above his career 2.5 walks per nine innings ratio. Walk Gardner, walk Judge and pitch to Stanton, Didi and Sanchez. Fine by me.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network for everyone out of the team’s market. You can also follow along on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Enjoy the game, watch out for dingers, and go Yankees!!

Hello… Something Big Continues

Good morning everyone and a Happy Saturday to you all. Behind the scenes I have been working on a few things including the post that finally went live yesterday here on the blog, What Does It Mean to Be a Yankees Fan? This is something I have always wanted to write, but at the same token it is always something that I have kind of been scared to write. This is big, and it means something different to everyone you speak to. There’s a lot of responsibility in doing a piece like this, but this is something that I not only wanted to do, but it is something that I needed to do. For me not only as a fan, but as a writer as well. I don’t expect any big accolades from this or any recognition whatsoever, it is just something I want to do, and it is something that I will be proud of when I am looking back into the archives on this day in 2019. Although I will admit, this series of posts does have all the makings of being something big and something popular amongst the fans, I hope at least.

This series continues today as we take a look at another fan’s perspective. I will leave the “which fan” part out for now, but it is a near and dear friend of mine and someone I consider to be not only in my Yankees family, but my real family as well. Be on the look out for that today and, again, if you want to get involved and answer those four simple questions for us please do so and send them to us. We want to get as many outlooks as we can and share as many opinions and perspectives as we can here on the blog.

While you all enjoy that piece I will be packing up the only home I have known with my lovely Kari as we prepare for the next chapter in our lives. It will be sad to see this house go, but I will never forget the memories that we shared in it. I love you, and I can’t wait to see where this crazy, wild world will take us next, as long as it takes us there together.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/20

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx as the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium play host to their division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. In the start tonight in the Bronx the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound to face off with Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, Marco Estrada who?, and go Yankees!!

A Yankees Day in the Life: Sonny Gray

Want to know what it would be like to walk a mile in tonight’s starter Sonny Gray’s shoes? Well, truth be told you will probably never get that opportunity, but you can come pretty close right now by watching the latest “A Day in the Yankees Life” story showcasing the young right-hander, Sonny Gray. Enjoy!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/20

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays continue their four-game set into the weekend tonight with the second game of the series inside Yankee Stadium. In the first matchup we watched as CC Sabathia and Aaron Sanchez squared off in a battle of the future for Toronto and the veteran presence for New York, and tonight we will all be entertained by an equally interesting matchup. Tonight the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound to face off against Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays. Always fun against the Blue Jays, so let’s get to it in the Bronx.

Gray has reportedly been working on mechanical adjustments with pitching coach Larry Rothschild after the Boston Red Sox beat up on him in his last start to the tune of six runs allowed over three innings of work. In the start previous to his disaster in Boston the Yankees right-hander allowed just one run in four innings of work in Toronto while striking out eight.

Estrada had to leave his last start due to back spasms despite having a no-hitter going into the fourth inning. Estrada had trouble following through on his delivery in that start after the spasms began, but the team doctors have cleared him for his start tonight in the Bronx.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network if you are out of the Yankees market. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app or by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, put up some crooked numbers, and go Yankees!!

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Another week down in the 2018 Major League Baseball season and the first set of weekly MLB Power Rankings brought to you by the USA Today here on the blog. I sorta, kinda, maybe missed the first set of power rankings that were released before the season and sorta, kinda, maybe every set released ever since. Work has been busy, and so has life. You have my apologies. Let me make up for it now, though, by getting on with this week’s set of rankings.

I won’t make you wait long for what you came here for, the ranking for the New York Yankees. The Yankees were ranked 7^th overall this week by the publication, dropping two spots from last week and out of the Top 5. A tough week against the Baltimore Orioles will do that to a team I guess. Rounding out the rest of the American League East Division the Boston Red Sox are ranked 2^nd overall while the Toronto Blue Jays (#17), the Baltimore Orioles (#20) and the Tampa Bay Rays (#29) fall behind the Yankees in succession.

The top five spots in the rankings belong to, in order, the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, the Arizona Diamondbacks, some team that rhymes with New York Jets, and the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile the five worst teams in the rankings, ranked from 26-30, are the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Miami Derek Jeter’s.

The Pittsburgh Pirates had the biggest rise in the rankings this week climbing 12 slots from the 24^th ranking to the #12 spot while the biggest fall went to the Los Angeles Dodgers who fell 11 slots all the way to the 13^th spot overall after being ranked 2^nd in last week’s rankings. Ouch.

For the complete list and write-ups associated with this set of power rankings head over to the USA Today Sports section and read it in its entirety. Thanks everyone.