TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 5th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

The Yankees made one of their finest trades in the franchise's history on March 22, 1972, sending Danny Cater and a player to be named later (Mario Guerrero in June) to the Boston Red Sox for Sparkly Lyle. Lyle starred in the Yankees bullpen and won the 1977 American League Cy Young Award while, and not to be disrespectful by any means, I've never even heard of Danny Cater or Mario Guerrero.

The best trade that I ever made in my personal life was when I traded anger, depression, and unhappiness for the one thing in the world that has made me happier than I could have ever dreamed... my wife, Kari. I love you and I am forever grateful for you as well!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Domingo Acevedo

I have personally donned this man the next Dellin Betances, and for more than one reason. Both men are really big, intimidating figures on the mound. Both men can throw right at or in excess of 100 MPH. Both men struggle with control, and ultimately for that reason both men may be destined to share the same Yankees bullpen in the future. For now, though, Domingo Acevedo is a starter within the New York Yankees organization, so let’s meet him.

Domingo Acevedo, 24-years old for a few more days, possesses a 96 MPH four-seam fastball, an 87 MPH slider, and an 88 MPH changeup that he mixes in to keep opposing batters off of his heater.  

Domingo Antonio Acevedo was born on March 6, 1994 in Los Almacigos, Dominican Republic where he was signed as an international free agent by the New York Yankees in 2012. Acevedo signed with New York for just $7,500 and began his professional career with the Dominican Summer League Yankees. Acevedo worked his way through the Yankees organization, reaching as high as Double-A and Triple-A in 2017 as well as participating in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.

Acevedo’s biggest hurdles that he faces is his struggle with command and control, as well as his seemingly inability to stay healthy. In six minor league seasons, Acevedo has made just 92 appearances for the Yankees various minor league affiliates.

Acevedo was called up to the Major Leagues on July 21, 2018 but was optioned back to Double-A in just a few hours, not making an appearance for the big-league club. Will 2019 be the year that Acevedo finally puts it all together for a full, healthy, and productive season? Stay tuned.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Stephen Tarpley

Stephen Tarpley came up last season for the New York Yankees to help solidify the bullpen as a left-handed option for manager Aaron Boone. Tarpley is not a name you heard a lot about in 2018, but he did a lot to impress me as a fan and I am extremely excited to see what he can bring to the table here in 2019. Honestly, I think he wins a spot out of spring training, but that is nothing more than that, speculation. He will have to stay healthy and earn the spot this spring, but his arm and his stuff is ready for the big stage and the MLB level. For those who know him, you know that, but for those who don’t, let’s meet him. Stephen Tarpley, everyone.

Stephen Tarpley, 26-years old, is a left-handed relief pitcher for the New York Yankees and a right-handed bat that is under team control through the 2024 season. Tarpley is 6’1” and weighs 235 lbs. and is still considered to have his rookie status through the 2019 season. Tarpley brings a 92 MPH sinker, a 93 MPH four-seam fastball, a 79 MPH curve ball and a rarely thrown 86 MPH changeup with him in his bag of tricks every time he walks up to Yankee Stadium. Tarpley is flyball prone, which is odd given that he is primarily a sinker pitcher, but he neutralizes left-handed hitters well enough to earn a spot on most teams in their bullpen.

Stephen Tarpley was born on February 17, 1993 in Los Angeles, California. Tarpley attended Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Arizona where the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the eighth round of the 2011 MLB First Year Players Draft. Tarpley did not sign and instead attended the University of South Carolina to play baseball for the Trojans. After one year at USC, Tarpley transferred to Scottsdale Community College where the Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the third round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Baltimore gave Tarpley a $525,000 signing bonus and assigned him to the Gulf Coast Orioles to begin his professional career.

On January 27, 2015 the Orioles traded Tarpley to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with a player-to-be-named-later, for Travis Snider. Tarpley pitched well for Pittsburgh, catching the eye of Yankees GM Brian Cashman who swung a trade for him along with Tito Polo for Ivan Nova. Tarpley pitched well for New York in 2017, posting a 7-0 record with an 0.88 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 18 relief appearances between Tampa and Double-A Trenton.

Tarpley began the 2018 season in Double-A, but quickly earned the promotion to Triple-A before being called up as a September call-up on September 1. Tarpley pitched in 10 regular season games for the Yankees and even earned a spot on their postseason roster, pitching one inning in Game Two of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox.

Tarpley will look to earn a spot out of spring in 2019 at the Major League level, and honestly, I think that he will. Good luck to you, Stephen!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Jonathan Holder

The New York Yankees have assembled potentially one of the deepest and best bullpens in all of Major League Baseball history. The bullpen has everything. A lockdown closer in Aroldis Chapman, the fireman and set up man in Dellin Betances, the former closer in Zack Britton, the strikeout machine in Adam Ottavino, the guy who can give you length in Chad Green, and the kid who just gets guys out by any means necessary, thus living up to his namesake. Let’s meet the young man that will look to hold the lead for the Yankees presumably every time he enters a game this season, Mr. Jonathan Holder.

Jonathan Holder, 25-years old, is a right-hander relief pitcher and former starter in the Minor Leagues for the New York Yankees. Holder holds down games and leads that the Yankees starters give him with a 93 MPH fastball, an 83 MPH slider, an 86 MPH changeup and a pair of rarely thrown pitches in an 87 MPH cutter and a 77 MPH curveball. Holder throws a lot softer, for lack of a better word, than most of the Yankees relievers, and also, if possible, is considerably shorter than a lot of his fellow bullpen mates standing at 6’2” and weighing in at 235 lbs. Holder would have to play point guard or come off the bench for the New York Yankees basketball team that is hitting the courts near you as soon as 2020, and I’m sure he is okay with that.

Jonathan Blake Holder was born on June 9, 1993 in Gulfport, Mississippi where he attended Gulfport High School before heading off to Mississippi State to play college baseball for the Bulldogs. During his collegiate career, Holder posted an 11-2 record with a 1.59 ERA and 27 saves with 191 strikeouts. Those numbers impressed the Yankees enough to draft Holder in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB First Year Player’s Draft. The Yankees quickly converted Holder from a relief pitcher to a starting pitcher in their farm system with successful results, prompting the team to promote Holder to the MLB level on September 2, 2016. Holder would finish out 2016 in the Yankees bullpen and would appear out of the pen for the Yankees another 37 times in 2017 before becoming a mainstay for Aaron Boone’s pen in 2018. Holder finished the 2018 season with a strong 3.14 ERA in 66 innings pitched and will look to be just as good, if not better, for Boone and the Yankees here in 2019.

Good luck to you, Jonathan, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you aren’t going to need it.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Dellin Betances

The New York Yankees may only have one more year left with one of the most special relief pitchers to ever grace the game, in my opinion, so let’s take full advantage of that and get the man they call Dealin’ Dellin a ring, shall we? The Yankees are banking on strong starting pitching, a powerful lineup and quite possibly the greatest and deepest bullpen in the history of the game to achieve this, and that begins and ends with Betances. Betances, and Chad Green as well, can come in when a starting pitcher has a short night, he can come in as soon as the fifth or the sixth inning, he can pitch the seventh, the 8^th, and even the 9^th. Hell, on some nights he could pitch two or three of them, so let’s get reacquainted with possibly the most integral part of the bullpen going forward this season, Mr. Dellin Betances.

Dellin Betances, 30-years old, is a right-handed relief pitcher for the New York Yankees that some would consider to be a “fire man.” Dellin has a 98 MPH four-seam fastball, an 86 MPH curveball, and a rarely thrown 90 MPH changeup that he uses to get himself (in and) out of trouble while on the mound. Dellin, standing 6’8” and weighing 265 lbs., is a big strikeout and groundball pitcher that plays extremely well inside Yankee Stadium, or any stadium for that matter. Dellin, a “failed” starter, is truly a special arm out of the bullpen for the Yankees and has been since arriving on the scene for good in 2014.  

Dellin Betances was born on March 23, 1988 in Washington Heights, Manhattan to parents, Jaime and Maria Betances. Dellin’s parents immigrated to the United Stated before Dellin was born from the Dominican Republic. Betances attended Progress High School within the Grand Street Campus in Brooklyn, New York and attended many Yankees games as a child, including David Wells perfect game in 1998 when Dellin was just 10-years old. If it were not for his family taking him to baseball games as a child Dellin may have chosen basketball over baseball and credits his family for his decision. Dellin was already 6’4” in High School and could throw over 90 MPH by the time he graduated, leading many to believe that Dellin would be chosen in the first round of the 2006 MLB First Year Player’s Draft. Dellin, like many pitchers before him, committed to pitching at Vanderbilt University on a baseball scholarship, just in case, and announced that he had a high signing bonus demand and a will to only pitch for the New York Yankees. This led many teams to pass on Betances, but the Yankees took the chance on the big right-hander in the 8^th round of the 2006 Draft and gave him $1 million to forego his commitment to the Commodores.

Betances began his professional career with the Staten Island Yankees before being promoted to the Major Leagues for the first time on September 8, 2011. Betances only made two appearances for the team that season before spending the entire 2012 season back in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-barre RailRiders. Betances, then a full-time starter, was shifted to the relief role in 2013 and was back in the Major Leagues on August 11, 2013. Betances, now a relief pitcher, made the Yankees Opening Day roster in 2014 and was elected to his first All-Star Game in that same season. Betances would finish the 2014 season with 135 strikeouts as a rookie, finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year Award vote behind Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu.

Betances was back in the All-Star Game in 2015 and back to striking out opposing batters at an alarming rate, becoming the first reliever to ever strike out 100 or more batters in consecutive seasons for the Yankees on August 19^th. Betances made a third straight All-Star Game in 2016 and for the third straight season the righty would strike out 100 batters, finishing the season with 126 strikeouts after seeing fellow relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman traded for prospects, thus ending No Runs D.M.C. Dellin once again made the All-Star Game for the American League in 2017 and even threw an immaculate inning against the Detroit Tigers on August 2, 2017, striking out the side in the eighth inning on the minimum of nine pitches. Dellin was not selected as an All-Star in 2018, breaking his streak of four straight appearances, and will look to build a new streak here in 2019. Truth be told, though, In think Dellin would trade all four All-Star Game nods for just one World Series ring, so let’s see if he can make that happen and if the Yankees can accommodate that this season.

Dealin’ Dellin. The return in 2019.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Chad Green

I have to admit, when the New York Yankees acquired Luis Cessa and the right-arm we are about to meet, Chad Green, in a trade with the Detroit Tigers for Justin Wilson, I was confused. I had never heard of either of them, and truth be told, neither of them seemed all that special. Three years later, and plenty of egg on my face and crow in my belly, Green is one of the key factors of the Yankees bullpen. Let’s get reacquainted with him. Meet the 2019 Yankees and meet Chad Green.

Chad Green, 27-years old, is a right-handed relief pitcher for the New York Yankees that was once used exclusively as a starter with the Detroit Tigers organization. For that reason, Green possesses a 97 MPH four-seam fastball, an 88 MPH slider, an 88 MPH splitter and a 88 MPH changeup making it hard for opposing batters to know which direction the ball will go once it leaves his hand.

Chad Keith Green was born on May 24, 1991 in Greenville, South Carolina to Howard and Sheena Green, along with a twin brother Chase Green. Green attended Effingham High School in Effingham, Illinois where he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 37^th round of the 2010 MLB First Year Players Draft. Green did not sign, and instead the right-handed attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Green pitched well for Louisville, leaving the school with the team’s best ERA in their history at 2.38, catching the eye of the Detroit Tigers along the way who selected Green in the 11^th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Green signed with Detroit and would immediately begin his professional career with the GCL Tigers. By December of 2015 the Tigers sent Green and teammate Luis Cessa to the New York Yankees in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher Justin Wilson. Green was assigned to Triple-A to begin the 2016 season but was quickly called up to start in the Yankees starting rotation. Injuries led to Green being added to the 15-day disabled list after just four starts and saw his 2016 season at the Major League level limited to 42.2 innings pitched.

Green was used primarily as a reliever during the 2017 season and saw his career truly take off within the Yankees bullpen. Green was a dominant force for Joe Girardi and the Yankees in 2017, finishing the season with a 5-0 record and a 1.83 ERA with 103 strikeouts in just 69 innings pitched. Green helped the Yankees get within one game of the 2017 World Series and continued to pitch well for the 2018 Yankees, becoming an integral go-to man for new manager Aaron Boone. Green will be another familiar face anywhere from the 5^th inning to the 9^th inning for Boone and the Yankees here in 2019, and I look forward to every pitch that he throws.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Zack Britton

The New York Yankees went out and traded for Zack (no longer Zach) Britton during the summer of the 2018 season not only to bring his immense talent to their own ball club, but to also keep his left-handed throwing arm away from rivals like the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros. The Yankees liked what Britton brought to the table so much, and vice versa obviously, that on January 6, 2019 the team brought him back on a somewhat complicated three-year (maybe four…. maybe two) deal worth $39 million (or $50 million… or $26 million). Let’s meet the man that will likely be pitching the 8^th inning (or the 7^th inning… or the 6^th inning… or the 9^th inning) out of the bullpen this season for the 2019 New York Yankees, Zack Britton.

Zack Britton, 31-years old, is a left-handed throwing relief pitcher that stands 6’3” and weighs in at 195 lbs. Britton possesses a 95 MPH sinker, an 82 MPH curve ball, and a rarely thrown 95 MPH four-seam fastball. Britton’s sinker generates an extremely high number of swings and misses as well as an extreme number of ground balls, both of which work well inside Yankee Stadium. Britton also misses a ton of bats with his curve ball as well, although his fastball leaves much to be desired statistically.

Zachary Grant Britton was born on December 22, 1987 in Panorama City, California. Britton was raised by his family in Santa Clarita, California along with two older brothers. Britton attended Canyon High School for his freshman year where he sustained fractures of the skull and clavicle as well as bleeding in the brain as a result of diving headfirst into a concrete wall while attempting to catch a foul popup furing baseball practice with the team. Britton spent two days in intensive care due to the injuries. Britton was then moved by his family to Texas where he transferred to Weatherford High School. While at the school, Britton was an all-state outfielder for the team and also doubled as a pitcher. Britton was offered an athletic scholarship to attend Texas A&M University. Britton never took advantage of that scholarship from the Aggies, instead choosing to sign with the Baltimore Orioles who drafted him in the third round, 85^th overall, in the 2006 MLB First Year Players Draft. Britton signed a $200,000 signing bonus and immediately began his professional career with the club. 

Britton worked his way through the Orioles minor league system from 2006 – 2011 before getting his MLB call up on April 3, 2011. Britton, then a starter, was called up to replace the injured Brian Matusz in the starting rotation for the Orioles. Britton was ultimately sent down on July 9^th of that season after losing six of his last seven decisions after winning his MLB debut, some would speculate so that the Orioles could delay his free agency by a season by manipulating his service time, and finished his rookie campaign with a 4.61 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP and an 11-11 record in a total of 28 games. Britton returned in 2012 to make 11 starts, but had his season cut short because of a left shoulder impingement that landed him on the disabled list until July. Britton made another seven starts for the Orioles in 2013 over 40 innings of work before the team ultimately decided to move the left-hander to the bullpen.

The 2014 season was the first season that Britton worked solely as a reliever for the Baltimore Orioles after winning a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. Britton would assume the closer’s role for the team and finished his first season as a closer converting 37 of 41 save opportunities with a 1.65 ERA. Britton also helped the Orioles sweep the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 ALDS, picking up a pair of saves, before losing to the Kansas City Royals. Britton would be selected to his first career All-Star Game in 2015 after saving 23 of 24 games in the first half and would finish the year with 36 saves and a 1.92 ERA. Britton would continue his string of success as a closer in 2016, opening the season with 19^th consecutive saves, setting a new Orioles franchise record. Britton stretched that streak to 29 games to close out the first half of the 2016 season and made the All-Star team for the second consecutive season. Britton saved his 33^rd straight game on August 3^rd, setting an MLB record for most consecutive saves to start a season by a left-handed pitcher, while he also set an MLB record for most consecutive relief appearances without allowing an earned run, 39 at that point, on August 11^th of 2016. Britton finished the season with 0.54 ERA in 67 innings (69 games) along with 74 strikeouts and a 0.84 WHIP. Britton saved all 47 of his save chances in 2016 en route to winning the Mariano Rivera Award and a fourth-place finish in the AL Cy Young Award balloting, receiving five first-place votes.

Britton would open up the 2017 season with a save, the 50^th consecutive save dating back to October 1, 2015, becoming just the fifth pitcher in MLB history to convert at least 50 consecutive save opportunities. Britton would reach 54 consecutive saves before being added to the 15-day disabled list with left forearm tightness. Britton would convert his 55^th consecutive save after two separate stints on the DL with the forearm and would stretch the streak up to 60 games before the Oakland Athletics broke the streak after an impressive 704 days. Britton would end the 2017 season making only 38 appearances out of the bullpen. It was later revealed that Britton had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, ruling him out of play for at least six months. Britton opened the 2018 season on the 60-day disabled list and would not make his debut until June 12^th of that season. Britton spent a month with the Orioles before Baltimore shipped him to the New York Yankees in exchange for Dillon Tate, Cody Carroll, and Josh Rogers.

Now the Yankees and their fans get to see what a full, healthy season of Zack Britton really looks like here in 2019. Welcome back to the team, Zack, and welcome back to the family!!

Severino Starts the AL Wild Card Game for the Yankees

Aaron Boone has made the decision on who will start the American League Wild Card Game for the New York Yankees and it will be Luis Severino. Severino finished his 2018 season with a 19-8 record and a 3.39 ERA with 220 strikeouts and will get the nod despite being knocked out in the first inning of the Wild Card Game last year inside Yankee Stadium against the Minnesota Twins. Severino will look to rebound from a terrible second half and from a terrible AL Wild Card Game start in 2017 tomorrow night in the Bronx.

JA Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Lance Lynn will join a nine-man Yankees bullpen for tomorrow night's game.

Justus Sheffield is Coming…

The New York Yankees made a big move down in Triple-A this week that all but signals one important fact for the team and one of its prospects. The Yankees shifted their top pitching prospect and top prospect overall Justus Sheffield to the bullpen down in Scranton, all but signaling the fact that the Yankees plan to use the left-hander out of their Major League bullpen here sometime in 2018.

Tuesday night Sheffield made his first bullpen appearance for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and allowed just two hits with no walks and two strikeouts over two innings pitched. Aaron Boone was quoted as saying “He’ll get a couple outings under his belt down there and play a part with us in our pen (in September).”

In 2018 Sheffield has posted a combined 6-6 record with a 2.52 ERA in 22 games, 20 starts, at both Double-A Trenton and at Triple-A with the RailRiders. Sheffield has struck out 118 batters to just 50 walks surrendered in 110.2 combined innings pitched. While at Triple-A this season Sheffield has limited left-handed batters to just a .160 batting average against, which could signal how the Yankees plan to use him next month in the bullpen.  

With Aroldis Chapman now on the disabled list with knee tendinitis the time is now for Justus Sheffield. Your move, Brian Cashman.

Hello… Poop In Your Pants?

Good morning Yankees family. What is a better way to start off a Thursday morning and a Yankees off day than to talk about some poop. No, I am serious. This is an interesting article and read that I heard about first while visiting Yahoo Sports and it involves Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley and the time that he pooped his pants before entering a MLB game.

He can tell the story better than I can so here is the story from Bradley to Yahoo Sports:

“I’ll just tell it. It was actually this year. I was warming up to go in a game. I knew I had the next hitter. I knew he was on deck. The at-bat was kinda taking a little bit, and as a bullpen guy in these big situations, I call ’em nervous pees. I don’t have to pee a lot, but I know I have to pee before I go in the game. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.

It’s a 2-2 count, and I’m like, ‘Man, I have to pee. I have to go pee.’ So, I run in our bathroom real quick, I’m ready to go. I’m trying to pee and I actually (expletive) my pants. Like, right before I’m about to go in the game, I pooped my pants. I’m like ‘Oh my gosh,’ like I know I’m a pitch away from going in the game, so I’m scrambling to clean myself up. I get it cleaned up the best I can, button my pants up, and our bullpen coach Mike Fetters says, ‘Hey, you’re in the game.’

“So, I’m jogging into the game to pitch with poop in my pants essentially… I did check the mirror. White pants, we’re at home. I actually told my teammates. I stepped out of the bathroom, ‘Hey, am I OK? I just (expletive) myself. I’m about to go in this game.’ They didn’t believe me until they, unfortunately, saw the mess in the bathroom because I didn’t have time. I had to go in the game.

“It was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been on the mound. And I actually had a good inning. I had a clean inning, and I walked in the dugout and I was like, ‘Guys, I just (expletive) myself.’ They didn’t believe me, and then the bullpen came in and they’re like ‘Oh my god, you have to see this.’ … I just felt awkward, uncomfortable and just gross.”

Baby, that is totally our kid in the future. I love you!!

Meet a Prospect: Josh Maciejewski

Pinstriped Prospects image credit

With the New York Yankees 10^th round selection in the 2018 MLB First Year Players Draft and 307th pick overall the organization drafted Josh Maciejewski out of UNC Charlotte. Yes, you guessed it… Maciejewski is a college starting pitcher, this time from the left-side though, with a huge frame standing 6’3” and weighing in at 209 lbs. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Josh Maciejewski Edition.

Maciejewski is another college senior the Yankees drafted, this time out of the University of North Carolina – Charlotte. Maciejewski has a high 80 MPH fastball that he mixes with a changeup and a developing slider, a pitch the Yankees organization has seemingly fallen in love with over the years. Maciejewski used that repertoire to post a 9-2 record this season with a 2.25 ERA en route to earning First team All-Conference USA honors.

Here is what the UNC-Charlotte athletics page had to say about Maciejewski:

“SET CHARLOTTE ALL-TIME RECORD FOR MOST STARTS IN A CAREER WITH 55 AFTER HIS COMPLETE-GAME, THREE-HIT SHUTOUT OF UAB IN THE CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT ON MAY 24TH … MADE ALL 15 STARTS ON THE WEEKEND IN 2018 GOING 9-2 WITH A 2.25 ERA … THREW 104 INNINGS WITH 104 STRIKEOUTS ALLOWING JUST 31 RUNS, 26 EARNED AVERAGING NINE STRIKEOUTS PER GAME AND A 4/1 STRIKEOUT-TO-WALK RATIO…  PUT UP CAREER BEST NUMBERS IN ALL MAJOR CATEGORIES DURING HIS FINAL SEASON INCLUDING WINS, ERA, INNINGS PITCHES, RUNS/EARNED RUNS, STRIKEOUTS AND OPPONENTS BATTING AVERAGE (.215) … IN ADDITION TO EARNING THE TOP SPOT ALL-TIME FOR CAREER STARTS, THE LEFT-HANDER FINISHED FIFTH WITH 330.1 CAREER INNINGS PITCHED, SIXTH ALL-TIME WITH 264 STRIKEOUTS AND TIED FOR SIXTH WITH 21 CAREER WINS.”

The Yankees should have no problem churning out, at worst, a healthy crop of good relief pitchers in the near future from the farm system. At best, though, the organization has stockpiled a ton of pitchers that could potentially move quick through the farm system. Nice work by them, kudos.

Maciejewski has already signed with the club so a warm welcome to the organization to him, and an even warmer welcome to the Yankees family. You can follow him on twitter by following @J_Maciejewski22.

Too Many Damn Strikeouts… And Who Cares?

Remember when the New York Yankees were the team that hit “too many damn home runs?” Everyone was up in arms, fans and writers alike, because the team was too reliant on the home run ball and that philosophy simply did not translate well into the postseason. Now the general gripe amongst the fans seems to be that the 2018 version of the Bronx Bombers are the team that has “too many damn strikeouts.” The team is striking out at an alarming rate, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is a bad thing. Let me explain.  

First of all, we have to preface by reminding many of these fans that Major League Baseball is a game where you can fail seven times out of every ten at-bats and be considered GREAT. Striking out 2.5 times every ten at-bats makes you average, and most people fall somewhere in between the two. Failure is a thing in Major League Baseball that is just going to happen, period. Many would argue though that it is how a team makes an out that is important, and I agree. Productive outs are the best outs. The outs that move a runner over, the outs that bring in a run on a sacrifice, giving yourself up for the team with a bunt, etc. are all great outs, but believe it or not strikeouts can be good outs too. 

Baseball Prospectus did a 10-year study on strikeouts and how they affect a pitcher’s total number of pitches thrown spanning the 2005-2015 seasons and the findings are alarming. Gone are the days of Kerry Wood striking out 20 batters in a single game while throwing just 122 pitches, bullpens are specialized, pitchers are babied more, and it simply taxes a pitcher more in today’s game to strikeout a batter than it used to. The studies and the research show it. 

The study showed that on average it took a pitcher 4.5 pitches to strikeout a batter during this span while it took on average just three pitches to retire a batter without a strikeout. With pitch limits being lowered, bullpen usage at an all-time high and it is taking more and more pitches to strike out a batter the team is tiring pitchers out sooner and getting into opposing team’s bullpens earlier and earlier. FYI, this study was done before Aaron Judge seemingly worked a full count every single at-bat as well, so I am curious to see the studies and numbers from beyond the 2015 season as they continue to climb every single season. 

The Yankees are going to make at least 27 outs every single night, unless they are winning at home where the out total drops to 24 outs, so it is imperative for the Yankees to make the most of those outs. This is a team that is built on power and the ability to strike at any time in any situation offensively, wouldn’t that chance likely increase if the opposing pitcher was laboring or tiring on the mound? I would think so, so maybe the fact that the New York Yankees have “too many damn strikeouts” could be a good thing in the grand scheme of things. Ideal? No. Damming and telling of the team though? Absolutely not!

Meet a Prospect: A.J. Cole

Another beard bites the dust...

The New York Yankees acquired pitcher A.J. Cole from the Washington Nationals in exchange for cash considerations just hours after the team beat up on the Minnesota Twins to the tune of a 14-1 victory on Monday night. New York designated right-hander David Hale for assignment after pitching the final two innings of the contest in order to make room for Cole on the active roster. Cole was brought in as depth for the Yankees and their struggling bullpen so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect Special Edition: The A.J. Cole Edition.

Andrew Jordan Cole was born on January 5, 1992 in Florida where he attended Oviedo High School in Oviedo, Florida. While there A.J. played for the school’s baseball team and committed to attend the University of Miami on a baseball scholarship. Cole was considered to be a first-round pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft but fell in the draft due to his commitment to Miami and reportedly due to a high signing bonus demand. Cole fell all the way to the fourth round where the Washington Nationals snatched him up and signed him to a $2 million signing bonus, a record bonus for a fourth-round pick, to forgo his commitment to Miami. Cole finished the 2010 season in the Minor Leagues with Washington and spent the 2011 season there as well before the Nationals included Cole in a trade package.

On December 23, 2011 the Nationals traded Cole, catcher Derek Norris and pitchers Tommy Milone and Brad Peacock to the Oakland Athletics for Gio Gonzalez and Robert Gilliam. Cole struggled as a new member of the Athletics farm system beginning the 2012 season with a 0-7 record and a bloated 7.82 ERA. Cole bounced back after a demotion by the Athletics, but Oakland had seen enough after one season and ultimately traded Cole back to the Nationals on January 16, 2013 along with Blake Treinen and a player to be named later (Ian Krol) in a three-team trade that sent Michael Morse to the Seattle Mariners and Jon Jaso to the Athletics. Cole spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Washington before being added to the Nationals 40-man roster before the 2015 season.

Cole started the 2015 season back in the minors but was ultimately called up to make his MLB debut on April 28, replacing an injured Max Scherzer. Cole had a rough go of it in his MLB debut allowing nine runs in only two innings of work leading the Nationals to only allow him to appear in two more games that season, both out of the bullpen. Cole was back in Triple-A to start the 2016 season as he worked exclusively as a starting pitcher until August 18, 2016 when the Nationals called Cole up to work out of their bullpen. Cole remained in the bullpen until Stephen Strasburg went on the disabled list at the end of August 2016. Cole notched his first victory of his career on September 2, 2016 against the New York Mets.

Cole was back in Triple-A to begin the 2017 season but was called up on May 1, 2017 to fill in as a starting pitcher. Cole made one start before being optioned back down to Syracuse on May 12. Cole was called up multiple times throughout the 2017 season making various spot starts before coming up to stay on September 4 as a part of September call ups and roster expansion. Cole completed the 2017 season with a 3-5 record and a 3.81 ERA across 52 innings which included eight starts and three appearances as a relief pitcher.

Cole won the fifth starter job with the Nationals out of spring training in 2018 but the Atlanta Braves rudely welcomed him to the show scoring 10 runs off him in just 3.2 innings pitched. Cole made one more start for Washington before the Nationals moved Cole to the bullpen, where he will ultimately end up for Aaron Boone and company going forward. Good luck, A.J. and welcome to the family.

HELLO…. The Team Will Be Fine!

Good morning everyone. Let’s try this whole home opener in the Bronx thing again, shall we? Also, let’s try this whole “winning games against teams we should beat” thing again, shall we? The Yankees won their first two games this season in impressive fashion. They team pitched, they hit and while the bullpen didn’t have a scoreless game, they pitched well enough to win both games. The same could not be said for the following two games up in Toronto inside the Rogers Centre. The pitching was good, and the hitting did enough to win both games, but it was the bullpen that imploded leading to many frustrated fans and speculation as to whether Aaron Boone can handle a bullpen and a pitching staff.

Let me be clear, the sky is not falling after four games and the New York Yankees will be fine. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and others haven’t even begun to really hit yet while half their 40-man roster (slight exaggeration, but it feels like it) is on the disabled list. The team will get healthy, the team will start hitting and the team will start firing on all cylinders. The starters have been good, but they have left plenty of room to get better going forward and the bullpen almost has to be better. The bullpen is too talented not to improve, and some of these frustrating losses will turn into wins as the calendar continues to flip and turn.

It has been four games in a 162-game season. This team will be fine. We as fans will be fine. Relax, take a breath, and let’s beat up on some Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon and tomorrow to make ourselves feel better. We can only go up from here!

Kari, I know I bored you to death by watching the game on Sunday and you didn’t complain or say a word. Thank you. I love you. You are my rock, my heart and my soul, and you are my everything. Without you, nothing is possible. There would be no me without you. Thank you for being you.

So it Seems… How Many Different Heroes?

Good morning everyone and welcome to what could possibly be the final day of travel for the New York Yankees this season. Sure, if the team doesn’t make the World Series they always have to travel back to New York but they would be doing so with the season over with, and I don’t know about you but I am not ready to see this team stop playing just yet. This team is special, I have said that all season long, and this team just doesn’t know when to quit. This team is exciting and it seems like they have a new and different hero every single night.

Whether it be CC Sabathia who doesn’t lose after a Yankees loss, whether it be Didi Gregorius who made an entire culture and fan base stop talking about one of the greatest players in their franchises history, whether it be the New Jersey native Todd Frazier who keeps the screams for him to be on the team in 2018 flowing with a great consistency, whether it be Aaron Judge with the bat or in the field as he makes everyone in the Bronx All Rise regardless, whether it be the Yankees bullpen who has saved the team from utter destruction on more than one occasion this postseason, whether it be Gary Sanchez who was just waiting to break his 0-13 skid when the Yankees needed it the most, so on and so on and so on. I could go on forever because there is a new hero every night.

That’s when you know a team is special and that’s when you know you have more than just a collection of players, that you have assembled and molded a ball club. Win, lose or draw here in Houston over potentially the next two games I couldn’t be prouder of this team, the men who assembled the team and the men who keep them together day in and day out. Thanks for the memories, although I’d be lying and going against everything that is greedy if I didn’t say I wanted just a few more. Thanks in advance.

And hey you. What a week huh. There have been ups, there have been downs but there’s been one rock throughout it all. You. Thank you for being there and thank you for being you. I love you Kari. 

Ranking the 2017 Postseason Bullpens

The postseason begins today with the American League and National League Wild Card Rounds set between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins representing the American League while the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies will represent the National League. These four teams are both looking for one thing and one thing only, a victory. Even if that victory means that your team would then have to face the team with the best record in your respective league, it’s the playoffs and anything can happen. A starter can be less than effective, the offense could be lulled to sleep or the bullpen could just be completely and utterly dominant in every sense of the word meaning that anything can happen in a short series. Speaking of the bullpen let’s take a minute this morning to rank the 10 bullpens entering this postseason to see which team potentially has the edge this October.

The Cleveland Indians are the best team in Major League Baseball according to many, including myself, so it would only be fitting that the team has the best bullpen as well, right? You’re waiting for me to say “wrong” but I am not going to because it is the Indians that have the best bullpen in the playoffs in my opinion with closer Cody Allen and former Yankees Nick Goody and Andrew Miller. Bryan Shaw is the Indians answer to Dellin Betances as he leads the team in appearances while not many teams, including the Yankees, can get the ball in the air to hit home runs off Dan Otero. With the short series in the ALDS looming the Indians could also see Danny Salazar and Mike Clevinger join the bullpen in relief, which is borderline unfair for opposing batters if you ask me.

Prepare your rotten tomatoes to be thrown because I am about to do something unthinkable and say that the Boston Red Sox have a better bullpen then the New York Yankees. Yeah, they do. Craig Kimbrel has been the best reliever in all of Major League Baseball this season in my opinion, yes better than Kenley Jansen, while Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Joe Kelly and some dude named David Price have been lights out in the bullpen for Boston. Add in the fact that a couple of the Red Sox starters could be entering the bullpen as well and Boston could have one of the deepest bullpens in the playoffs here in 2017.

Slightly behind the Red Sox are finally your New York Yankees and their bullpen. Trust me, it hurt to put the Bronx Bombers behind the Red Sox but I just had to do it. New York doesn’t know what they can expect out of Adam Warren after returning for the final weekend after missing time with a back issue while Tommy Kahnle is inconsistent at best right now for New York. Dellin Betances has been better but the big right-hander has always had a knack for working himself into trouble and I find it hard to rely on him like I have in years past. Don’t get me wrong, I love this bullpen and if everyone is healthy and pitching to the back of their baseball cards then this bullpen can match with anyone in the league, especially the Red Sox and even the Cleveland Indians, but right now not even me being a massive “homer” can rank this bullpen any higher than third out of ten teams, which isn’t bad at all.

Finally a National League team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Or should I say the Los Angeles Kenley Jansen’s because it has been the Jansen show for LA out in the bullpen this season. Jansen recorded 41 saves here in 2017 including 12 saves that were for more than one inning, something you don’t see a whole lot of here in the game lately. Kenta Maeda is in the bullpen and Alex Wood may be not far behind him for the NLDS as the Dodgers combo of Pedro Baez and Ross Stripling looked shaky down the stretch in September.  

The Arizona Diamondbacks may have the second best bullpen in the National League, who saw that coming when the season started back in April of 2017? Some may argue against having the Diamondbacks this high but what Fernando Rodney did after a slow start to the season, 33 saves in 37 chances with a 2.38 ERA along with a .200 batting average against, did enough to convince me that the Diamondbacks were for real here in 2017. Remember, the Arizona pitching staff is amazing so the Diamondbacks are unlikely to have to rely on their bullpen for four-to-five innings a night like some teams. The plan for Torey Lovullo and company has to be to get seven innings out of their starter before handing the ball to Archie Bradley and then Rodney in the 9^th. Bradley pitched to a 1.73 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP this season as the setup man and as a multi-inning arm for the Diamondbacks here in 2017 and will likely be used in the same capacity during this year’s postseason.

The Washington Nationals were thought to have one of the worst bullpens in all of the NL East Division when the season started as the team was without a lockdown closer or much middle relief, but then came the July 31^st trade deadline. Before the deadline the Nationals acquired Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler in separate trades which completely transformed their bullpen into a dominating machine. Doolittle is the team’s closer now and converted 21 saves after being acquired by Washington allowing Dusty Baker to use arms like Matt Albers, Sammy Solis and Oliver Perez in early inning situations when needed.

The Chicago Cubs bullpen is a bullpen that I would describe as “good, but not great.” Good will win you games and may even win you a short series with some offensive help behind you but I truly think in a seven-game series a “good, but not great” bullpen will get exposed. Wade Davis is still amazing but it is everyone behind Davis that is suspect, even an emerging Carl Edwards Jr. Justin Wilson is a big strikeout guy while Mike Montgomery and Brian Duensing should be effective against Washington’s left-handed hitters but I don’t think it will matter at the end of the day unfortunately.

The Colorado Rockies are here only because of Greg Holland. The Rockies middle relief has been shaky all season long even after the acquisitions of Pat Neshek and Jake McGee and it will only garner more question marks when rookie starters Antonio Senzatela and Jeff Hoffman join the fold. If the Rockies can just get the ball to Holland though the team has a chance to win every time so that has to be the plan out in Colorado.

The Houston Astros are only in this position because the Minnesota Twins traded away their closer Brandon Kintzler before the July 31^st trade deadline. The Astros probably have the shakiest bullpen among all the postseason-bound teams here in 2017 which is evident by their staff ERA of 4.29, 18^th best in MLB among all 30 bullpens. Ken Giles was great this season converting 34 of 38 save opportunities but it was the middle relief that is the reason why Giles didn’t get many more saves than that, well that and that high-powered offense.

Finally we have the Minnesota Twins whose bullpen defied the odds after their closer was traded in late July. Matt Belisle is the new closer and has done well all things considered while rookies Trevor Hildenberger and Alan Busenitz have both exceeded expectations in their first years in the bigs respectively. Taylor Rogers has done well as a left-handed specialist for Paul Molitor’s bullpen while the team has been able to patch their way to the postseason without Kintzler. The team’s bullpen can’t be relied upon in my opinion but hey, you can’t predict baseball. Let’s just hope you can tonight in the Bronx.

Why Are We All Surprised That Dellin Betances is Struggling?

Dellin, nobody said playing in New York was going to be easy and boy it hasn’t been for the Yankees right-handed reliever. Dellin exited Yankee Stadium to some of the loudest boos I think I have ever heard inside the new Yankee Stadium on Monday night after helping load the bases in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins. Aroldis Chapman got out of trouble after relieving Betances and the Yankees won the game, which is all great, but I would rather focus on another issue. Betances is struggling here during the month of September and I am just left sitting here wondering why anyone is really surprised that this is happening.

Sure, Betances loaded the bases because of walks and hit batters and not because the Twins were squaring him up which is encouraging but this is just another season with a September collapse for Betances. Betances has a career 4.53 ERA in the month of September throughout his career, and that is including Chapman’s bailout which could have made that number skyrocket with three inherited runners, and the right-hander also has an 8.10 ERA here in September of 2017. Stats and history suggest that Betances should be getting better going forward, he almost has to at this point, and Betances has to if the Yankees want to not only make the postseason but go far in the playoffs as well. Betances is going to have to stop making excuses and people like Joe Girardi are going to have to stop making excuses for him. He is fatigued like he is fatigued every single season and that’s on Girardi, not on Betances. Fix it, or fix the problem by removing the manager. Period.

Before you say something along the lines of “Betances is on pace for his lowest innings total and appearance totals in four years” let’s remember that Betances is pitching in high stress innings. Betances has closed, set up and been the fireman for the Yankees all season long. Betances has been that guy for the Yankees basically since he came through the farm system and inserted himself into Joe Girardi’s bullpen. Three stress-free innings are probably equal to one stressful inning here in major League Baseball and it feels like Betances has had nothing but stressful innings, some he created and some he has not, all season long.

Betances is over 300 innings pitched now as a relief pitcher and they have all been pretty hard innings for the right-hander. Every single season Betances comes out strong like a strikeout machine only to fizzle out in September and into October so why are we surprised that it is happening again here in 2017? I’m not and you shouldn’t be either. This is almost in the “Mark Teixeira is a slow starter” neighborhood, it’s becoming that much of a common place here in the latter parts of the season. How do you fix it or prevent it? That I don’t know, that’s why the Yankees pay good money for pitching coaches and managers and that’s why they aren’t paying me. All I know is the team needs to fix it and needs to fix it now or the team may struggle to get past the AL Wild Card Game once again, just like in 2015 when Betances struggled.

If Masahiro Tanaka Opts Out Could the Yankees Use This “Plan B” in His Place?

The New York Yankees have a huge offseason ahead of them and the only constant that may be on the team may be change. CC Sabathia is set to hit free agency and may or may not be re-signed while Michael Pineda’s contract also expires at the end of the season. The offseason may hinge on the decision looming for Yankees RHP starter Masahiro Tanaka though as he has an opt-out clause written into his contract that allows the Japanese-born right-hander to hit free agency at the end of the season. Whether Tanaka will opt-out and get re-signed, opt-out and head to another team or remain with the Yankees on his current contract is anyone’s guess but you have to think the Yankees have a Plan B if Tanaka does opt-out, don’t they? I mean, have you seen the way that Chad Green is pitching this season?

Green and the way he has emerged and seemingly put it all together all at once reminds me of another young Yankees starter, although this starter came with a lot more projectability and promise than Green. Luis Severino is a recent example of a young pitcher who struggled to find his way in his first Major League season only to build confidence, command and control of his pitching and his game in the Yankees bullpen. New York switched Severino back to the starting rotation in 2017 and the right-hander is likely the team’s ace and best pitcher here in 2017 so why couldn’t the Yankees do the same with Green in 2018? When the team acquired Green along with Luis Cessa in the Justin Wilson trade with the Detroit Tigers both were starting pitchers in Triple-A so the possibility is at least there if the Yankees want to take advantage of it.

Before the series finale with the Orioles yesterday afternoon the Yankees RHP had posted a 3-0 record with a team leading 1.97 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. That’s not dominance, that’s filth. Green hadn’t allowed a run in four straight appearances after pitching 2.1 innings against the Orioles on Monday after coming in to relieve Jordan Montgomery and getting out of a jam and has been just what the Yankees needed with a struggling Aroldis Chapman. Green wants to start though, he has said as much despite his political correctness, and if Tanaka opts out before the 2018 season Green may finally get his wish again.

If Green wants to be a starter he will have to work on his cutter and his curveball as Severino had to work on his secondary pitches last season but with the offseason and spring training to go before the 2018 season begins there is plenty of time for the young righty. If the Yankees can have Green pitching the way he has along with Severino, Montgomery, Chance Adams, Sonny Gray and others the New York Yankees may be a scary, scary team here in 2018. First things first though, 2017. 

So it Seems the Yankees Need a Closer

What the hell happened to Aroldis Chapman? I’m sorry but if you’re throwing 172 MPH you should be able to get MLB players out consistently, period. Chapman just can’t do that right now yet Joe Girardi keeps on running him out there in the 9^th inning like he can. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it and I likely never will. It makes me so mad I’m infuriated watching these Yankees games and highlights lately. So it seems the Yankees need a closer. Whether that close is Dellin Betances, Chad Green who has been a monster out of the bullpen, David Robertson or someone from outside the organization and team I don’t know but something needs to be done. Well, if the team wants to make the postseason in 2017 anyway.

Oh and HEY YOU. HEY YOU. You get two today because in just two more days I am all yours. I love you. 

The Ultimate Roster Decision: Luis Severino v Jordan Montgomery

The New York Yankees have enacted a six-man rotation that comes into fruition this week but according to manager Joe Girardi it will only be here for this turn through the rotation. Tonight the Yankees start Sonny Gray as we learned this morning in our “So it Seems” post and again in the game preview post that just went live a few hours ago while tomorrow Jaime Garcia makes his Yankees debut after coming over in a trade from the Minnesota Twins. Logistically the Yankees could make a six-man rotation work for the remainder of the season if they wanted to but the team seems against it at this point, at least publicly, leaving me to wonder which of the Yankees starters will be bounced from the starting rotation. You have to think that the rotation spots of Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia are safe along with Garcia and Gray’s spots leaving the ultimate roster decision and battle for the Yankees. Who goes to the bullpen to be the long man for Joe Girardi? Is it Luis Severino or is it Jordan Montgomery?

Both pitchers have at least some experience pitching out of the bullpen and both pitchers are on expected innings limits as well so either starter could conceivably head down to the pen. Severino, just 23-years old, is expected to pitch around 200 innings this season if all goes well and is currently at 132.2 innings while Montgomery, 24-years old, is expected to pitch around 170 innings which is just 60 innings away from where he currently sits at 110.2 thus far this season. Using even numbers for simplicity sake and with these two kids averaging six innings per start from here on out that leaves Severino with just 11 starts remaining this season including the playoffs while Montgomery could conceivably only make 10 starts from here on out at this pace. That would likely leave both arms completely unavailable for the postseason, which is not what you want.

So the ultimate decision and position battle comes down to this. Which one heads to the pen and which one remains in the rotation? Honestly with the way Severino has pitched you have to think he remains in the rotation while Montgomery heads to the pen. That’s not to say Montgomery hasn’t pitched well because he has, Montgomery has been extremely solid in his first season as a starter at the MLB level, but Severino has been just flat out dominant. Severino was elected to the All-Star Game this season and not because of some fan vote but because he and his right arm earned it.

I truly doubt, and this is just using Joe Girardi’s past transgressions and decisions as an indicator for the future, the Yankees would use either men as a starter anyway in the postseason to be honest so it’s better to just get what the team can get out of them both now. Severino is the better starter in my opinion and should be used as such until he can’t be used as such any longer this season.

Also, and I only mention this because I saw it mentioned on Twitter, the idea of bouncing both men back and forth between the rotation and bullpen to limit and use both men to their full effectiveness sounds great on paper but it just won’t work. Many pitchers have shown an inability to do this both effectiveness wise and health wise. See Joba Chamberlain. Not everyone is Adam Warren and not everyone’s arm is built to do that. Whether a pitcher is built to do that or not should be found out later on in their careers in my opinion, not when both are 24-years old or younger. That kind of damage is forever and that is not a risk I am personally willing to advise for or take.

What say you? Who wins the ultimate decision battle in your eyes? Who heads to the bullpen and who heads to the starting rotation? Do the Yankees send Montgomery down to keep pitching as a starter since his option for the 2017 season has already been used? Leave them below in the comments sections and/or shoot us a tweet on Twitter by tweeting @GreedyStripes. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your Thursday. Sonny Gray is coming.