Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 9/21

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays have three more games head-to-head this season and the first of those three games begins tonight inside the Rogers Centre. The Yankees are still within striking distance in the American League East Division race despite the end of the season stories that came along with the letdown that came with the last series between these two teams. The last series was played inside Yankee Stadium but the last time these two teams played inside the Rogers Centre the Yankees won two of those games and nearly swept the Blue Jays and the same could happen this week with Toronto not having Troy Tulowitzki. Tonight the Yankees will send Adam Warren to the mound to face off with a familiar face in David Price for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Warren made his return to the Yankees starting rotation five days ago against the Tampa Bay Rays forcing Ivan Nova to the bullpen. Warren went just 4.0 innings as the Yankees stretch him out allowing just two earned runs with 4 K's in a no decision. Warren threw 65 pitches in that start leaving him available for around 80-85 pitches tonight in Toronto.

• Price has been all he was cracked up to be and more for the Toronto Blue Jays as he has posted an impressive 7-1 record with a 2.17 ERA with the club. Price has not allowed more than three runs in a start for Toronto and has taken over the AL lead in ERA with his 2.42 season ERA.

The Yankees need to win these games much more than the Toronto Blue Jays do for obvious reasons. If New York wants to win the AL East Division they are going to have to take advantage of these head-to-head matchups. The same can be said for the team if they want to keep their lead in the American League Wild Card race as well because the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins are hungry and currently on the outside looking in. They aren't taking their foot off the accelerator and the Yankees can't either. Price is a tough matchup but Price can be beat, they've done it before, they just need to do it again. Go Yankees!

Looking Back At My 2015 Comeback Player of the Year Award Predictions

Every season I begin the year by predicting who I think will win each of the major awards around Major League Baseball. Truth be told I am usually way wrong, like most, but I still stick to my guns and tell you and show you how wrong I am. I'm humble like that. So SEE HERE for the original post or see below as we recap my picks for the AL and NL Comeback Player of the Year Award winners.

Every year around this time I begin the season long process of completely embarrassing myself by trying to predict the major award winners, playoff teams, and World Series victor before the season even begins. This season will be no different and I will start the 2015 prediction show by predicting the Comeback Player of the Year Awards for both leagues. I should, and wanted to, pick Alex Rodriguez for the American League side of the award but I feel like most would stop reading and remove your bookmark for the blog so rest assured, it’s safe to keep reading.

For the American League I am going to stay with the Yankees, I’m a homer sometimes what can I say, and I am going to pick Masahiro Tanaka. There aren’t many comeback trail type stories except for Barry Zito’s this season so I will go with the player that is coming back from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in 2014. I believe Tanaka, after following the diagnosis and advice of four highly acclaimed doctors, did the right thing in resting and rehabbing the elbow rather than going under the knife and will show the dividends of that decision in 2015. Tanaka has altered his mechanics a bit and added more of an attack to his repertoire with the addition of a two-seam fastball that he will use more consistently and should be better physically. The results have looked great thus far in spring training despite what the stat line says as the velocity is consistent with what it was last year before the injury and the command and control is as crisp as ever. I may be totally forgetting someone and it may just be the Yankees fan in me but I am going with Tanaka as my Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.

For the National League I thought about going with Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals or Matt Harvey for the New York Mets but I ultimately decided on Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. Why you ask? For the first time in his career the Rockies are at least toying with the idea of trading Gonzalez and/or Troy Tulowitzki out of Colorado to a contender. Every player wants to win and having a big season so he can be traded to a playoff contender is the ultimate motivator. Gonzalez has done nothing to make you believe this is going to come true so this may be a bit of a bold prediction but I get these wrong nine times out of ten anyway so go big or go home, just like Gonzalez is going to this season.

Masahiro Tanaka, Mark Teixeira or Alex Rodriguez could conceivably win this award although the injury to Teixeira and the past may keep Rodriguez from winning the award. I'm not sure Tanaka will win the award but he's definitely been a great comeback story in my opinion as he defies popular opinion and the beat writers, fans etc. that think he should have gotten the ulnar collateral ligament surgery.

Carlos Gonzalez has quietly had a great and healthy season for the Rockies this season sporting a .263/.319/.536 slash in 140 games to go with 37 home runs and 88 RBI without Troy Tulowitzki in the lineup to give him protection. After getting in just 70 games last season and batting only .238 in 2014 Gonzalez should get recognition for the award but the media and the general fan base loves Matt Harvey so I can see him winning the award.

Check in tomorrow as we check out the Rookie of the Year awards.

Quick Hit: Scratch That, We Don't Want Houston

Early in the week last week I wrote a post stating that I was officially rooting for the Texas Rangers to win the American League West Division. Well Texas obviously read my work and took my words to heart because after sweeping the Houston Astros in a three-game head-to-head matchup the Rangers now control the AL West Division and the Yankees would face off with the Astros in the American League Wild Card Playoff round in a one-game series. My line of thinking was that the Yankees have had a better record against the Astros than they have against the Rangers but then I remember who would start that one-game playoff for Houston... Dallas Keuchel.

Keuchel is likely going to win the American League Cy Young Award this season, hell he has my vote on my IBWAA Ballot, and has absolutely dominated the New York Yankees this season. Keuchel has made a pair of starts against the Yankees this season and has gone eight innings in each of those starts combining for exactly zero runs allowed. Zero. He's owned the Yankees this season and would likely start in that one-game playoff. Cole Hamels would likely start for Texas in the Wild Card round so it's really the lesser of two evils but right now I think I take my chances against Hamels over Keuchel because Keuchel is just filthy.

I'll take my chances with Hamels who has pitched to an ERA over 4.00 with Texas over Keuchel who has used the power of the beard to dominate not only the Yankees but the rest of the league. I officially reverse my stance, Go Houston! Go somewhere besides Yankee Stadium on October 6th.

Scoreboard Watching: September 21,2015

The Yankees may not be scoreboard watching but I am. Here are the games of interest for the New York Yankees today and every day until the postseason.

Monday, September 21

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees

Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Texas Rangers - OFF

Minnesota Twins - OFF

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Houston Astros

Cleveland Indians - OFF

This Day in New York Yankees History 9/21: Goodbye to Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees announced that 2008 would be the final season of the House that Ruth Built as a new billion dollar stadium was nearing completion across the street. Yankee Stadium III, or the House that Jeter Built, was set to be used for the 2009 season and on this day the Yankees said goodbye to the old stadium as they played their final game of the season in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles in the last game 7-3 with Julia Ruth Stevens, the daughter of Babe Ruth, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Derek Jeter and teammates stood on the mound after the game and bid farewell to Yankee Stadium in front of 54,610 fans in attendance.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 9/20

Thank goodness for MLB.TV's radio broadcasts so you can mute the ESPN crew and listen to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. If I was to listen to ESPN I could hear it now, John Kruk will work up the New York Mets and Matt Harvey as World Series winners instead of the contenders they are and he would hand Harvey the NL Cy Young Award now. It is high, it is far, it is... caught by the second baseman in short right field but it's still better than listening to the blatantly obvious bias given out by the ESPN crew. Anyway, tonight the Yankees and Mets finish off the Subway Series with CC Sabathia heading to the mound to face off against Matt Harvey and his innings limit. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

The Yankees will play until nearly midnight tonight and then have to travel to Toronto before tomorrow night's contest with David Price and the Toronto Blue Jays, thank you MLB schedulers and thank you ESPN. Be sure to give @GreedyStripes a follow on Twitter to rant and rave about it while rooting for the Yankees all the way to the postseason.

Sabathia is ready to roll and so are the Yankees. Go Yankees!

Masahiro Tanaka to Miss Next Start w/ Injury

Girardi said that Tanaka still wanted to pitch Wednesday. Because of that, he believes missing only one turn is possible.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) September 20, 2015

And the absolute worst possible timing for injuries continues to happen to the New York Yankees.

Masahiro Tanaka tried to lay down a bunt in his last start against the New York Mets and felt something pull in his hamstring. Tanaka was sent for an MRI after complaining about it in the Yankees dugout and a Grade I strain was found in the scan. Tanaka was able to pitch five more innings and pitched well before being pinch hit for and asked to pitch Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Joe Girardi, naturally, wants to play it safe and will instead start Ivan Nova on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays instead of Tanaka.

Damn.

While We Wait:By the numbers: A break is (almost) always good for A-Rod

While we wait on tonight's Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN I wanted to take an opportunity to bring you a great article written by Chad Jennings over at Lohud. Jennings looks at Alex Rodriguez in this article to see whether the days off the Yankees have been giving him, like the three games in a National League park against the Mets and the off day on Thursday, affect his production at the plate or not. CLICK HERE to read the entire article at Lohud and see below for a sample blurb while we wait. Enjoy. 

Last week, when he hit his fourth home run in five days, Alex Rodriguez talked about perspective.

As a younger player, he’d never liked days off. He played all 162 games three times in his 20s, but Rodriguez’s late 30s taught him the value of rest and recuperation. Durability is no longer be taken for granted, and strength in September is no longer a given.

Four home runs in five days? Rodriguez pointed to the week before when he’d more or less taken four days off in a National League park.

“I’ve felt much better,” Rodriguez said. “One of the good things about getting old is you have some perspective. I talked about that in Atlanta, and the days off for me have been good.”

In almost every case, taking at least two days off has paid immediate dividends for Rodriguez. An extended break has been helpful for the 40-year-old, and he should get one more break this weekend when the Yankees play at Citi Field. An off day Thursday followed by three games in a National League park should leave Rodriguez with an extended break leading into the final 14 games of the season.

And those final 14 games start with three against Toronto, so this would be a fine time to continue the pattern of being productive right after a few days off.

“I think one thing is, Joe (Girardi) deserves a lot of credit,” Rodriguez said. “He’s been very disciplined. He’s rested me. I took a day off after the three homers in Minnesota, and I think that has been good. Obviously I’ll have a break against the Mets. I’m in a position now where I can find the strength.”

Here’s every example of Rodriguez being kept out of the lineup at least two days in a row this season.

April 30-May 1Off day, at Red Sox
One pinch-hit appearance
Ten games before: .135/.319/.270
Ten games after: .286/.341/.657

This was A-Rod’s first extended break of the season. He was kept out of the lineup April 28, took an 0-for-6 April 29, April 30 was an off day, and he was back on the bench May 1. On that May 1 game, Rodriguez hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning, which would be the start of another hot streak.

May 19-20at Nationals
Two pinch-hit appearances; one inning in the field
Ten games before: .297/.364/.730
Ten games after: .405/.452/.514

This was early in the season, at a time when it seemed the Yankees had to find a way to get Rodriguez into these National League games. He came back from the short break to have a hit in his next 11 games in a row, including five multi-hit games. Didn’t necessarily need the break, but the time off didn’t seem to hurt him.

June 15-16at Marlins
One pinch-hit appearance
Ten games before: .205/.367/.333
Ten games after: .400/.500/.686

Had eight hits in his previous 10 games, and half of those came in one game, so his slump was perhaps a little worse than the slash line suggests. He was cheered at home in Miami, got into only one of those two games, then returned to hit a home run in three of his next seven games.

Yankees MLB Pipeline Honors Jorge Mateo & Luis Severino

The New York Yankees 2015 season initially started out as a sort of reclamation story with the re-emergence's of both Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Michael Pineda was back and better than ever and Masahiro Tanaka looked healthy and sharp.... and then the injuries came. New York basically stood pat at the July 31st trading deadline and instead turned their attention and their playoff hopes to the farm system. After losing Teixeira for the season and Eovaldi for the remainder of the 2015 regular season the team handed things over to Greg Bird, Luis Severino and other Yankees prospects. Some of those prospects were honored recently by MLB.com's Pipeline.

The Chicago Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber and the Tampa Bay Rays rookie Blake Snell were named the top hitting and pitching prospects of the 2015 season respectively and a pair of Yankees prospects were also showcased. Jorge Mateo was named the best Yankees hitting prospect in the system while Luis Severino was named the best pitching prospect, surprise surprise. All 30 teams had their top hitting and pitching prospects named this week by MLB.com's Pipleline and they are all listed below for your convenience.

Team: Pitching Prospect | Hitting Prospect

Blue Jays: LHP Shane Dawson | OF Anthony Alford

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino | SS Jorge Mateo

Orioles: RHP Mychal Givens | 1B Trey Mancini

Rays: LHP Blake Snell | 3B/1B Richie Shaffer

Red Sox: LHP Brian Johnson | 2B Yoan Moncada

Royals: RHP Alec Mills | 1B Balbino Fuenmayor

Tigers: LHP Kevin Ziomek | OF Mike Gerber

Twins: RHP Jose Berrios | 1B/OF Max Kepler

White Sox: LHP Jordan Guerrero | SS Tim Anderson

Indians: RHP Adam Plutko | OF Bobby Bradley

Angels: LHP Sean Newcomb | 3B Kaleb Cowart

Astros: RHP Joe Musgrove | 1B A.J. Reed

Athletics: LHP Dillon Overton | SS Chad Pinder

Mariners: RHP Edwin Diaz | OF Tyler O'Neill

Rangers: RHP Ariel Jurado | OF Lewis Brinson

Braves: LHP Manny Banuelos | SS Ozhaino Albies

Marlins: RHP Kendry Flores | SS J.T. Riddle

Mets: LHP Steven Matz | OF Michael Conforto

Nationals: RHP Lucas Giolito | OF Victor Robles

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola | C Andrew Knapp

Brewers: RHP Jorge Lopez | SS Orlando Arcia 

Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes | OF Stephen Piscotty

Cubs: LHP Ryan Williams | C/OF Kyle Schwarber

Pirates: RHP Tyler Glasnow | 1B Josh Bell

Reds: LHP Amir Garrett | OF Jesse Winker

D-backs: RHP Aaron Blair | OF/C Peter O'Brien

Dodgers: RHP Jose De Leon | SS Corey Seager

Giants: RHP Chase Johnson | SS Christian Arroyo

Padres: RHP Colin Rea | 1B Alex Dickerson

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela | SS/2B Trevor Story

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 9/20

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets will finish off their three game series and the Subway Series for the season tonight inside Citi Field. Both teams need a win but the pressure is especially on the Mets in my opinion with their ace on the mound in Queens tonight. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound tonight to face off against the Mets phenom Matt Harvey. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

• Sabathia heads into this start fresh off his first start off the disabled list and possibly his best start of the season. Sabathia held the Tampa Bay Rays to just three hits in 6.2 scoreless innings of work on September 14. Sabathia has faced the Mets once this season and took the loss on April 25 after giving up seven runs in five innings. 

• Harvey starting with all eyes in the nation on him on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, this is the kind of start that Harvey was seemingly made for. No one knows how long he will be in this game with the innings limit concerns surrounding the right-hander and the Mets right now and that may be the Yankees best chance tonight in Queens. 

The next four days are likely to make or break the Yankees season. Tonight's finale with the Mets is followed by the final three games with the Toronto Blue Jays head-to-head. Three or four losses in these four games could really make things interesting in the Wild Card race in the American League. Three or four wins in that same span can propel the Yankees right back into the conversation for the American League East Division race. Go Yankees!