USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Another week down and another week down and another week bites the dust. Queen reference, sorry, but really another week of baseball has just bit the dust and the Yankees had a good week overall. After sweeping the New York Mets in a four game series the Yankees ended the weekend losing two-of-three to the Boston Red Sox to finish the week on a 5-2 climb. How many spots would the team climb in the USA Today’s set of weekly MLB Power Rankings though? Keep reading.

Okay, I could have some fun with this but I won’t and I won’t keep waiting for long. The Yankees climbed an impressive three slots this week back up to the #6 position overall.

The Top 5 teams according to the rankings are the Los Angeles Dodgers (duh), the Washington Nationals, the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians. The Arizona Diamondbacks were in the Top 5 until the team slid four spots to the #9 spot overall while the St. Louis Cardinals fell four spots to the #13 position and out of the Top 10. Ouch.

Don’t look now but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are 12^th overall on the rankings and climbing while the Seattle Mariners are 15^th after all their July 31^st trade deadline acquisitions. Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Rays are 5-13 since the All-Star Break after some writers and journalist had them winning the AL East Division, because journalism.

Oh and the San Francisco Giants are the only and the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention…. With two weeks left in August. Let that sink in.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 8/22

The New York Yankees needed a day off yesterday to lick their wounds after being pounded by the Red Sox in two of their three games over the weekend and the team got just that before heading to Detroit to take on the Detroit Tigers in a three-game series. In the opener tonight the Yankees will activate Masahiro Tanaka off the disabled list to take the ball against Matthew Boyd for the Tigers. The Tigers are a rebuilding team and the Yankees need to beat the teams they are supposed to beat on paper if they want to make the postseason in 2017… so do it. Sounds easy enough, right?

Tanaka comes off the disabled list tonight after taking a rest due to some shoulder inflammation. In Tanaka’s last start the right-hander lasted just four innings against the Toronto Blue Jays before being removed from the contest. Tanaka allowed three runs in the start, two of them earned, before being replaced by the strong Yankees bullpen.

Boyd struggled against the Minnesota Twins in his last start in which he lasted just 5.2 innings on Sunday. Boyd allowed two early home runs in the contest which doomed him from the start and will be facing another strong home run hitting team tonight in the Yankees.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Comerica Park, home of the Tigers, and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Need a win, get a win. Go Yankees!!

The Next Baby Bomber to Watch: Nestor Cortes

Attention all Yankees Prospect Humpers, trademark pending on that term, it is time to pay attention to the next wave of Baby Bombers coming through the Yankees system. We have all seen an enjoyed the emergence of Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and others but more reinforcements are on the way including Chance Adams who we have spoken about a lot and another arm we could see as early as the 2017 season, Nestor Cortes.

Cortes reminds me a lot of Luis Severino if I am being honest and not only because of his small pitchers frame. Cortes stands at just 5’11” and weighs in at 205 pounds. That’s where the similarities may end for some but not for me. Cortes does not throw in the mid-to-high 90’s, instead Cortes tops out at around 90 MPH. Cortes does not throw over the top like Severino, instead Cortes has a nice sidearm delivery. Cortes may not be a starting pitcher at the next level but the Yankees may have a hell of a bullpen arm coming their way really, really soon.

Cortes is now 22-years old and was drafted by the Yankees in the 36^th round of the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft, that same draft the team took Aaron Judge in among others. Cortes doesn’t overpower players but he simply wants to make outs and uses every trick in the bag to get every single out that he can which is evident by his 11-4 record and 1.53 ERA and 0.80 WHIP last season across four Yankees affiliates including the Charleston Riverdogs, the Tampa Yankees, the Trenton Thunder and the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders for one spot start. Cortes strikes out more batters than he probably should with the velocity that he has and has a 5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio which would fit into any team and any stadium, especially Yankee Stadium.

Cortes has been moved primarily to the bullpen this season in Triple-A, although he started in Tampa and made a return trip to Trenton earlier this season, making 17 of his 27 appearances out of the bullpen. At the time of this writing Cortes is posting a 6-3 record and a 2.16 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP which is encouraging for a player the team will need to add to the 40 man roster or leave available for any team to take this winter in the Rule 5 Draft. I can’t see a scenario where the Yankees leave Cortes unprotected though as any team would love a guy who pounds the strike zone, trusts his fielders as he pitches to contact and just simply knows how to get advanced hitters out. Every team wants the next Ramiro Mendoza or Aaron Small on their team so thank goodness he looks like he is going to be a New York Yankee for a long, long time.  

So it Seems… Chapter Two

Chapter Two: The New Beginning

Good morning everyone and welcome back from the long weekend. We had a total solar eclipse in some areas of the world including my North Georgia area where I currently reside, more on that later, which would explain some of my quietness over the weekend. I had my big move over the weekend and everything went exceptionally well. I planned on having more done this weekend and more unpacked than I currently have but I was a bit distracted, you could say that anyway. The very best distractions though so there’s always that.

Anyway I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed seeing the eclipse in whatever capacity that they could and I hope that you can all read this right now. If you can’t then you probably stared at the eclipse with the wrong glasses on, or no glasses at all. Shame on you.

Oh and on that note the schools down here were going to give out glasses to all the students until they found out that those glasses had been recalled just a few days before the eclipse. That could have been really, really bad huh?

Enjoy your day and I love you all. Especially you. HEY YOU. I love you. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/22: Yankees Present Jorge Posada Day 2015

Before we get into this day in New York Yankees history I wanted to remind everyone that on this day in 2015 the team retired the #20 of Jorge Posada. The Yankees conducted a pregame ceremony to retire Posada before the game with the Cleveland Indians. #HipHipJorge


On this day in 2008 Jeter notched one more mark in the Yankees history books as he joined Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth as only the third Yankee to ever collect their 2,500th hit. The historic hit of the bloop variety came off the Orioles pitcher Radhames Liz in a 9-4 Yankees victory. #DJ2.5K


Also on this day in 1961 Roger Maris became the first player in Major League history to hit his 50th home run of the season in the month of August. The 26 year old outfielder would hit the home run off the Angels Ken McBride in a Yankees 4-3 loss.


Finally on this day in 1939 the New York Yankees would win their first night game in their franchises history as they beat the Chicago White Sox in front of more than 50,000 fans at Comiskey Park. The Yankees had nine extra base hits and 14 hits overall in the victory.

Digging Through the TGP Archive: Jordan Montgomery

This post was written almost a year ago to the day about the sudden emergence of Jordan Montgomery. It feels good to get one right every once in a while so I just wanted to share. Enjoy this look back into the Greedy Pinstripes archive.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Don’t Look Now but Jordan Montgomery is Coming

I have said it many times in my blog posts here at The Greedy Pinstripes and I am about to eat some crow for it too. I have been hard on the Yankees and their farm system for their seemingly lack of good quality starting pitching but while doing research for another blog post, a post that I ultimately scrapped and decided to write this instead, I found a few diamonds in the rough that many blogs and websites are not talking about. Chance Adams is one, Bryan Mitchell who is progressing through a rehab assignment is another and the final piece is the man we will showcase and talk about today, Jordan Montgomery.


Montgomery was a 2014 Draft pick by the Yankees in the fourth round and at the time it was widely thought that Montgomery was drafted to a bullpen piece for the Yankees going forward despite impressive numbers as a starter at the University of South Carolina. Montgomery, another one of those big-framed and hard-throwing pitchers the Yankees love, now stands just one step away from the Bronx after a mid-season promotion to Scranton/Wilkes Barre, a promotion and a run through the Yankees farm system that no one is seemingly talking about right now.


Montgomery credits a spike in velocity for his recent success. When Montgomery was drafted he was throwing in the 88-92 MPH range with movement and sink, with plus command as well, but these days Montgomery is seen throwing in more of the 91-94 MPH range with the same dip, sink and command. Montgomery has also improved on his changeup, his curveball and his cut fastball while improving his strikeouts per nine innings to almost 12 batters per nine in 2015.



James Kaprielian is probably the Yankees top pitching prospect, Domingo Acevedo is probably the Yankees pitching prospect with the highest ceiling and Justus Sheffield may be the Yankees pitching prospect that is showing the most promise right now but if you need a starting pitching prospect that can come up and not only come up now but come up and compete while keeping his team in games and giving his team the best shot to win, well you better watch out for Jordan Montgomery because he may be the man for the job.

Missing the Pitches...

Credit:  Corey Sipkin-NY Post

Red Sox 5, Yankees 1...

Sunday's loss was a microcosm of the season.  In the end, it was about missing the pitches as the Yankees dropped the finale and the series with the Boston Red Sox.

It's been a difficult season for last year's AL Cy Young Award winner, Rick Porcello, but on Sunday, he gave a glimpse why he won the award last year.  He held the Yankees to three hits over six innings, and three Red Sox relievers including closer Craig Kimbrel no-hit them the rest of the way.  

Credit:  Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Boston scored first with two runs in the bottom of the 2nd.  Inevitably, it would be the only runs they would need.  Jackie Bradley, Jr's two-out triple to the center field wall off Yankees starter Sonny Gray scored Xander Bogaerts and Sandy Leon.  The Red Sox had taken a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Yankees had runners in scoring position from the second through fourth innings but could not capitalize.  Finally, in the top of the 5th inning, Brett Gardner lined a shot just inside of the Pesky Pole in right to pull the Yankees within one run, 2-1.  But it was the last hit the Yankees would get off Porcello and the Red Sox bullpen.  

Credit:  Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

In the bottom of the 6th, the Red Sox added a run against Yankees reliever Adam Warren. Mitch Moreland reached on a single to left, and moved to second on a wild pitch by Warren that went through Gary Sanchez's legs.  A ground out by Sandy Leon moved Moreland to third.  Jackie Bradley, Jr didn't waste the opportunity like so many Yankee hitters had done.  His single to right that dropped in front of Aaron Judge scored Moreland and Boston increased their lead to 3-1. Aroldis Chapman was brought in to replace Warren (the earliest he has appeared in a game as Yankee) and he struck out Brock Holt to end the inning.

Credit:  Adam Glanzman-Getty Images

The Red Sox added two more runs in the bottom of the 8th.  Tommy Kahnle started the inning in relief of Chapman.  He couldn't find the strike zone at all with the first batter, Xander Bogaerts, issuing a free pass on four pitches.  Mitch Moreland doubled to left off the Green Monster and the Sox had runners at second and third.  Sandy Leon lined a double to the right field corner, both Bogaerts and Moreland scored.  5-1, Red Sox.  Kahnle was pulled and replaced by Caleb Smith.  A walk and a single loaded the bases with no outs, but Smith was able to retire the next three Red Sox batters to leave the runners stranded.

It didn't really matter.  The Yankees weren't going to win this game.  Craig Kimbrel came on in the 9th and set the Yankees down in order, the last two by strikeouts.  

If the Yankees were looking to make a statement in this series, they failed to do it.  Boston exhibited superior bullpen strength and their hitters, excluding Saturday, didn't miss their pitches.  The Yankees (66-57) slipped back to five games behind the Red Sox with the loss.  The Tampa Bay Rays' 3-0 win, coupled with a loss by the Baltimore Orioles, moved them back into third place in the AL East.  They are 6 1/2 games behind the Yankees.  The O's lost, 5-4, to the Los Angeles Angels.  The Angels picked up a game on the Yankees in the Wild Card standings and trail the Yanks by 2 1/2 games for the top position.  The Minnesota Twins, who pummeled the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-5, are also just 2 1/2 games behind.

Sonny Gray (7-8) took the loss.  He pitched five innings on a high pitch count (106), allowing seven hits and two runs.  He walked two and did not strike anybody out.  Run support has not been his friend with the Yankees.  

Credit:  Steven Senne-Associated Press

If Aroldis Chapman can piece together more outings like his, his name might be back in play for the closer's role.  Adam Warren and Tommy Kahnle have some things to work on.  

Brett Gardner, with two hits (a single and a homer), and Chase Headley, with one (a double), were the only Yankees with a hit.  Everyone else took an 0-fer.  

A win today would have been huge.  But it was not to be.  The Yankees need to re-group during today's off-day and come out ready to play on Tuesday.  There will be one more shot at the Red Sox.  They'll come to the Bronx for four games over Labor Day Weekend.  The AL East is not dead...just wounded.  There's time to heal and show the Red Sox that the Pinstripes are back.  

Next Up:  The Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, Detroit, MI...

The Yankees get a much-needed day off today, hanging around the Motor City, before starting a three-game series with the Tigers on Tuesday.

TUESDAY

Yankees:  Masahiro Tanaka (8-10, 4.92 ERA)

Tigers:  Matthew Boyd (5-6, 5.70 ERA)

WEDNESDAY

Yankees:  Jaime Garcia (1-1, 5.64 ERA)

Tigers:  Buck Farmer (2-1, 6.62 ERA)

THURSDAY

Yankees:  Luis Severino (10-5, 3.18 ERA)

Tigers:  Jordan Zimmermann (7-10, 5.87 ERA)

The Yankees need to win these games.  Anything less than two out of three will be a major disappointment.  The Tigers stopped a six-game winning streak by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday with a convincing 6-1 victory behind Justin Verlander (making perhaps his final start in a Tigers uniform although I think he stays). A team with nothing to play for has nothing to lose.  The Yankees had better be prepared. After the series, the Yankees return home for Player's Weekend to take on the Wild Card contending Seattle Mariners and the player named "Don't You Know".  

Odds & Ends...

Greg Bird had the day off on Sunday for his rehab assignment with Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but Jake Cave and Miguel Andujar did not as they powered the RailRiders to a 3-0 win over the Durham Bulls.  Cave was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored, while Andujar was 3-for-4, with a double and a home run, for 2 RBI's.  I am looking forward to seeing these guys in a few weeks when MLB rosters expand.  It was a nice pitching performance by Domingo German (5-2), who shut out the Bulls for seven innings on four hits.  He walked two and struck out nine.  Giovanny Gallegos, with two innings of scoreless relief, got the save.

In anticipation of Masahiro Tanaka's impending activation from the DL, the Yankees have optioned RHP Bryan Mitchell to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Have a great Monday!  A day off...a day closer to the return of good health for Starlin Castro, Greg Bird and others.  Go Yankees!

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/21: Another Boston Massacre

On this day in 2006 the Yankees held the second Boston Massacre when sweeping a five game series in Fenway Park burying the Red Sox that season. After the five game sweep, the first since 1943, the Sox found themselves 6.5 games behind in the AL East and four games behind in the wild card race.


Also On this day in 1931 Babe Ruth becomes the first player in Major League history to hit 600 career home runs.

Austin Decides to Buy on Sale...

Credit:  Getty Images

Yankees 4, Red Sox 3...

Tyler Austin apparently did not get the memo that the Yankees are not supposed to score multiple runs off Boston ace Chris Sale.  His three-run dinger gave the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish.  CC Sabathia, fresh off the DL, pitched like an ace and the bullpen duo of David Robertson and Dellin Betances came through in the clutch to help the Yankees hold off the Red Sox for the much-needed win.

Credit:  Adam Glanzman-Getty Images

There's no disputing Chris Sale is a great pitcher.  But for whatever reason, the Yankees have fared well against him this season.  In 4 starts, including Saturday, Sale is 0-2.  He has only lost a total of five games this season.  But in the three preceding games against the Yankees, he had only given up only one homer and three earned runs.  With one swing, Tyler Austin matched that production.

Didi Gregorius got on base first in the top of the 2nd inning with a one-out ground rule double that bounced into the right field stands.  It probably would have been a homer at Yankee Stadium with its short right field porch.  Todd Frazier reached first base when he was hit in the left shin with a 82 mph slider by Sale (Ouch!).  Joe Girardi and Trainer Steve Donohue walked with Frazier down the first base line, but he stayed in the game. Tyler Austin was the beneficiary of a mistake fastball by Sale and he crushed it out of Fenway Park in left.  The Yankees led, 3-0.

Credit:  Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox finally got to Yankees starter CC Sabathia in the 5th inning. With one out, Xander Bogaerts worked a walk on six pitches.  Rafael Devers, rapidly becoming a Yankee killer at only 20 years of age, rapped a single to right.  Bogaerts raced around to third, sliding in ahead of Aaron Judge's strong throw. Sandy Leon grounded out to Ronald Torreyes at second, but Bogaerts scored on the play.  Devers moved to second. Jackie Bradley, Jr singled to left which brought Devers home ahead of the slightly high and away throw, and it was a one-run game, 3-2. Sabathia held it there as he was able to get Eduardo Nunez to hit into an inning-ending ground out.

Todd Frazier provided what would prove to be the game-winning run when he blasted a solo shot to left center, just over the Green Monster, in the 6th with two outs and down to two strikes. It was Frazier's 21st home run of the season.  He showed no ill effects of the earlier ball to the shin but you have to believe that he'll be feeling it today.  

Sabathia allowed a lead off double to deep center by Mookie Betts in the bottom of the 6th, but he retired the next three Red Sox hitters to leave Betts stranded at second.  That would be all for Sabathia who finished six innings strong, holding the Sox to four hits and two runs. He walked a batter and punched out four. I was expecting the worst from Sabathia and his balky knee but he proved me wrong.  I am glad he did.

Adam Warren was brought into the game in the bottom of the 7th inning.  After Xander Bogaerts struck out, Rafael Devers took Warren deep to center for a home run. The ball hit the left side of the yellow line but caromed into the triangle.  The Yankees challenged the play but it was upheld.  It was a one-run game again, 4-3 Yankees. Warren struck out Sandy Leon.  The ball got away from Gary Sanchez but he easily threw Leon out at first to complete the strikeout.  The Yankees then made a pitching change. David Robertson came in and got Jackie Bradley, Jr to ground out on one pitch. Man, every friggin' day I am grateful for D-Rob.

The Red Sox had runners in scoring position in the 8th inning against D-Rob. Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging but made it to first base on a wild pitch when Gary Sanchez was unable to stop the ball.  It took a wicked bounce so I couldn't really fault Sanchez on the play. Hanley Ramirez lined a double to  deep left, but Benintendi, the potential game-tying run, pulled up at third.  D-Rob intentionally walked Mitch Moreland, loading the bases, to pitch to Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts went down swinging on three pitches and the inning was over.  Thanks, D-Rob.

Credit:  Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees had a chance to add to their lead in the top of the 9th.  Tyler Austin doubled  between the gap to the center field wall off Red Sox reliever Heath Hembree.  He was replaced by the $153 million pinch-runner Jacoby Ellsbury. After a pickoff attempt nearly got Ellsbury, a sacrifice bunt by Ronald Torreyes moved Ells to third. Brett Gardner hit a fielder's choice to third with Ellsbury breaking for home.  Third baseman Rafael Devers' throw to catcher Sandy Leon easily nailed Ellsbury short of home plate. The Yankees had runners at first and second, following a wild pitch and subsequent walk of Aaron Hicks, for Aaron Judge but he struck out on a foul tip to the mitt to end the threat.

With Aroldis Chapman temporarily removed from the closer's role by Manager Joe Girardi, Dellin Betances came on in the bottom of the 9th.  Betances struck out the first batter, Rafael Devers, but Sandy Leon reached base on a swinging strikeout when the third strike got away from Gary Sanchez.  Betances was charged with the wild pitch.  But in baseball, there is always a chance for atonement. Brock Holt, who had entered the game as a pinch-runner for Leon, made a break for second with Jackie Bradley, Jr. at bat. The throw by Gary Sanchez to Didi Gregorius was perfect to nail the sliding Holt for the second out.  JBJ  flied out to left and it was game over.  The Yankees win!

Credit:  Adam Glanzman-Getty Images

The Yankees (66-56) regained the game on the Red Sox they had lost on Friday night, and trail the Sox by four games in the AL East Standings again. The Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-1, so the Angels remain 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card standings (the Angels and Minnesota Twins are tied for the second WC spot).  The O's, the third place team in the AL East, slid 6 1/2 games behind the Yankees.  Both the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays lost on Saturday.

It was a great game by CC Sabathia (10-5).  The Yankees had their chances to put more runs on the board (leaving a total of eight men on base) but the bullpen held to give Sabathia the win over Chris Sale.  I am really glad that we didn't see Aroldis Chapman.  While my preference is Betances then Robertson, the reversed order worked and Betances had his 9th save.

Credit:  Corey Sipkin-NY Post

Girardi continues to bat Aaron Judge third in the lineup, but at this point, Judge seems to be living off his first half reputation. The Yankees would probably be better served moving Didi Gregorius up to third and dropping Judge down in the order.  Judge was hitless in four at-bats, and struck out 3 times to extend his MLB record with strikeouts to 3 consecutive games.  Judge had been tied with Montreal Expos pitcher Bill Stoneman who struck out in 35 consecutive games in 1971.  At 36 games regardless of season, Judge has tied the MLB record so if he strikes out again today, he'll be the all-time consecutive game strikeout leader.  I know, Judge could care less about the strike outs as long as he gets his hits and walks, but I personally would like to see the end of the streak and maybe a clutch hit or two with men in scoring position.

Credit:  Adam Glanzman-Getty Images

Odds & Ends...

Perhaps Tyler Austin heard footsteps.  On Friday night, first baseman Greg Bird homered twice in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 10-6 loss to the Durham Bulls.  Yesterday, Bird was 2-for-4, with double and a run scored, in the RailRiders' 8-4 loss to the Bulls.  I really hope that Bird continues hitting when he returns to the Yankees. This would be a great boost for the team as they attempt to stave off Wild Card challengers while holding aspirations for the division crown.  

Credit:  Fred Adams-For Times Leader

Prior to yesterday's game, LHP Jordan Montgomery was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for CC Sabathia.  With Masahiro Tanaka scheduled to return this week in the Detroit Tigers series, Monty returns to Triple A for "softer" innings while the Yankees monitor his pitch count.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand is reporting that Yankees VP of Player Development Gary Denbo is a strong early candidate to become GM for the Miami Marlins once Derek Jeter takes control of the team's operations.  I am hopeful the Marlins retain manager Don Mattingly, one of my favorite managers.  Well, unless the Yankees decide to part ways with Joe Girardi...

Have a great Sunday!  The Yankees, with 'OMG, it's Sonny Gray!', can take the series today with a win.  Let's Go Yankees!

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/20: Whitey Ford Day

The Yankees are honoring many of their greats of the past this season including Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte this weekend in a trend that has become quite the tradition for the New York Yankees. On this day in 2000 it was Whitey Ford Day at Yankee Stadium. At the time of the ceremony Ford led the Yankees all time in wins with 236, innings pitched with 3,170.1 innings, strikeouts with 1,956 K's, and shutouts with 45.

Also on this day in 1938 Lou Gehrig would hit the 23rd and final grand slam of his career in an 11-3 rout of the Philadelphia A's. Gehrig would connect in the first inning with the bases loaded against the A's Buck Ross to extend his major league record for career grand slams.