The New York Yankees had a lot of depth in their pitching department in the last few seasons. But where did it take them? Nowhere. In fact, the NY side failed to make the postseason last year. They ended the season with a terrible 82-80 record. It was one of their worst seasons in the last thirty years. The early 1990s was the time when the Bronx Bombers were at their worst. However, there was no lack of optimism in the organization. Recently, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman recalled the interview he had with the then-pitching coach of the Yankees, Billy Connors.
Back then, Connors gushed over the starting pitchers they had ahead of the 1990 season. The main reason to be proud of the starters was that they won double-digit games over two seasons earlier. However, the team had the worst numbers back then. In 1990, they had the worst winning percentage since the first year as Yankees in 1913. Previously, they were the Highlanders. Anyhow, in 2024, that unique gift of optimism is allowing the Pinstripes to have faith in the current starting pitchers. However, the Injured List can get longer this year than in 2023.
What Are The Yankees Chances For Success With The Current Starting Pitching Depth?
The Post’s Sherman recently said that the current Yankees have what the 1990s team did not have. They have a dominant ace pitcher in Gerrit Cole. Last year, Cole won the AL Cy Young Award. Moreover, the 2024 Yankees have three All-Star pitchers – Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon back in 2022, and joining them is Marcus Stroman. Last year, Stroman had a great first half. This time, it will be Matt Blake’s job to show that same level of optimism as Billy Connors thirty years ago. But Joel Sherman wonders if the chances are ten, twenty, or fifty percent that they will stay healthy all year long.
Moreover, Sherman believes if the NY side gets the healthy upsides of the starting pitching depth, they possibly will have one of the best starting rotations. However, the trio – Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes, had a combined number of 84 starts, posting a combined 2.92 ERA as lately as 2022. Against them, they got a .206 batting average. Moreover, as per FanGraphs, they had 11.9 Wins Above Replacement. Moreover, they spent a lot of days on the Injured List, with a combined 52 days. Among these days, 13 days were for illnesses and not because of any injury on the field.
The NY Side Likes To See The Positives
As of 2022, the combined starts of the starting pitchers was not impressive. Moreover, last season, Cortes, Rodon and Stroman had a combined start for 51 in 53 games. They posted a 4.90 ERA, while against them the batting average was .240 along with a 3.4 WAR. They also spent a combined 275 days on the Injured List. Clearly, this trio’s health history even in 2023 does not raise hopes.
This winter, the Yankees gave away a lot of pitchers to land Juan Soto and other outfielders. But the Yankees manager cited the addition of a lot of pitchers to their roster. For instance, Luke Weaver, Cody Poteet, Clayton Beeter, Will Warren, and Chase Hampton should raise a bit of hope. Moreover, Marcus Stroman looks like a worthy sidekick to Gerrit Cole. But at the end of the day, the Yankees Nation will hope all these pitchers stay away from the IL.
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