New York Yankees Baseball: Week One
Disclaimer: How’s it going guys. I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself before with these Yankees blogs, but I’m Hubbs, better known as Kmarko’s intern/assistant to the editor in chief. I love baseball more than the average person and don’t have a problem sitting down and watching a full nine inning game 162 times a year (women LOVE that let me tell ya). I played the sport my whole life and as a result have a dying passion of being around it all the time. Anyways I’m going to do my best to throw in some Yankee blogs as we move throughout the year. Let’s take a look at the depressing start in New York.
We’re a week through the 2017 baseball season and it appears that the first week has gone basically as bad as humanly possible. I get it, it’s week one let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The baseball season is like nothing in all of sports. You can be so hot to begin the year only for it to blow up in your face by mid July. You can be absolutely dreadful in April and May, but all of a sudden you get healthy at the right time and surge to the playoffs. As a player, you can be the presumed MVP after a month, until pitchers pick up your adjustments and make you look like a minor leaguer in a month’s time. Remember Chris Shelton? A ten homer April in 2006 anointed him as baseball’s biggest story and a fearsome presence in the Tiger’s lineup. He went on to hit eight homers for the rest of his career. Get the point? Don’t overreact to one month in baseball, never mind one week in baseball. But it doesn’t mean we can’t laughably bad and unlucky the New York Yankees opening week was.
Gary Sanchez Went Down
This was by far the single worst thing to happen in this past week and it could linger for quite a while. On a full count swing this weekend against the O’s, Gary injured his right bicep and had to come out of the game. Some feared it was the wrist at the moment of the injury taking place, but it was confirmed to be a bicep strain of some degree. Gary seemed to be defeated after the game, and rightfully so, after getting hurt so early into the year. He said he’s never suffered an injury like this before and only sat on the DL for a short amount of time in his career. He’s yet to meet with team doctors, which will happen on either Monday or Tuesday, and then we will have a better idea of the time frame Sanchez will be out for. As Buster Olney pointed out, it’s concerning that the Yankees placed the star catch on the DL without even seeing a team doctor. The Yankees have a long history of being ultra patient when it comes to recovery timetables so I would expect Gary to be out a minimum of a month’s time, and maybe longer depending on what the doctors say in the coming days. Catching prospect Kyle Higashioka has been called up to backup Austin Romine. Higashioka is a soon to be 27 year old power hitting catcher who fields his position very well. He managed to crack this year’s 40 man roster and could very well catch some people’s attention with his bat. So for now, we pray Gary’s injury is nothing more than a bicep strain which will sideline him 3-4 weeks. If we can get away with that as the result, a collective sigh of relief can be taken.
Gary started off the season struggling at the plate (.150 in 20 at bats) but he did show signs of life on Friday with this absolute BOMB off Ubaldo Jimenez. It’s sad to say, but this was one of the better highlights through New York’s six games. Spin zone, everyone will forget how rough a start Sanchez had when he comes back and he’ll just take over baseball once again.
Tanaka Has Struggled
Case and point why you can’t trust anything in Spring Training. After a dominant March, Tanaka has struggled through his opening two road starts. After just 7.2 IP the ace of the staff has surrendered 10 runs and an uncharacteristic six walks. Off with his head! His location has not been sharp, as he has left many pitches up in the zone. The good news is that velocity has not been a problem after Tanaka reached 97 mph in the fifth inning Saturday. Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar and Tanaka can find himself at home on Thursday against the Rays.
CC Looks Sharp
The New York Yankees have two wins, and CC Sabathia has started both of those games. Huh? Who’s messing with us? But seriously, hats off to CC for hearing the criticism entering 2017 and pitching exceptionally well to start. His location has been on point, and it will have to be moving forward now that his power has withered away over time. Yes, he has six walks in 11 innings so you might say the location isn’t there, but I beg to differ. With the arsenal CC has left in him he cannot afford to make big mistakes over the plate. You haven’t seen that so far this year and hopefully this becomes a regularity.
The Bullpen Has And Will Continue To Be The Strength Of This Team
We knew this coming in, and it has yet to disappoint. In 19.2 IP so far, the pen has surrendered just three earned runs. Adam Warren has been masterful throwing six perfect innings with seven punch outs. Jonathan Holder is a star reliever in the making. You can just see it when he pitches that his stuff is overpowering, with the makeup of a late inning mainstay on this team. The issue this week was that two of those three earned runs ended up being the deciding factors in Friday and Saturday night’s games. Tyler Clippard surrendered the lead Friday night, leaving a fastball up to Seth Smith who made him pay with this blast.
Betances gave up the lead Saturday after inheriting Tommy Layne’s runner on second base leading to loss number four. A 2-4 record could very easily be 4-2 and that’s why I’m not panicking…also because it’s April 10th.
Everyone’s Hitting….Except For Greg Bird
Jacoby’s insertion to the fifth spot in the lineup has been a success so far with him leading the team in average at .368. My God, even Chase Headley is hitting .333. Gardner is also stealing again which is fun, after swiping three bags this past week. I would encourage our lightening quick lead off guy to try and steal more bags this year after stealing only 16 last year. That would be kinda cool. Aaron Judge came up with the biggest hit all week when he tied the game yesterday in the 8th with this shot.
Everyone seems to be off to a good start besides the aforementioned El Gary and Greg Bird. Not ideal considering these are the two hitters presumed to lead us into the future and throw their hat in the ring for AL MVP this year(stretch and a half). Once again, it’s a fucking week. Is it alarming Greg Bird is 1 for 16 to start the year? Another reason Spring Training stats mean nothing after he hit homer after homer in Tampa. He’s pressing a bit right now, but all he needs is a bomb to get his confidence going. Greg I know you’re reading this so don’t worry I still have your back.
MVP: Ronny Baseball
Want a bananas stat? Ronny Torreyes leads the team in RBIs with seven. In 72 games last year he had a grand total of TWELVE. Steroids..probably. I mean at this point Didi should be selling his apartment in NYC and looking elsewhere. He’s getting Wally Pipped the fuck out of the Bronx. This homer Ronny hit in Tampa went approximately 500 feet
But in all seriousness he’s been awesome. Yesterday he kept the momentum going with a huge two run triple to get the Yanks on the board while also making this Jeter-esque snag in short left-center field. Ronny fucking baseball folks.
Least Valuable Player: Chris Carter
My God he is a terrible baseball player. I don’t have much to say, he’s just awful. He steps to the plate and I wish anyone else was up. Silly me for thinking his fly out to center against Britton on Friday was gone. Worthless.
Chase Headley Error Of The Week:
Looking Ahead: Home Cookin!
New York begins a nine game stretch Monday afternoon when Tampa comes to town followed by a weekend stint with St. Louis. The most intriguing part of this week is the Yankees’ need for a fifth starter. That will come on Sunday night baseball against the Cards. That start will go to either Jordan Montgomery(my boy) or Chad Green. Both men threw effectively on April 6th for High A Tampa, but it appears Jordan is in the driver’s seat.
Jordan Montgomery 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Chad Green 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
How cool would it be for Montgomery to make his major league debut on Sunday Night Baseball? Easter Sunday, my mom’s birthday, and Gumby’s debut. Let’s have a day folks.
Tommy John Scare Of The Week: James Kaprielian’s Elbow
I blogged this last week and we’re still awaiting more information about Kaprielian’s right elbow. He will visit an orthopedist in LA on Tuesday and we should know what James is dealing with soon after. I’m expecting the worst case situation of TJ surgery being required.
Hope you guys enjoyed this….well not the last part, but I plan on churning these out every Monday. Any and all feedback is welcome @ehubbs13