Defending Cervelli's Defense

There seems to be a wide range of opinions regarding back-up catcher Francisco Cervelli. Many individuals, such as Mike Axisa, have been criticizing Cervelli's play, even the backstop's defense. Axisa attempted to quantify how well Cervelli prevented opposing baserunners from advancing via steals, wild pitches, and passed balls. Axisa found that Cervelli did not compare very favorably to other Major-Leaguers (I'm not entirely certain of the validity of Axisa's analysis, but it seems to be fairly legitimate). This indication of poor defense, coupled with Cervelli's fairly subpar work with the wood (.338 OBP, .328 SLG, .304 wOBA), seems to paint a picture that Cervelli is not suited to being a starting catcher, let alone Jorge Posada's oft-used understudy. On the flip side of the coin, people continue to be fans of Cervelli, including the Yankees' Front Office. Inside this piece written today, 660 WFAN's Sweeny Murti indicated that "several in the Yankee organization now believe [Cervelli] can be....an everday guy." In addition, Cervelli had built a reputation for defensive prowess throughout his minor-league career, being anointed the best defensive catcher in the Yankees' farm system for three consecutive years before his promotion to the big leagues.

I get the feeling that that Cervelli's true talent lies somewhere between "detriment to the team" and "everyday catcher." Firstly, his defense may not be as bad as it appears to be at this point in time. For one thing, quantifying catcher defense is notoriously difficult to do; Fangraphs' UZR does not even count UZR for catchers. While the Total Zone metric (which can be found on Baseball Reference) is rating Cervelli very poorly this year (-4 Fielding Runs Above Average, -9 FRAA/1,200 inn), it was singing his praises last year (in 241 and 1/3 inn., an admittedly smaller sample than you would like to have, Cervelli compiled 5 FRAA). Baseball Info Solutions' Defensive Runs Saved Above Average has Cervelli at 1 DRSAA in 2010 (and 3 DRSAA last year). Not exactly awe-inspiring, but is it not a condemnation of Cervelli's defense. In addition, I asked Baseball America's Jim Callis in his chat on July 28 (yesterday) about what he thought of Cervelli's defense, speculating that his defense was heralded in the Yankees' minor league system because the Yanks did not have depth at the catcher position. He had this to say:

Cervelli's defense is his strong suit. All the WP and SB this year are surprising. Most of the Yankees' many catching prospects are bat-first guys, but Cervelli's reputation for having good catch-and-throw skills was well-deserved.

Could Cervelli's defensive ability have suddenly eroded in the majors? I find that difficult to believe. While yes, some of these defensive statistics are rather discouraging (including his awful 17% caught-stealing %), there seems to be a little bit of disagreement between the numbers. Back-up catchers should be able to field, and in the past, Cervelli has shown the ability to be a capable defensive catcher. I don't see any good reason why he cannot continue to be a good defensive catcher and a serviceable back-up in the future.

Yankee Bullpen Troubles Exaggerated

Note: I apologize for the lack of posts from my end, but I have been in Greece for about the last month. I'll try to get some more content up when I get stateside later this week.

In the lead-up to the trade deadline, many Yankee fans have been agitating for Brian Cashman and the Front Office to shore up the much-maligned bullpen. Undoubtedly, this has been brought on by the perceived ineffectiveness of Joba Chamberlain (5.66 ERA), Chan Ho Park (5.74), and Chad Gaudin (6.54), amongst others. I believe that much of the criticism of the bullpen has been unwarranted and that the Yankees do not necessarily require a bullpen upgrade.

The focii of the bullpen angst have been Chamberlain and Park, whom, as mentioned before, have posted some ugly ERAs. Looking at the underlying statistics, however, we can observe that Park and Chamberlain actually have not been pitching all that poorly. Chamberlain has been plagued by a ridiculously high BABiP of .405 (most pitchers usually post BABiPs around .300, and while Chamberlain has posted very high BABiPs in his career, there's no way that he can sustain a BABiP over .400 . Meanwhile, Park has been victimized by an inordinate amount of long balls. His home-run/flyball rate is an uncharacteristic 16.3% (for his career, it has been 12.1%). Both gentlemen have been victimized by bad luck; Joba has posted an xFIP of 3.33, and Park has posted a respectable 4.09 xFIP.

With this said, the Yankee bullpen has not been terrible. Yankee relievers rank 8th in the American League in ERA (4.14); not exactly awe-inspiring, but nor is it cripplingly bad. Advanced metrics smile upon the Yankee bullpen more favorably. The Yanks' bullpen ranks 7th in the AL in FIP (4.04), and 4th in xFIP (4.19). In addition, the Yanks rank 3rd in the AL in relievers' BB/9 (3.43). Admittedly, the Yanks are only 7th in the AL in bullpen K/9 at 7.68, but I think it's safe to say that the Yankees' bullpen is well within the the upper half of the American League. The stud-like K-rate of David Robertson (10.32 K/9; that 4.78 BB/9 needs to go down, though) and the consistent excellence of the Hammer of God himself, Mariano Rivera (3.08 xFIP) should also be mentioned.

While many people view the Yankees' bullpen as a weakness that requires augmentation via acquisitions, I have to disagree. With dead weight like Chad Gaudin and Dustin Moseley in the 'pen, some improvement could be made. However, I think the Yankees would be better served filling the holes with in-house options rather than wading into the trade market for an overvalued reliever. I have in the past advocated recalling Mark Melancon, and there are other minor-league arms on the 40-man roster who could possibly give a boost, including RHP Ivan Nova (3.77 FIP in AAA). In addition, Phil Hughes will eventually be slotted into the bullpen when he inevitably reaches his innings limit as a starter. These may not be the most palatable options for the Yankees, but the bullpen really is not that bad. They should be using their trading chips to get Dan Haren or another bat, not a reliever that probably wouldn't even contribute 1.0 Wins Above Replacement in the remaining months of the season.

What's Been Going On in the Bigs...

With today's win over the Royals the Yankees are now 61-34. This now gives the Yankees a 4 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Eastern Division and are 7 games ahead of the Wild Card leading Red Sox.

How have the Yankees ben at where they at at the moment? Well starting pitching has been great for the most part. CC Sabathia (13-3, 3.18) has really come on strong after a iffy start to the year, Phil Hughes has been okay (11-3, 3.99), and the injured Andy Pettitte - who will be out for a little over a month, has been amazing (11-2, 2.88). Even Javy Vazquez (8-7, 4.68) has been excellent since his dreadful April. A.J. Burnett (8-8, 4.77) has been up-and-down.

The offense has been just fine. Behind the plate Jorge Posada (.273/.381/.495) has been great offensively while Francisco Cervelli (.269/.344/.339) has been a fine back-up, although he is getting exposed in semi-regular playing time. Mark Teixeira has picked it up a little bit after the ugly start (.260/.372/.473). Robinson Cano has slowed down a little, but is still putting up MVP-type numbers (.334/.391/.565). Derek Jeter has been really, really brutal lately (.271/.334/.387). Alex Rodriguez lately has looked much better and is contuining to be awesome (.278/.350/.500). Brett Gardner is continuing his breakout season (.298/.394/.400, 26 SB) and Nick Swisher could also get himself into MVP talks with his career-year (.303/.377/.536). Curtis Granderson has been a disappointment thus far (.239/.304/.390) and has looked plain ugly at times.

The bench at the moment is being filled out by Francisco Cervelli, Juan Miranda, Ramiro Pena, Marcus Thames, and Colin Curtis.

Mariano Rivera has continued his dominance but the guys behind him have been shaky. Joba Chamberlain has been terrible all year and cannot be trusted in a key situation. After a tough start, David Robertson seems to be back to normal. The Yankees still never know what they will get out of Chan Ho Park and Boone Logan. Dustin Moseley and Chad Gaudin are mop-up guys and make the other redundant. Jonathan Albaladejo was just called up and could be an interesting piece. Sergio Mitre is taking Pettitte's spot in the rotation. Alfredo Aceves is likely done for the year with his back injury and Damaso Marte is on the DL as well.

Other guys that have made cameos for the Yankees this year are current St. Louis Cardinal Randy Winn, Nick Johnson - who is still on the DL and likely to be out for a while, Kevin Russo, Chad Huffman, Chad Moeller, Greg Golson, Ivan Nova, and Romulo Sanchez.

After an almost completed deal for Cliff Lee was backed out of by the Mariners, the Yankees have been talking with the Arizona Diamondbacks regarding SP Dan Haren, which would be a great addition. Rumors have been circulating that Ivan Nova would be the centerpiece, with the Yankees maybe also having to take a guy like Aaron Heilman, Chad Qualls, or Chris Snyder.

The Cost of Revenge

C.C. Sabathia has picked up the habit of sticking up for his fellow Yankees. During Friday night's affair against the Dodgers, C.C. Sabathia plunked Vicente Padilla after Padilla had hit Robinson Cano with a pitch. To me, this was ill-advised on multiple fronts. Firstly, retaliatory HBPs offend my sensibilities because I find the practice of trading beanballs to be dangerous, primitive, and infantile. In addition, I feel it is impractical to essentially gift the opposing offense with a base-runner, especially in close games. Giving the opponent the opportunity to score a run is irresponsible. This post will focus on the latter point.

Sabathia hit Padilla in the bottom of the 5th inning. While this wasn't exactly a high-leverage situation, the game was very close at the time (the score was knotted at 1). With one out, Sabathia had given away a near-sure out and put a man on base for the top of the Dodgers' order. Fortunately for the Yankees, Sabathia induced a ground-ball from the next hitter, Rafael Furcal, and a 6-4-3 double-play resulted. In a similar scenario earlier in the year, however, the Yankees did not fair as well.

On May 8th, with Sabathia again on the hill for the Yanks against the Red Sox, Sabathia drilled Dustin Pedroia with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. With the Yankees ahead by only one run, Sabathia had, like on Friday, needlessly put a runner on the basepaths with an above-average hitter coming to the plate. Unlike Friday, however, the Yanks got burnt in the next at bat. Victor Martinez stepped up to the plate and proceeded to stroke a 2-run homer over the Green Monster at Fenway. The home-run resulted in a 21% swing in win expectancy, according to Baseball Reference. The Yankees ended up winning this game by the score of 14-3, but was drilling Pedroia really worth raising Sabathia's pitch count and falling behind in the game?

I understand the desire to protect your teammates, but to me, the cost of putting your team in a position to lose a game far outweighs the intangible benefit of being "manly" and showing that you are willing to back up your teammates. The objective of Major League baseball clubs is to win baseball games; any macho nonsense is extraneous. Maybe Joe Girardi should have a little talk with Sabatha about toning down the intentional HBPs.

Yanks Call up Curtis for "Boost" on Bench

Before Monday's game the Yankees called up OF Colin Curtis. Curtis, 25, made his Major League debut after hitting .280 with a .357 OBP (with no homers) and a .725 OPS over 125 at-bats in Triple-A.

To make room on the 25 and 40 man roster for Curtis, the Yankees designated third catcher Chad Moeller for assignment.

This is a move they made in order to have an extra bench player for the DL...but I don't understand why they added Curtis. One would think that Jorge Vazquez would be a move useful player to add to the roster (or Juan Miranda) despite Vazquez's limited at-bats above AA ball.

The Draft Post

1st Round: Cito Culver, SS, Irondequoit HS NY
2nd Round: Angelo Gumbs, OF, Torrace HS CA
3rd Round: Robert Segedin, 3B, Tulane TX
4th Round: Mason Williams, OF, West Orange HS FL
5th Round: Thomas Kahnle, RHP, Lynn NY
6th Round: Gabe Encinas, RHP, St. Paul HS CA
7th Round: Taylor Anderson, OF, Woodland HS LA
8th Round: Kyle Roller, 1B, East Carolina NC
9th Round: Taylor Morton, RHP, TN
10th Round: Benjamin Gamel, OF, Bishop Kenny HS FL
11th Round: Zachary Vance, RHP, University of Portland WA
12th Round: Daniel Burawa, RHP, St. John's NY
13th Round: Christopher Austin, C, Heritage HS GA
14th Round: Travis Dean, RHP, Newton South HS MA
15th Round: Chase Whitley, RHP, Troy University AL
16th Round: Evan Rutckyj, LHP, St. Josephs Catholic HS Canada
17th Round: Preston Claiborne, RHP, Tulane TX
18th Round: Kevin Jacob, RHP, Georgia Tech GA
19th Round: Kevin Jordan, OF, Northside HS GA
20th Round: Michael Ferraro, LF, U of SD CA
21st Round: Dustin Hobbs, RHP, Yavapai College NV
22nd Round: Trevor Johnson, LHP, College of the Desert CA
23rd Round: Shane Brown, C, Central Florida FL
24th Round: Conor Mullee, RHP, St. Peters College NJ
25th Round: Casey Stevenson, 2B, UC Irvine CA
26th Round: Richard James Hively, RHP, Santa Ana College CA
27th Round: Martin Viramontes, RHP Loyola Marymount CA
28th Round: Josh Dezse, RHP, Olentangy Liberty HS OH
29th Round: Stewart Ijames, OF, Louisville KY
30th Round: Zachary Nuding, RHP Weatherford College TX
31st Round: Mike Gipson, RHP, Florida Atlantic FL
32nd Round: Kramer Sneed LHP Barton (N.C.) N.C.
33rd Round: Michael Hachadorian RHP San Diego Mesa JC Calif.
34th Round: Keenan Kish RHP Germantown Academy, Fort Washington, Pa.
35th Round: Will Oliver, RHP, Palomar JC CA
36th Round: Nick McCoy, C, San Diego CA
37th Round: Cameron Hobson LHP Dayton Ohio
38th Round: James Ramsay OF Brandon (Fla.) HS Fla.
39th Round: Jaycob Brugman OF Desert Vista HS, Phoenix Ariz.
40th Round: Mike Gerber OF Neuqua Valley HS, Napierville, Ill. Ill.
41th Round: Tym Pearson OF Columbia Basin (Wash.) JC Wash.
42nd Round: Mike O'Neill OF Olentangy Liberty HS, Powell, Ohio Ohio
43rd Round: Kyle Hunter LHP Kansas State Kan.
44th Round: David Middendorf LHP Northern Kentucky Ky.
45th Round: Tyler Johnson, OF, Alamagardo HS NM
46th Round: Nathan Forer RHP Southern Illinois
47th Round: Freddy Lewis LHP Tennessee Wesleyan TN
48th Round: Alex Brown RHP Amphitheater HS, Tucson Ariz.
49th Round: Will Arthur OF Abbotsford (B.C.) SS
50th Round: Matt Rice C Western Kentucky Ky.

When Tex Hits'em, He Crushes'em

Last week, I wrote about Mark Teixeira's perceived struggles, and I concluded that he was just the recipient of some bad luck. I think it's safe to say that Tex's fortunes are due for a turnaround. That conclusion is buttressed by some information I looked up at the indispensable HitTracker website.

HitTracker records the distance, speed, and trajectories of every home-run hit in the major leagues, including all of those hit by Teixeira. HitTracker classifies home-runs into three groups: "No Doubt", "Plenty", and "Just Enough." No Doubt and Plenty home-runs are fairly self-explanatory, and Just Enough homers "cleared the fence by less than 10 vertical feet, or that it landed less than one fence height past the fence." Click here for a full explanation of HitTracker's classifications.

According to HitTracker, of Teixeira's 9 home-runs that have been classified (not including last night's wall-scraper), 4 have been No Doubts, which is tied for fourth amongst AL hitters. The remainder of Tex's home-runs have been classified as Plenties. Furthermore, Tex's 434 ft. bomb that was hit on May 30th ranks as the fifth-longest homer hit by Yankee hitters in 2010, and Tex has 3 of the 10 longest homers. Here's a chart of all of Tex's homers:

Mark Teixeira's ISO is still at a lower-than-usual .173. I expect that number to continue to trend upward, however. As evidenced above, Tex is still hitting balls a long way. It is only a matter of time before Tex starts to take advantage of the short porch in left field from the left side of the plate. Yankee fans just need to be reminded that patience is, indeed, a virtue.

Making Up for Lost Time

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...I clearly haven't been as active as I used to.

Basically, the Yankees have been taking advantage of the lack of ability of the Orioles and Astros, and will be taking on the Phillies tonight, with CC Sabathia taking on Roy Halladay.

The other day the Yankees added Chad Huffman to the roster, who made his Major League debut, going 1-4. Marcus Thames was placed on the DL with a hamstring issue to make room on the roster.

I'll post some stuff on the draft today, and hopefully a minor league update ASAP.

Burnett's New Strategy a Cause for Concern?

Lost amid much of the early-season trials and tribulations of this year's Yankees squad has been the performance of the Yanks' lead pie-thrower, AJ Burnett. While Burnett can boast of an improvement in his walk-rate (3.11 BB/9 in 2010; 4.22 in 2009; 3.75 career), his strike-out rate has seen a steeper drop (2010 K/9: 6.43; 2009: 8.48; 8.27 career). David Golebiewski of Fangraphs recently wrote an article in which he pointed out that hitters are making much more contact this year than in past years off of Burnett. Golebiewski posited that this was due to the ineffectiveness of Burnett's knuckle-curve, but I believe that Burnett's diminished fastball velocity and overall approach to pitching has also played a role in making him more hittable. Here are Burnett's velocity charts (click to enlarge):

In 2007, the first year in which velocity data was available from Pitch F/x, Burnett was averaging 95.9 MPH (the gap you see in the velocity chart can be explained by a two month-long stay on the disabled list for a shoulder strain). In 2008, Burnett's velocity saw a rather large drop to 94.4. The velocity held steady in '09, when he averaged 94.2 on the fastball. This year, however, Burnett's velocity has dropped down to 93.2.

There are two possible explanations for Burnett's decrease in velocity. It is very possible that Burnett is toning down his velocity in order to have better command, and the decreased walk rate appears to indicate that. The decrease in overall fastball velocity could also do with the fact that Burnett has added a two-seam fastball to his repertoire, throwing it 25.1% of the time, in comparison to his four-seamer, which he throws 46.8% of the time. As a side-note, the four-seamer and the two-seamer have similar velocities (4-seam: 93.3; 2-seam: 93.1).

Apparently, Burnett has adjusted his pitching philosophy. He has spoken of his wishes to "become more of a pitcher" (Mark Feinsand) and to "pitch to contact" (Chad Jennings). Developing the sinker seems to go along with that thought process. Catcher Chad Moeller, as quoted in the Jennings piece, indicated that the two-seamer away to left-handed hitters should induce more groundballs. Indeed, it has. In 2010, Burnett has posted his highest ground-ball rate against lefties (51.1%) since 2007, when it eclipsed 53%. Overall, Burnett is inducing ground-balls at a rate of 48.4%, which is good, but not great.

Usually, it's good to have a third pitch, especially if you are a starting pitcher. I laud the fact that Burnett has started using a two-seam fastball and is trying to be smarter about pitching, but the overall approach that he has adopted this year has robbed him of his gargantuan K-rate. The meager improvements in walk rate and ground-ball rate are not enough to justify losing nearly 2 K/9 innings. Keeping balls on the ground is great and all, but the strength of Burnett's game has always been inducing swings and misses. Getting away from his bread and butter does not appear to be working.

Andy Pettitte Overperforming

In 2010, the Yankees have thus far been adept at preventing runs. The Yankees' pitching staff has put up a 3.82 ERA, good for third in the American League. Part of this success on the mound has been due to the stellar hurling of the old stalwart, Andy Pettitte. Pettitte has posted a sparkling ERA of 2.46, but there are indications that he is due for a regression.

Pettitte's peripheral statistics tell a story much different than that told by his ERA. In 80.1 innings, his K/9 is a pedestrian 6.16, while maintaining fairly good command (2.46 BB/9). Pettitte has also been the beneficiary of some good luck; his BABiP is a lower-than-average .256, and he has an unsustainable LOB % of 82.1%. This all computes to a 3.73 FIP and a 4.08 xFIP.

Going forward, we should temper our expectations about Pettitte's performance. There is some good news, however; Pettitte is pitching like a third starter, which is precisely what he is on this Yankees' ballclub. Not bad for a soon-to-be 38 year-old lefty that has a fastball that sits at 88-90.

Yankees Should Take a Flier on Old Cuban LOOGY

Just a though - clearly this is nothing important or that will have any significant impact...

The Baltimore Orioles DFA'd LHP Alberto Castillo, a 34-year old Cuban lefty who has floated around indy leagues and minor leagues for years, before being a member of the Baltimore Orioles from 2008 to 2010, albeit in limited duty.

In 2008 he had a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings (28 games) and in 2009 a 2.20 ERA in 12 innings (20 games). As you can see from the number of innings he has had, he is a LOOGY.

Last year lefties had a .653 OPS against him and in addition to the 2.20 ERA in the majors, he had a 2.77 ERA in Triple-A, with a 1.269 WHIP, a 9.3 K/9, and a 2.9 BB/9, all in his second season in affiliated ball since 1998!

He's been awful so far in the Majors this season, but they can easily just claim him and stash him in the minors and see if he can work things out. The 40-man roster is not an issue because Alfredo Aceves can easily be moved to the 60-day DL (he won't be back anytime soon) and Castillo can easily be DFA'd again if they need the spot.

All I'm saying is that Castillo looks like an interesting player.

What's up with Tex?

Mark Teixeira's performance up to this point into the 2010 season has been a source of a great deal of agitation and discomfort for Yankee fans. Teixeira's lack of offense has been cushioned somewhat by the tremendous lines put up by Robinson Cano (.363/.402/.611; .432 wOBA) and Nick Swisher (.305/.394/.532; .405 wOBA), but it is hardly needed to be said that the Yankees would prefer to have Teixeira's bat running on all cylinders. It remains to be seen whether Tex's sub-par play is simply a slump (or a consequence of sample size issues) or an indication of a change in talent. I believe it is the former and not the latter, but we should dig deeper nonetheless to determine this.

Looking at Teixeira's peripheral statistics may tell us something. After perusing his walk rates and strikeout rates, it can be observed that they are similar to his career averages (2010: 13.0% BB rate, 20.2% K rate; career: 11.4% BB rate, 20.1% K rate). Shifting over to the BABiP column of Tex's statistics, a possible reason for Tex's struggles may be illuminated: bad luck. This year, Tex has posted a BABiP of .229. In his major league career, Teixeira has never posted a BABiP below .288, and has a career BABiP of .304. Some balls just are not falling in for Tex, but that does not completely explain away Tex's low ISO (.152), which also falls well below his career average (.249).

Is the low ISO purely a function of Tex's bad luck on balls in play, or is there something else going on? Tex's batted-ball data should be scrutinized if the answer is going to be found. In 2010, Tex's line-drive %, ground-ball %, fly-ball %, and infield fly-ball % are all within 2% of his career norms. A precipitous drop, however, can be observed in Teixeira's rate of home runs per fly-ball (HR/FB). His 2010 HR/FB % is 11.0%, well under his career average of 18.5%.

It is probable that Teixeira has simply run afoul of the baseball gods, and isn't getting any breaks on balls in play. In addition, there isn't any indication that he's hitting the ball any differently than he used to; he's hitting the same amount of line-drives that he has hit for his entire career. It appears that some of his fly-balls just have not had enough distance to fly over the fences. I anticipate this to change, and so does the ZIPS projection system. Going forward for the rest of the year, ZIPS sees Tex posting an ISO of .208. That may be a little pessimistic, but I feel it captures the idea that the 30-year old switch-hitting slugger is due for a bounce-back.

Free Mark Melancon!

When David Robertson had to leave a game last week due to a strain in his lower back, I wondered if he would end up landing on the DL. My mind raced to the topic of who his possible replacement would be from AAA. The best candidate, in my mind, is one Mark Melancon.

The 6'2", 215 lb. right-hander had once been anointed as the Yankees' "future closer," and now has nothing left to prove in the minors. In 2009, Melancon posted tremendous numbers in AAA; he posted a shiny 2.69 FIP, which was supported by a 8.73 K/9 and a 1.78 BB/9. And this came after a 2008 in which he skipped three levels of the minors, and posted a cumulative 3.04 FIP. Melancon has shown spectactular command throughout his minor league career; he has never posted a BB/9 above 2.70, and that was in 2006. This year, however, Melancon has posted an unusually high 3.90 BB/9, but has been striking men out at a higher rate (10.50 K/9) in 30.0 innings. It should also be noted that he posted a 4.52 FIP in 20.1 major-league innings, but those statistics come from a sample too small to draw conclusions from.

While the increase in free passes may be of concern, something else jumps out about Melancon. In his minor league career, Melancon has induced ground-balls on 57.3% of balls in play; a huge number. In addition, Melancon does not show a noticeable platoon split. These factors, combined with his good control, make Melancon a good right-handed option out of the Yankees' major-league bullpen. While it is certainly hopeful that the Yankees' current bullpen remains healthy, if somebody else goes down with injury (or is ineffective), Melancon should be the first person the Yanks call on.

Tex Claimed by the Royals

In a move that RAB actually kind-of predicted, the Kansas City Royals claimed reliever Kanekoa Texeira off of waivers from the Seattle Mariners. The Rule V rules this apply - he must stay on the roster for the rest of the season, or he would have to clear waivers once again, and then be offered back to the Yankees.

Considering the struggles of the Yankees' bullpen lately, I bet the Yankees were hoping that he could squeak through. Oh well. Best of luck to Tex II.

Posada to DH for Good?

The Yankees made the right call yesterday by demoting Juan Miranda. But the unexpected thing is that they announced that for the time being, Jorge Posada will be the DH. And what's more unexpected is that it basically seems like this will be a semi-permanent move, or at least until Nick Johnson returns from his wrist injury.

This means that the starting catcher for the New York Yankees is Francisco Cervelli. When Cervelli was called up early last year, did you think that you would proudly be saying that one year later? In addition to his great game-calling and youthfulness, which everyone seems to be eating up, he is putting together a .756 OPS, just fine for a catcher, nonetheless a 24-year old one.

Chad Moeller's stay as a New York Yankee is extended for the time being.

Lindsay Claimed; Other Tex DFA'd

Recently DFA'd relief pitcher Shane Lindsay was claimed off of waivers by the Cleveland Indians. Lindsay, who the Yankees recently claimed off of waivers from the Rockies, was DFA'd to make room for Chad Gaudin on the roster. Lindsay did not throw a game in the Yankees' organization and was assigned to the Indian's High-A affiliate.

Furthermore, the Seattle Mariners DFA'd RP Kanekoa Texeira. Texeira was taken by the Mariners in the Rule V draft this offseason and made the roster out of spring training. This move means that if Texeira passes through waivers, the Yankees have the option of taking him back, which they very likely would. Texeira, 24, had a 5.30 ERA in 18.2 innings with the Mariners. I wouldn't be surprised however if some other team struggling for relief help and a young arm took a flier on him. There are some pretty terrible bullpens out there...

The Miranda-Cervelli-Posada Conundrum

Jorge Posada is likely going to be activated from the DL Wednesday. This would mean that the Yankees get a big bat back in the lineup. And with Granderson back, and A-Rod and Teixeira looking like there are back to form, the Yankees' lineup could be a huge threat again.

One wonders what the Yankees will do in response to Posada's return though. So far this season Francisco Cervelli has hit .320/.388/.400 and has done an excellent job behind the plate. With Nick Johnson gone until who knows when, Juan Miranda has gotten the majority of the starts at DH.

Well, how has Juan Miranda been doing so far? Just looking at his stat line one could say he's just been doing a mediocre job. He's hitting .227/.306/.455 which says he doesn't hit the ball all the time, but when he does, it's going to be hit hard. Let's take a look at some other numbers though...

According to Fangraphs.com, through 44 at-bats he has struck 8 times (18.2%), lower than his past minor league numbers where he averages a pretty consistent 22-23%. His BABIP is a low .235, compared to his minor league average of .328. This makes it look like Miranda has been getting unlucky. According to MinorLeagueSplits.com, his line-drive percentage is 11.1% compared to his usual 17-20%; his ground-ball percentage is 33.3% compared to his average of around 40%; his fly-ball rate is 55.6% compared to his usual 43%. A dropped strikeout and groundball rate would make would think he would do better, but his increased flyball rate shows why he might not be. One would guess that he has changed his approach in the Majors; perhaps he is swinging for homers all the time, causing a lot of flyballs.

So based on this information regarding Miranda and Cervelli, what do the Yankees do when Posada returns? Do they keep Cervelli as the catcher and move Posada into the DH role, which would mean that Chad Moeller stays on the roster and that Juan Miranda is demoted? Do they keep Miranda as the full-time DH, with Cervelli getting reduced playing time, which would mean that Moeller is demoted? Do they split have Posada split time between DH and catcher, with Miranda and Cervelli getting on-and-off playing time, meaning that Kevin Russo would be the one demoted?

Give me your thoughts on what the Yankees would do with Cervelli and Miranda.

Should Brett Gardner Play Everyday?

When Curtis Granderson went down with a groin injury, I thought that his stint on the DL would prove to be an interesting trial for Brett Gardner against left-handed pitching. I believe that there was a consensus that Gardner should be platooned whenever possible, but there was still an inkling of curiosity in me wondering whether or not Gardner should be platooned.

Gardner has had a history of modest success against lefties. In 397 career at bats in the minors against southpaws, Gardner posted a rather respectable .292/.361/.406 line. On the surface, these numbers seem pretty good, but they were supported by a lucky .372 BABiP; comparably, Gardner posted a .350 BABiP against righties while posting a .288/.398/.373 slash line.

Gardner had a far higher walk rate against righties than against lefties in the minors, and this has held true in the majors (7.4% v. L, 9.5% v. R). His lackluster walk rate against lefties has been particularly exposed during Granderson's absence. In 2010, Gardner has gone .259/.310/.370 against lefties (58 PAs), which adds up to a .304 wOBA. A .310 on-base percentage just isn't going to help the Yankees win baseball games.

Normally, a .310 OBP and a .304 wOBA are usually unacceptable for a corner outfielder, but Gardner brings something else to the table: sterling defense. According to John Dewan's Defensive Runs Saved, Gardner has racked up 5 DRS this season (3 in CF, 2 in LF), and Gardner has put up a UZR of 2.3. Of course, we're dealing with small samples, but Gardner's career UZR/150 is 23.4 (!), which indicates a sustained period of absolute wizardry in the outfield. There is value in his glove; a good deal of the 1.3 WAR he has accrued this year has come from his fielding.

While it is true that Gardner's platoon-mate, Marcus Thames, mashes lefties (career wOBA of .364 v. LH pitching), Yankee fans can attest to the butchery Thames has committed in the field, and UZR is not kind to him, either (career UZR/150 of -2.3 in RF, -7.1 in LF). Thames offensive prowess against lefties is not enough to justify benching Gardner's far superior glove. While Gardner has difficulty getting on base versus lefties, he is probably going to do better than a .304 wOBA from here on out, and he is the best option on the Yankees' roster to play everyday in left field.

Amauri Sanit Suspended

MLB has announced that Yankees' minor leaguer Amauri Sanit was suspended for 50 games due to violating the PED policy.

Sanit, who will be 31 in July, has been struggling thus far in his second professional year. The Cuba native had a 8.69 ERA in 12 games thus far, and was on the DL when he was suspended.

Steve at WasWatching sums up the situation pretty nicely: Without knowing, I would guess that his usage here was an uneducated panic move. Still, don't do the crime if you can't do the time..."

Yanks Pull One From the Dumpster, Throw One Away, and Get Grand

The Yankees made a few moves of interest the last few days...

First of all, they brought back an "old friend" in Chad Gaudin. Chad Gaudin, who was released by the Oakland Athletics after accumulating a 8.53 ERA in 13 games, was signed by the Yankees and immediately added to the roster in place of Boone Logan, who was sent down. In order to make room for Gaudin, the recently claimed Shane Lindsay was DFA'd, but he should probably clear since the Yankees had last claim priority when he was claimed anyway, unless some team has a sudden change of heart.

Furthermore, today the Yankees activated Curtis Granderson from the DL after his rehab stint with Scranton. In a somewhat surprising move, the Yankees opted to DFA Randy Winn and allow Kevin Russo to keep a roster spot. Winn was a disappointment for the Yankees in 2010, OPSing only .595. Unless a team decides to give Winn a final shot, it would not be surprising to see him retire soon.

Derek Jeter's Newfound Pull Power?

Yesterday, Derek Jeter was the big hero in the completion of the first game of the Yankees-Twins game that had been suspended on Monday due to rain. He managed to pull a Brian Duensing offering over the left-center field fence for a home run, which happened to be the difference in the game. When I watched that, I felt as though this had not been the first time this year Jeter had uncharacteristically displayed some pull power. This spray chart from Texas Leaguers' Pitch f/x Tool illustrates this to some extent.






The numbers, to a degree, bear out this power surge to left field. In 2010, Jeter's isolated slugging percentage (ISO) to left field is a robust .200. Jeter's career ISO to left field differs moderately: it is a modest .151. In addition, in 2008 and 2009, Jeter posted ISOs to left field of .081 and .105, respectively; this year's ISO marks a steep increase.

It remains to be seen whether this is actually a positive development, however. In '08 and '09, Jeter's BABiP to left field were .320 and .361 (career: .340). This year, however, his BABiP to left field has dropped to .269, and has pulled down his overall BABiP to .302 (career BABiP of .358). Conversely, Jeter's flyball rate has jumped to 13.0%; it was only 5.4% and 7.7% in '08 and '09 (8.1% for his career).

When Jeter hits the ball to left field this year, a larger number of them have been flyballs. While some of them have gone for extra-base hits, a lot of other balls hit by Jeter have been converted to outs. Whether this is a change in approach, change in skill, or a function of luck remains to be seen. This should be an interesting thing to keep an eye on, though, because Jeter has posted a BABiP below .320 on balls hit to left field only once in his career (.293 in 2005), and an abnormally low BABiP could be an indication that Jeter's offensive skillset is starting to erode.

A-Rod Seeing More Fastballs?

Yesterday, while writing my post about Alex Rodriguez' at bat against Francisco Rodriguez, I noticed that A-Rod had seen a lot of fastballs from K-Rod, and also a bevy of fastballs from Johan Santana on Saturday. I wondered if A-Rod was seeing more fastballs in general from major league pitchers this season.

For his career, A-Rod has seen fastballs 60.4% of the time. Similar fastball percentages show up from 2008 and 2009: 59.8% and 59.3%, respectively. This year, however, A-Rod has been seeing fastballs 62.8% of the time. Compared with other major-leaguers, this is not an extraordinary amount of fastballs. A-Rod ranks 46th out of 245 hitters with at least 100 plate appearances in fastball percentage (David Eckstein leads all hitters with 73.5%, and Ryan Howard brings up the rear with 42.7%; neither mark is much of a surprise). Basically, A-Rod ranks in the top twentieth percentile of all MLB hitters in terms of fastball percentage.

This increase of more than 3% doesn't really seem to be significant on the surface, but I decided to check out A-Rod's ranking last year amongst hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. Out of 222 major-league hitters who qualified, A-Rod didn't even rank in the top 100. He ranked 108th, which barely puts him in the top fiftieth percentile. In addition, A-Rod ranked 109th out of 212 hitters in 2008. Comparatively speaking, A-Rod is seeing a lot more fastballs this year.

Why are pitchers loading up A-Rod with fastballs, though? This question could not be fully answered without input from a scouting perspective (and I am no scout), but the answer could lie in A-Rod's power numbers. In '08 and '09, A-Rod posted monster isolated slugging percentages (slugging percentage – batting avg.) of .271 and .245. This year, however, his ISO has dropped to a still good (but surprisingly low) .192. Major-league teams may have taken note of this and are now deciding to feed A-Rod more fastballs, less fearful of them leaving the yard.

A-Rod v. K-Rod

I think one of the most attractive aspects of baseball is the battle between the pitcher and catcher against the hitter at the plate. Barring any espionage (i.e. stealing signs), all of the players on the field are, for the most part, isolated from this battle of wits. I believe these sequences are even more interesting than they normally are in high-leverage (clutch) situations, especially if these situations take place between some of the most talented persons who practice the craft of baseball.

On Sunday, in the evening affair between the Yankees and the Mets, Alex Rodriguez, arguably the best hitter in the Yankee line-up, had a very high-leverage plate appearance in which he faced the Mets' best bullpen arm, Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez. I would like to take a closer look at both at bats and see how exactly K-Rod pitched to A-Rod (please bear with me, the _-Rod nicknames may get a little dizzying).

In the ninth inning, with the score at 6-4 in favor of the Mets, A-Rod stepped to the plate with two out and the tying run on 1^st base. The Yanks had already pushed three runs across, and K-Rod was on the mound, trying to stop the bleeding (Fangraphs' Leverage Index had the LI of the plate appearance over 3 (this was the highest LI of the game), with 5 being the highest possible number on the LI). K-Rod and catcher Rod Barajas started A-Rod off with what Brooks Baseball and MLB Gameday call a change-up, but the pitch registered a speed of 88.7 MPH, so I think it's plausible that the pitch-type recognition software could have made a little error (K-Rod was averaging 90.05 MPH on his fastball Sunday), so we'll just assume he threw a fastball. The next four pitches were also fastballs. This pitch sequence resulted in a 3-2 count, with A-Rod fouling off two of the fastballs. K-Rod and Barajas then opted for the first change-up of the plate appearance, which A-Rod proceeded to foul off. The next pitch was another fastball, which A-Rod just missed. On the next pitch, A-Rod was sitting fastball, but K-Rod threw another change-up; A-Rod swung through it for strike three, ending the game.

Something that stood out to me was A-Rod's pitch recognition, or lack thereof. A-Rod seemed to be sitting fastball on the 3-2 count, and could not help but swing over the change-up. What I found odd was how the outcome of this plate appearance differed from another plate appearance earlier in the game. In the 8^th inning, with runners on 1^st and 3^rd, A-Rod laid off on a 3-2 change-up that was low from Johan Santana. Like K-Rod, Santana had also started the plate appearance against A-Rod with a healthy diet of fastballs (four, to be exact). In both cases, A-Rod saw a lot of fastballs, but he did not anticipate the possibility of a non-fastball in the case of K-Rod. Perhaps Alex saw that Francisco was hesitant to throw his secondary pitches on Sunday, or maybe he was too anxious. Either way, Alex didn't recognize the change-up and went down swinging.

Surprise, Surprise

From MLB Trade Rumors, former Yankee hurler Brian Bruney has been non-tendered by the Washington Nationals. Bruney's always had a power arm (career 8.81 K/9) but his career 6.51 BB/9 prompted the Yankees to trade Bruney to the Nationals for essentially a bag of balls (officially, Bruney was traded for a player to be named later, and that PTBNL has yet to be named). This year, Bruney's BB/9 has ballooned to over 10, which probably made the decision to cut him easier for the Nationals.

In other unsurprising news, Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that Alfredo Aceves has re-aggravated his back injury. Those of you longing for Ace to shore up the beleaguered Yankee bullpen shouldn't be counting on him anytime soon.

Phil Hughes and Pitch Usage

Yesterday, Matt Imbrogno of The Yankee U pointed out that Phil Hughes was throwing too few curveballs and change-ups in yesterday's affair against the Mets. He is not the first to notice this, and it is not a phenomenon limited to last night's start. In a tweet on May 17^th, I wondered why Hughes had thrown exclusively fastballs and cutters to J.D. Drew in the 5^th inning (Drew deposited the final pitch of the at bat, a cutter, into the right field bleachers). Hughes even admitted himself that he may have been overusing the cutter after the game. From a May 18^th blog post by Chad Jennings of The Journal News:

Hughes said he might have gone to the cutter too many times against Drew. “Any time I felt like he might be cheating in I went away (with the four-seamer),” he said. “And he seemed to be on that pitch pretty well too.”

And Drew was not the only hitter during that three-run fifth inning that did not see a curveball, according to data provided by MLB Gameday. Earlier in the inning, with two out, Marco Scutaro stepped to the plate. Hughes started off the plate appearance by firing off a fastball, another fastball, and a cutter, which resulted in a called strike, a ball, and another called strike, respectively. With the count at 1-2, instead of trying to get Scutaro to chase a curveball out of the zone, Hughes kept on going back to the well with his fastball and cutter. The next two pitches were fastballs, both of which were fouled off by Scutaro. The sixth pitch, a cutter, was also fouled off. The final pitch was another fastball, which was singled into center field. Curiously, in the next at bat, Hughes opted to throw 3 curves on 1-2 (two of which were thrown in consecutive pitches) to Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia then proceeded to double on a Hughes cutter. Pedroia was followed by by Drew, who, like Scutaro, did not see any curves. The next hitter, Kevin Youkilis, was retired by Hughes after three fastballs.

In that inning, Hughes used the curveball a grand total of four times, compared to 16 fastballs and 8 cutters. In addition, in the entire game, Hughes only used curveballs in six two-strike counts (3 in the Pedroia at bat, curiously twice against Drew in the 1^st inning, and once to Victor Martinez in the 4^th). As a matter of fact, according to Brooks Baseball, Hughes had only thrown 14 curves the entire game (and Imbrogno noted that Hughes only threw nine curves in the game against the Mets). Has Hughes lost confidence in his curveball? Let's check out his pitch type usage.

According to Fangraphs, here was Hughes' pitch selection in 2009: 62.8% Fastballs, 16.4% Cutters, and 20.3% Curveballs. Here are his 2010 numbers: 59.0% Fastballs, 27.2% Cutters, 11.7% Curveballs, and 2.2% Change-ups. Obviously, this indicates that Hughes is going more and more to the cutter, especially at the expense of Uncle Charlie.

Last October, Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues noted that Hughes was toning down the number of curves that he threw once he transitioned into the bullpen. Did he lose some feel for his curve because he shelved it in the bullpen? That would be a shame, because his curveball has been labeled as plus by noteworthy baseball analysts like Jim Callis of Baseball America as early as 2007. It is integral that Hughes starts using his curveball much more than he currently does; you can't get by as a starter by throwing two pitches with the regularity that Hughes has been using the fastball and cutter. His curve is much better than a show-me pitch, and hitters are finding it easier to guess fastball and cutter.

Update: The Yankee U has posted another thought about differences between Hughes pitching to Jorge Posada and Francisco Cervelli. He finds that Posada is more stubborn about Hughes throwing non-fastballs than Cervelli is.

Yankees Lose Subway Series

This continues to suck. The Yankees are still looking pretty bad right now. They just lost 2 of 3 to the New York Mets of all people.

In the first game, Vazquez looked amazing. He went six innings of shutout baseball before having to leave with a minor finger injury. Rookie Kevin Russo would also have a game-winning hit.

In the second game, Hughes had an up and down battle, looking amazing at times but terrible with 2 out situations.

In tonight's final game of the series, CC gets crushed and the Yankees cannot finish the comeback once again. A-Rod records the final out with runners on base down by 2.

They have a day off tomorrow and then will be facing the Twins, hoping to rebound - something that they really need to do...

Yankees Struggling Heading into Subway Series

The Yankees are looking pretty lousy right now. They have lost 7 out of their last 11, their rotation has not been getting it done, and the basically every single player in the bullpen has been terrible as of late.

Not only that, but they keep rattling up more and more injuries. Jorge Posada will now be out 3-4 weeks with his foot injury, and Marcus Thames is day-to-day with an ankle sprain after running onto his own bat. Chad Moeller was called-up (with Nick Johnson being transfered to the 60-day DL), as was Kevin Russo. Mark Melacon was sent down once again.

The Yankees now take their struggles into CitiField for a three-game set against the Mets.

Nick Johnson Out Til July; Park Returns

In the world's most unsurprising news, Nick Johnson will need to have surgery on his injured wrist and will likely be out until July. Johnson, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, hit only .167/.388 with only 6 extra-base hits in 72 at-bats before hitting the DL.

Furthermore, Chan Ho Park was activated from the DL after his rehab stint in the minors. Ivan Nova was sent down to Triple-A to make rom for him.

Shane Lindsay Claimed; Garcia Released; Redding Signed

The Yankees made a move on the 40 man roster by claiming RP Shane Lindsay off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies. In order to make room for him on the roster, the Yankees released SP Chris Garcia.

Lindsay, a 25-year old Australian, was coming off a solid year with the Rockies' Double-A affiliate (2.60 ERA, 36K, 27.2 IP, but 19 walks) but was horrific for their Triple-A affiliate (6.59 ERA, 17 walks, 19K, 13.2 IP), and was placed on waivers. Lindsay has a high BB/9 in his career (5.9), but also a very high K/9 (12.5).

He will be assigned to the Yankees' minor league complex for now. Lindsay has a mid-90's fastball, as well as a knuckle-curve. Before 2009 he was a starter, so it is possible that they will move him back to the rotation.

Garcia was on the DL and going to miss the entire season.

The Yankees also added more depth by adding SP Tim Redding on a minor league deal. Redding was released by the Colorado Rockies after 5 minor league starts (4.32 ERA.) He was assigned to Triple-A Scranton.

Injury/News Updates

For what it's worth, my freshman year is over. I got home today so expect a more active Steve.

Here is basically what has been going down the last 2 weeks in Yankee world, transaction wise:

Mark Melancon was called up when Curtis Granderson hit the DL...

Two days later he was optioned for Greg Golson...

Who was optioned three days later for Romulo Sanchez...

Then Kevin Russo was called up when Nick Johnson hit the DL...

Then 3 days after calling up Russo, he was demoted for Ivan Nova...

Then Alfredo Aceves was put on the DL with a bulging disc in his back, with Greg Golson being recalled....

Then Kevin Russo was demoted for Juan Miranda...

Got it?

The State of the Yankees

Yes - I know. This blog has been fairly useless lately. Late with updates, news, and other pieces. I am currently in my two-week finals week so I've been preparing and trying to catch up with the classes that I am a little behind in. Let's just say that attending Micro and Macro lectures in Binghamton are not the most useful things ever...

But from here-on out, especially after Friday of next week, when my summer begins, expect the content that you are used to seeing. I apologize for my inability to post frequently.

On that note I may be looking for additional writing help on my website. So if interested, shoot an email to me (my address is on the right side of the blog, somewhere).

Now, as of now, let's take a look at the State of the Yankees...

Starting Pitching

THE GOOD

The dominance of CC, Pettitte, and AJ, the apparent coming-into-his-own of Phil Hughes have given the Yankees something to brag about. With respective ERAs of 2.74, 2.08, 1.99, and 1.44, they have been unstoppable.

THE BAD

Javier Vazquez has been brutal so far, putting together a 9.78 ERA over 5 starts and even being skipped in the rotation. Andy Pettitte will have to miss his next start most likely due to a minor injury, but it doesn't seem to be too serious.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?

Sergio Mitre (2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings) is likely going to make the spot start for Pettitte. Vazquez is likely going to be given time to find his groove though. But if he can't put it together, the Yankees have two in-house starting options down in Triple-A in Ivan Nova (2.43 ERA in 37 IP) and Jason Hirsh (3.06 ERA in 32.1 innings).

Relief Pitching

THE GOOD

Mariano Rivera has been perfect thus far this season in save opps (7/7, 0.00 ERA) and Joba Chamberlain has been looking good as well (2.92 ERA). Aceves (3.29) has been doing well in middle relief and Mitre (2.79) has been too, when he is actually used.

THE BAD

Chan Ho Park hit the DL after 3 games. David Robertson's ERA is over 11 right now, and he looks lost. Marte has only been mediocre.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?

Mark Melancon could be given a real chance. Jonathan Albaladejo is doing well in Triple-A and could be given his final chance. Royce Ring has a 0.00 ERA in Triple-A and could be a good LOOGY.

The Infield

THE GOOD

Robinson Cano is looking like a legitimate MVP candidate (.362, 9 homeruns) and Jeter (.310) continues to do his thing. At the plate, Jorge Posada does not seem to age (.290, 5 homers).

THE BAD

Mark Teixeira's typically early struggles continue (.178, 2 homers) and A-Rod has been less than mediocre (.253, 2 homers). Nick Johnson walks, but can't do much else right now (.176/.396, 2 homers). Ramiro Pena is 1-16.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?

These are all veterans that will absolutely pick up the pace. No need to worry really. And since the team is doing amazing right now, there is no enormous pressure and constant spotlight on them. If they need a new back-up infielder, Kevin Russo and Eduardo Nunez are doing well in Triple-A.

THE OUTFIELD

THE GOOD

Nick Swisher is off to a very hot start (.295/.380, 5 homers) and Brett Gardner is shocking the skeptics with his incredible play right now (.346/.430, 13-14 SB). Marcus Thames (12-28) has been excellent is in limited playing time.

THE BAD

After a good opening series, Curtis Granderson struggles and then hit the DL, where he is expected to be for about a month (.225/.311, 2 homers). Randy Winn is only 3-19 so far.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?

Randy Winn and Marcus Thames are going to be taking Granderson's playing time until he gets back. Colin Curtis had a .875 OPS in Triple-A until he hit the DL last week, and Greg Golson was called up to be a back-up outfielder. David Winfree also has a .758 OPS in Triple-A.

Record: 19-8, 2nd Place to TB (-1.5 games); 1st in Wild Card

Team Leaders:

Wins: A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and CC Sabathia (4)

Saves: Mariano Rivera (7)

K: CC Sabathia (30)

G: Joba Chamberlain (13)

BA: Robinson Cano (.362)

OBP: Brett Gardner (.430)

SLG: Robinson Cano (.695)

HR: Robinson Cano (9)

Tonight's Matchup:

Phil Hughes (1.44) @ Josh Beckett (6.31)

Games 20-27

Game 20:

After losing the first at Baltimore, CC continues his mastery even when he is clearly not on top of his game. Even though he gives up 11 hits, he is able to go 7.2 innings and allow only 3 runs. The Yankees' offense supports him with 8 runs in the 8-3 win. Swisher picks up 3 hits, while Jeter, Gardner, Granderson, and Cervelli all have multi-hit games. Posada leaves the game with a minor calf injury.

W: CC Sabathia (3-1)

HR: Cano (6)

Game 21:

AJ Burnett (8) and Rivera (1) are magnificent as they shutout the Orioles in the 4-0 win. Cano hits two solo homers.

W: AJ Burnett (3-0)

HR: Cano (7, 8)

Game 22:

Jeter drives in 4 behind Andy Pettitte, who goes 6-innings in a no-decision. The Yankees end up winning 6-4.

W: Aceves (2-0)

S: Rivera (7)

HR: Jeter (4)

Game 23:

The Yankees lose 7-6 as Javy Vazquez is terrible once again. He cannot make it out of the 4th inning.

L: David Robertson (0-2)

HR: Swisher (3)

Game 24:

The Yankees destroy the White Sox behind Hughes who goes 7 scoreless, 4-hit innings. They win 12-3.

W: Phil Hughes (3-0)

HR: Gardner (1), Cano (9), Swisher (4)

Game 25:

The Yankees win 4-1, led by a 3-run homer by Randy Winn. CC throws another gem.

W: CC Sabathia (4-1)

S: Chamberlain (1)

HR: Winn (1)

Game 26:

The Yankees win another game 4-1, this time behind AJ Burnett, who also threw a gem. Cervelli leads the offense, going 3-3 with a triple.

W: AJ Burnett (4-0)

S: Chamberlain (2)

Game 27:

The Yankees complete the sweep of the Orioles by winning 7-5. With Rivera or Chamberlain not available, Robertson and Logan almost lose it in the 9th, but Aceves closes it out.

W: Pettitte (4-0)

S: Aceves (1)

HR: Swisher (5), Johnson (2)

Week 3+: Games 15-19

Not the greatest week for the Yankees, who have lost 4 out of the last 5 games, losing a series against the Angels, and one to the Orioles.

Game 15:

Sabathia has a tough first inning but rebounds nicely, but that's not enough. He goes the complete 8 in the Yankees' 4-2 loss.

L: CC Sabathia (2-1)

HR: Thames (1), Teixeira (2)

Game 16:

Joba Chamberlain gives up a game-winning 2-run homer during a 4-4 game, during the Angels the 6-4 win.

L: Joba Chamberlain (0-1)

HR: Swisher (2)

Game 17:

Andy Pettitte continues his journey into the fountain of youth with 8 1-run innings in the 7-1 win.

W: Andy Pettitte (3-0)

Game 18:

Javy Vazquez's struggles continues as he gives up 5 runs in 3.2 innings. That's all the Angels would need as they win 8-4.

L: Javy Vazquez (1-3)

HR: Posada (4), Cano (5)

Game 19:

The Yankees lose another tough one as they fall 5-4, after almost completing the comeback in the 9th. Hughes only gives up one run in 5.2 innings, but the bullpen is terrible.

L: Phil Hughes (2-1)

HR: Posada (5)

Games 7-14

Game 7:

Andy Pettitte puts together another impressive start, shutting out the Angels for six. Robertson almost coughs the game up, but they end up pulling out a 7-5 win.

HR: Johnson (1), Jeter (1)

W: Pettitte (1-0)

S: Rivera (3)

Game 8:

The Yankees seem baffled by Joel Piniero and Javy Vazquez has a mediocre outing as the Yankees lose 5-3.

L: Javier Vazquez (0-2)

Game 9:

Phil Hughes, making his season debut, strikes out 6 through 5, allowing only 2 runs. The offense is lead by Robinson Cano who hits two homers.

HR: Cano (3, 4), Jeter (2)

W: Phil Hughes (1-0)

S: Rivera (4)

Game 10:

CC Sabathia opens up the three-game series against Texas and throws a rain-shortened, 6-inning complete game as the Yankees win 5-1, with Cervelli behind the plate.

W: CC Sabathia (2-0)

Game 11:

Burnett throws a gem (7 scoreless innings) as the Yankees, led by Jeter and A-Rod, pick up the 7-3 win.

HR: Rodriguez (1), Jeter (3)

W: A.J. Burnett (2-0)

Game 12:

Andy Pettitte continues his hot start, this time with an 8-inning gem as Mark Teixeira finally hits his first homer of the year in the 5-2 win, in the Yankees' sweep of the Rangers.

HR: Teixeira (1), Posada (3)

W: Andy Pettitte (2-0)

S: Rivera (5)

Game 13:

Vazquez has a decent outing, but thats all the Yankees needed as they would put together 7 runs behind the offense of A-Rod.

HR: Rodriguez (2)

W: Javier Vazquez (1-2)

Game 14:

Phil Hughes finally arrives as he allows only an infield single through 7.1 innings in the Yankees' 3-1 win.

W: Phil Hughes (2-0)

S: Rivera (6)

Moves: Chan Ho Park is placed on the 15-day DL and Boone Logan is recalled from Triple-A.

Week 1: A Grand Debut

The Yankees just completed their first week of the 2010 season, and they started it fairly well. After completing series with the Red Sox and Rays, the Yankees ended the week 4-2, winning both series 2 game to 1.

Game 1:

The Yankees end up blowing a 5-1 lead after CC Sabathia and Chan Ho Park struggle after the 5th inning. Curtis Granderson homers in his first at-bat and Brett Gardner goes 2-4. They end up losing 9-7.

HR: Granderson (1), Posada (1)

L: Chan Ho Park (0-1)

Game 2:

The Yankees, behind A.J. Burnett, take Game 2, 6-4. Burnett is solid enough, while the bullpen, lead by two perfect innings by Aceves, holds the Sox scoreless for 4 innings. Joba Chamberlain looks very impressive in the 8th by striking out the only 2 batters that he faces. Nick Johnson helps the Yankees gain the lead in the 8th with a bases loaded walk, followed by a 9th inning Cano homer. Mo picks up an easy save.

HR: Cano (1)

W: AJ Burnett (1-0)

S: Mariano Rivera (1)

Game 3:

Andy Pettitte faces off against John Lackey, in an excellent pitchers duel. Pettitte allows only 1 run in 6 innings, followed by 3 scoreless innings by Chan Ho Park. In the 10th inning, the Yankees pick up the lead with a Granderson homer and take the game 3-1.

HR: Granderson (2)

W: Chan Ho Park (1-1)

S: Mariano Rivera (2)

Game 4:

Javier Vazquez struggles in his Yankee debut giving up 8 runs in 5.2 innings. They lose to David Price and the Rays 9-3.

HR: None

L: Javier Vazquez (0-1)

Game 5:

CC Sabathia throws 7.2 no-hit innings before finally allowing a single to Kelly Shoppach, as the Yankees 2-hit the Rays, and win 10-0. A big day for Teixeira (3 hits, 1 walk), Cano (2 hits, HR), Granderson (2 hits, 2 walks), and Francisco Cervelli (2 hits, 1 walk), who got the start behind homeplate. Yankees win 10-0.

HR: Cano (2)

W: CC Sabathia (1-0)

Game 6: A.J. Burnett has an excellent start, giving up only 2 runs on 6 hits through innings, as the Yankees win 7-3.

HR: Posada (2), Swisher (1)

W: A.J. Burnett (2-0)

Yankees Claim Chad Huffman

The Yankees made a minor move today by adding OF Chad Huffman. Huffman, 24, was designated for assignment by the Padres last week and the Yankees opted to add some more depth by claiming him off waivers.

Huffman isn't some scrub; he's a fairly decent prospect. He's coming off of a year where he hit 20 homers, hitting .269/.361/.469 with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate.

There's no doubt around the circles that Kevin Towers had input in this decision.