With Week 1 of spring training contests in the books, where do the contestants for the final two New York Yankees rotation spots currently sit?
One week of spring training action is in the books for the New York Yankees, and we got to see first-look (some even two) at all of the contestants for the final two rotation spots.The candidates — Luis Severino, Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren — have combined for an ERA of 1.50 across 18 innings of work and have struck out 12 batters compared to giving up five hits.
Those numbers are a far cry from what Yankee-land expected in 2017, which was a rotation that contained depth, but not solidity.
The candidates have instead demonstrated superb potential that, if tapped into, can turn what was the biggest question mark facing this team into a major determinant of success.
Who would get the final two spots if today was April 2, though? Elite Sports NY brings you its frontrunners in the “Clash of Hurlers” now that all of the competitors have commenced their showcase.
5. Luis Cessa
Cessa hasn’t disappointed through his first two appearances in camp, but compared to his competitors, he’s staggering behind.
In four innings of work (two games, one start), Cessa has surrendered two runs (4.50 ERA) with a batting average against of .214 — the worst among spring starters.
Following his major league debut on April 8, 2016, and settling in a rotation spot by August 20, Cessa showed encouragement but didn’t overpower the opposition down the stretch.
In nine starts, the 24-year old right-hander pitched to a 4.01 ERA and only struck out 35 batters in 51.2 innings. He also gave up 11 home runs, but his ability to touch 95 mph with his fastball on a regular basis and compliment it with a changeup, curveball and slider profiles Cessa as an arm with the upside to stabilize the Yankees’ rotation.
Through Week 1, however, that upside has been pushed to the side by the success of Cessa’s teammates.
4. Adam Warren
The versatile Adam Warren, who will make the roster whether or not it’s with the rotation or in the bullpen, is off to a magnificent start this spring.
Through his first two starts, the righty has struck out five batters over five innings of work and has only allowed one hit — a solo home run to Caleb Joseph in the top of the second inning in the Yankees’ win over Baltimore on Thursday.
Warren, who was re-acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the deal for Aroldis Chapman at the trade deadline, has made his money in the long-relief role.
Over his five-year career, the 29-year old owns a 3.88 ERA and a 6.6 K/9 ratio as a starter compared to 3.51 ERA and 8.0 K/9 ratio as a reliever.
In 2016, Yankee starters went 5.6 innings per contest and judging by the top-heavy bullpen they contain in 2017, Warren’s versatility may be too valuable to lock into one rotation spot. But we’ll continue to see how it plays out.
3. Chad Green
Chad Green demonstrated some neat signs of encouragement in 2016.
In three starts between August 3 and August 21, against the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels, Chad Green struck out 18 batters over 15.2 innings while only giving up four runs (2.30 ERA).
After that, however, Green gave up four home runs in his final two starts before being shut down with right elbow pain. With a healthy Green in camp and his new cutter being used more frequently, he made this way-too-early decision to keep him out of the rotation a tough one.
Against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, pitched two innings of scoreless ball while surrendering just one hit in his first taste of live action since his elbow injury. Of course, there’s time for Green to earn himself a gig with the starting five, but the next two guys have the early edge.
2. Luis Severino
Coming off a season in which Severino posted a 0-8 record with an 8.50 ERA while serving up 11 home runs across 11 starts, many were looking to see if he fine-tuned his changeup and he didn’t disappoint.
Severino went two innings and didn’t allow a single hit while striking out one on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays with an effective utilization of his changeup — a pitch he used just 9.69 percent of the time in 2016.
The 23-year old dropped 10 pounds and turned to Pedro Martinez, a Hall of Famer, three-time Cy Young award winner and eight-time All-Star, to rediscover the pitch he seemingly lost a yea ago. After seeing Severino’s spring debut, the Yankees should be optimistic about the direction Martinez has guided their youngster in.
1. Bryan Mitchell
As impressive as Severino was, Mitchell, who made a run for the final spot in the rotation last season, has literally been unhittable through his first two starts of 2017.
The righty has won both games and hasn’t allowed a single hit or run in five innings of work including three strikeouts.
After going 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA in spring training last year, Mitchell went down with a broken toe on March 30 which resulted in him tossing just 46 total innings between the minors and majors in 2016.
Making his regular-season debut with the Bombers on Sept. 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays, the 25-year-old finished with a 3.24 ERA in five starts at the end of the year.
That stretch included a start in which he hurled seven innings of two-hit, no-run ball against the American League East-winning Boston Red Sox and entering at this moment, he’s on track to permanently earn his spot in the New York Yankees rotation.
Do you agree with our power rankings? Think a duo other than Mitchell/Severino would crack the rotation if the decision was made today? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.