We're just about a month into the baseball season, and the Yankees haven't quite been the juggernaut that people were predicting. At least not yet. The season is six months long, so let's not make too much about what we've seen in April, especially since they haven't really been at full strength for much of the opening month.
There are definitely some areas of concern, though. And those concerns will only grow if they aren't addressed. Giancarlo Stanton's going to start hitting. I have no doubt about that. Once he gets used to the American League, he'll be back to the home run-bashing monster the Yankees traded for.
The more immediate concern, however, is the bullpen. It's rightfully touted as one of the best in baseball and is considered by many to be the strength of the team. The theory goes that the Yankee starters just have to be good enough, then they can turn it over to the bullpen. Well, it hasn't quite worked out that way so far this season.
In fact, it's been the opposite. The bullpen has blown a number of leads (or made things worse in games they were already trailing) and has one of the highest bullpen ERAs in baseball. Meanwhile, outside of a few clunkers by Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray, the starters have been pretty good.
Aroldis Chapman has three saves all season. Not because he's blown any. Because he hasn't had any opportunities. They either win big or lose. It's gotten to the point where Chapman pitches in non-save situations just to get work. And we've all seen how it goes when closers pitch in non-save situations. It's not just him. It's all closers.
And, if you look at the numbers, Chapman's actually been pretty good this season. He has two strikeouts per inning, is perfect in save chances (although, as I mentioned, he's only had three) and has given up just two runs and four hits. Likewise, Chad Green picked up right where he left off last season, and Chasen Shreve has been quietly dominant. If you throw out one really bad inning in Toronto, David Robertson has been pretty solid, too.
So who have the biggest culprits been then? Well, Dellin Betances for one. He was an All*Star in each of his first four full seasons, but really struggled with his command at the end of the season last year. Those struggles have continued in 2018. In 8.2 innings, he has a 6.23 ERA and opponents are hitting .314 off him. Then there's Tommy Kahnle. His batting average against is just .154, but he's issued eight walks in 7.1 innings, which has resulted in a 6.14 ERA.
Kahnle was recently placed on the DL with right shoulder tendinitis, so maybe that's what his problem's been. Adam Warren is also currently on the DL. He has a 3.24 ERA and opponents are hitting .294 off him in eight appearances. Warren actually got hurt during the first series in Toronto and tried to pitch through it before being put on the DL, so it's actually not a stretch to think his problems have been physical. But injuries can't be used to explain the plight of the entire bullpen.
My theory is something much more simple. I think the bullpen's been overused. Plain as that. You can't really blame Aaron Boone for it, either. He has all these people in his ear telling him how great his relievers are and how the starters (outside Severino) are terrible. (By the way, I don't think the rotation is that bad, but that's a point for another day.) This reputation is warranted, but it's given Boone an itchy trigger finger in much the same way his predecessor, Joe Girardi, had one.
Even though they won't admit it, overuse definitely affects the efficiency of relievers. Chapman was ineffective at the beginning of last season, mainly because he pitched into November with the Cubs in 2016. Meanwhile, in that crazy Game 5 of last year's World Series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used Brandon Morrow for the third day in a row after saying he wouldn't. Morrow pitched to four batters. Home run, single, double, home run, with a wild pitch thrown in. Doesn't take a genius to realize using him three days in a row might not've been the best plan.
I'd also like to see the Yankees show a little more faith in their starters. The bullpen bailed Severio out in the Wild Card Game last season. But he's emerged as not just the Yankees' ace. He's one of the top starting pitchers in the American League. Don't take him out after six just because. If he can go deeper, have him go seven. Or eight. Or even nine. There's no rule that says starting pitchers can only pitch six innings.
Same thing with CC. He's allowed to pitch more than five innings. And just because Montgomery's the No. 5 starter doesn't mean you're better off with a reliever in the game instead of him in the middle innings.
Will this all balance itself out as the season goes on? Probably. Is the bullpen still one of the strengths of the team? Certainly. But if looking for somewhere to place the blame for the Yankees' middling start, look no further than the bullpen.
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