Why This MLB Insider Believes Yankees' Pitching Staff Is in 'Good Shape'
You can never have too much pitching.
But in the Yankees’ case, they actually might have enough in the cupboard this season, which would justify not making any big moves to upgrade their staff after the lockout is over.
Although right-hander Jameson Taillon is coming off ankle surgery that is expected to keep him out until late-April/early-May, SNY Insider Andy Martino believes that the Yankees’ rotation and pitching staff is already well-stocked without him.
“They’re in sneaky good shape with the rotation and pitching staff as a whole. ... While a team can always use more pitching, blah, blah, blah, the Yanks have: Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes, Domingo German, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt all expected to be ready for the start of the season,” wrote Martino.
The Yankees also have hybrid starter/reliever Michael King, who was impressive last season once he shifted to a full-time role in the bullpen.
The only knock against this unit is that there isn’t a clear-cut No. 2 starter behind their ace, Cole. While Severino came on strong out of the bullpen in a long relief role down the stretch of last season when he finally returned from a slew of injuries, he has missed too much time since the start of 2019.
Severino can certainly get back to being a co-ace, given his ability, but his injury history makes him a major question mark since his last full campaign came in 2018.
READ: Why The Yankees Must Go All-In On Freddie Freeman
Taillon is another option that could possibly emerge as the Yankees’ second-best starter after Cole, but he has dealt with injuries in the past as well and endured an up-and-down season in his first year in the Bronx in 2021. Not to mention, Taillon will miss the early portion of the season and there is no guarantee that he will be able to stay healthy upon rejoining the club.
There are also a number of additional questions that have yet to be answered on the Yankees’ pitching staff as well. Will Cortes and Gil continue to progress? Can Schmidt stay healthy and keep developing? Will Deivi Garcia bounce back? Will German take things to the next level? And how many innings can this group give them?
Regardless, the Yankees have a slew of pitchers, most of whom have shown flashes at the big-league level, that are expected to receive a significant amount of starts this season.
The Yankees also have a strong bullpen that features Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga, Joely Rodriguez, Wandy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Lucas Luetge.
At this point, the Yankees don’t exactly have another superstar hurler beyond Cole, but they do have a deep pitching staff with good stuff, who will likely be counted on in 2022.
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