Pinstripe Preview: Chad Green

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Acquired alongside Luis Cessa in the Winter of 2016 in the trade that sent left-handed relief pitcher Justin Wilson to the Detroit Tigers, Chad Green has become a key ingredient to the Yankees 2017 success after showing some flashes in limited action last season.
Photo Credit: Anthony J. Causi

Green, a former Louisville Cardinal and ace of their 2013 College World Series team, is currently listed at #16 on the BBB's top prospect list. The righty’s best attribute is most certainly his electric fastball – one that tops off in the high 90s – and currently grades out as a 65 on the 20-80 scale.  Green, however, will need to improve upon his secondary pitches, most notably his pedestrian slider and changeup, if he wants to be a consistent force in the Yankees pitching rotation, although he has the big arm and size to do so.

Green enters spring training this year as part of the five-man battle for the fourth and fifth spots in the Yankees starting rotation.

2016 Review

Chad Green spent 2016 bouncing between AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the big league club.  Green dominated in his time in the minors, going 7-6 in 16 starts with a tidy 1.52 ERA and 100 strikeouts in just 94.2 innings pitched. However, his time spent in the majors can best be described as a mixed bag.

In 12 appearances (eight starts), Green went 2-4 with a 4.73 ERA and struggled to keep the ball in the yard (12 HRs allowed).  His 1.401 WHIP is a bit unsightly as well, as he allowed 49 hits and issued 15 walks over 45.2 innings pitched.

He made his Major League debut on May 16th in a road start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing four earned runs in four innings in a loss.  The righty earned his first win on July 3rd in San Diego (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Ks), but also struggled in his next outing in Cleveland, allowing seven earned runs in just 4.1 IP.  He was optioned to triple-A SWB after the game.

Green showed flashes of potential brilliance on occasion, however.  His August 15th start against the Toronto Blue Jays comes to mind first, as the righty dominated over six innings, racking up 11 strikeouts without allowing a run.  The Yankees ultimately won that game 1-0 in nail-biting fashion.


Green ultimately suffered an elbow injury in early September and was shut down for the remainder of the season.

2017 Preview

Battling with Luis Severino, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren for just two open rotation spots behind Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia, I think Chad Green will be on the outside looking in once camp breaks and the Yankees head to Tropicana Field to start the season.

I love Green’s arm and his potential, however, unless he is dominant in Spring Training, or one of the other four potential starters suffer an injury, I believe the Yankees are best served sending Green to AAA to refine his skills and stay stretched out. Control is a bit of a question mark for Green, so another month or two in the minors should be good for his development. At some point this season, we should expect to see him on the 25-man roster, however, I don’t believe it will be in a relief role.

Chad Green has one of the best fastballs in the organization, and even though the time might not be right for him to grab one of the open starting rotation positions right now, Yankees fans should expect to see plenty of him for years to come.

Article by: Andrew Natalizio

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