2018 Pinstripe Preview: Chasen Shreve

The bullpen was the key to the New York Yankees success last year, and one of the more important pieces to that arsenal was Chasen Shreve.  Shreve, a Nevada native, was traded to the Yanks in 2015 for prospect Manny Banuelos, who was sent to the Atlanta Braves.  The left-handed pitcher spent some time in the big leagues in the middle of the year, but spent most of his time down in Triple-A.  He has a lot to prove and will come into spring training with a chip on his shoulder.  He didn’t have the best year last year, but when he was called up, he got the job done.  I project him to be the seventh pitcher on the relievers depth chart behind Adam Warren, but can this southpaw prove he is the real deal and can secure Yankees wins?

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2017 Review

As I previously mentioned, Shreve bounced back-and-forth between the minors and majors.  Last year, he played 44 games for the Bronx Bombers.  In those 44 games, he pitched for 45.1 innings, striking out 58 batters.  Most pitchers tend to throw better when they are at home, but the opposite is true for Shreve.  The road warrior posted better numbers on the road, with an ERA of 2.77 in 22 games pitched.  And when he pitched in the Bronx, it did not go well for him.  He had an ERA of 5.12.  For a pitcher who pitches that well on the road, there really is no answer for why he couldn’t find success at home.  The lefty also threw nine games down in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and his record was 1-0.  He had a great ERA of 1.59, and in 11.1 innings pitched, he fanned down 19 batters.  

2018 Preview

With the new skipper Aaron Boone, there is a chance that Chasen Shreve makes the 25-Man Roster.  In spring training, he will definitely need to improve on his fastball command, and try to avoid throwing it over the plate too often.  He throws a nasty sinker, so if he can tweak that pitch and make it a consistent weapon, he has a real shot to make the team.  Another positive thing Shreve is that besides the Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman, and non-roster invitee Wade LeBlanc, he is the only left-handed pitcher in the Yankees’ deep bullpen.  I predict that the Yankees will run with a seven-man bullpen, and Chasen Shreve will be a part of it.  He will help the Yankees in tough situations and will see an improved amount of time pitching in 2018.   

Article by: Jack Butterfield

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