Bronx Bomber Ball

Coming into this offseason, the starting rotation was at the top of Yankees fans’ minds along with a new contract for DJ LeMahieu.    After allowing JA Happ to leave in free agency and Masahiro Tanaka returning to Japan, and still awaiting the return of Luis Severino after Tommy John surgery prior to Spring Training last season, the Yankees have some new faces in the rotation, as well as a few familiar ones returning.    Welcome to the 2021 BBB Preview of the Yankees Starting Rotation.                                  Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

The first half of the 2019 MLB season was a whirlwind. We saw balls flying out of the yard at an alarmingly high rate, player use of analytics at an all-time high, and Major League Baseball’s first series in England. For the New York Yankees, the first half had many storylines, mostly centered around the injury bug the team has still not managed to fully shake. From the mound to the field and from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to the Bronx, it has seemed that no one on this team has avoided an IL stint.

In a span of 48 hours earlier this week, Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman pulled off two trades to bolster both the starting rotation and bullpen as the Yankees hit the dog days of summer, still within striking distance of Boston for the AL East crown.  New York has one of the stronger lineups in baseball and few spots for obvious upgrades, so Cashman chose to focus on the other side of the ball.   Photo Credit: Frank Franklin/AP Photo

Since Spring Training, it has seemed like a foregone conclusion: the Yankees will make a deal for a starting pitcher. Now, with the announcement on Tuesday that left-hander Jordan Montgomery will require Tommy John Surgery to repair his throwing elbow, the need is more pressing than ever. Thanks to a lack of consistency from everyone in the Yankees rotation aside from ace Luis Severino, Brian Cashman will have to work his magic again to ensure that New York has a fighting chance against their American League foes if the Yankees make a playoff run. So, what moves can Cashman reasonably make that would bolster the Yankees rotation for October baseball?   Photo Credit:  Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

While the Baby Bombers have stolen the show early on for the Yankees, it’s the team’s elder  statesman who has arguably been one of their biggest keys. At 37-years-old, CC  Sabathia   is off   to one of the best starts in his 18-year career. The big left-hander has pitched to a 1.39 ERA and   0.87 WHIP in 32.1 innings. Additionally,  Sabathia   has allowed just one run in four starts since   returning from the disabled list in mid-April, and he has stabilized a rotation that has struggled to find consistency from Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray.   Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson/AP Photo

After an already exciting offseason for the Yankees, one big question still remains: will the Yankees resign CC Sabathia? After recent rumors about the Yankees being interested in trading for Gerritt Cole, a guy they once drafted, it almost seems like they’re turning their shoulder on Sabathia. CC has been worth every penny of his monster contract that the Yankees offered him in 2009. Not only has he performed, but he has genuinely enjoyed his time in New York. After the game seven loss to Houston, CC said "This is my home. I want to see this thing through, I want to come back here and finish things off. This is where I want to be.” Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Grade: B+ Although Jordan Montgomery didn’t join the Yankees starting rotation until the team’s eighth game of the season on April 12th, the young lefty has quickly established himself as one of the top young pitchers in the American League this season.   After beating out Bryan Mitchell, Luis Cessa and Chad Green for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, Montgomery has been nothing but solid to start his big league career. The young man they call Gumby has been perhaps – aside from Luis Severino – the Yankees’ best starting pitcher all season. Photo Credit: T om Szczerbowski/Getty Images

During the fourth inning of last night’s game, Sabathia grabbed his hamstring after a pitch to Martin Maldonado. He left the game after that inning, and it was later revealed that he suffered a hamstring strain and will most likely go on the 10-day DL. Photo via Getty Images

Heading into the season, it was difficult not to view the Yankees' starting rotation through a lens of skepticism. Fortunately, the naysayers, such as myself, have been proven demonstrably wrong. In fact, about a week into the season, I went out of my way to refer to the rotation as an "unmitigated disaster." With the notable exception of Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees' starting staff has been one of the best in the league. Whether it be Luis Severino evolving into a dominant ace, Michael Pineda finally finding the consistency that has escaped him during his tenure in pinstripes, CC Sabathia discovering the fountain of youth, or Jordan Montgomery establishing himself as a well-rounded and ready MLB starter, the Yankees rotation has been essential to their hot start, and sustained success. Now, let's see how this seemingly improbable turn of events has transpired. Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun/New York Post

In this 15th edition of the Bronx Bomber Ball Podcast, Steven Eareckson and Chad Raines discuss a wide ranges of issues pertaining to the 2017 New York Yankees. Steven and Chad begin by sharing their takes on Derek Jeter night, and paying tribute to the Captain's legendary and respectable career. The two then switch gears to talk about the disappointing game that succeeded the ceremony, delving further into the series defeat at the hands of the talented Houston Astros. You won't want to miss the hot takes on Masahiro Tanaka. Is he really an ace? Should he be a Yankee next year? These questions, along with many more related to the recent struggles of the rotation, potential trades in the coming months, and even creative hypotheticals are answered in our latest podcast!

Even since before he came to the Yankees, Michael Pineda has been a tantalizing talent and an equally frustrating one as well. Pineda broke into the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners in 2011 and has always flashed plus stuff but he has also had trouble with consistency and had some untimely run ins with the injury bug as well. This is probably a piece that gets written somewhere early in every season when Big Mike pitches well, but could this finally be the year that Pineda puts it all together and pitches like the ace we continue to see flashes of? Photo Credit: Getty Images

Who would have thought that in 2017 CC Sabathia would reclaim his former title as Yankees ace? That's right, nobody. Granted, it is still only mid-April so things will change as the season progresses, but there is no denying that Sabathia has been the Yankees best starter thus far. With Masahiro Tanaka struggling, Michael Pineda trying to move past the inconsistencies that have plagued his career (though he's had two straight great starts), and Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery establishing themselves as major leaguers, old reliable CC Sabathia has provided the Yankees starting staff with a much needed steady presence. In his three outings this season, Sabathia has gotten better each time. It appears that Sabathia has finally succeeded in his attempt to transform himself as a pitcher with diminishing velocity. If Sabathia can keep this up, Yankees fans might just be begging for him to return next season, albeit at a much lower salary than he's accustomed to earning. ...

With Spring Training right around the corner (pitchers and catchers report February 13th), the Yankees still have a lot of question marks regarding the starting rotation. It is by far the biggest weak spot on the team and it doesn’t look like it is going to get better anytime soon. For now, the rotation includes Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda as the first three starters, and Luis Severino is all but guaranteed the fourth spot. One problem that is being overlooked is the overall health of the rotation, with the majority of them having past health problems in recent seasons. I think utilizing a six-man rotation will be beneficial to everyone in the rotation as the Yankees continue to rebuild for the future. Photo Credit: Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports

For the last few years, the Yankees have been waiting on Bryan Mitchell to make an impact. Prior to suffering a near season-ending injury at the conclusion of spring training in 2016, Mitchell was on track to play an important role in the Yankees bullpen, likely pitching the crucial middle innings. Barring injury or an atrocious spring training, Mitchell will make the big league club. Whether that will be as a starter, or reliever, has yet to be determined. Mitchell certainly has potential; however, he has not yet been given a consistent opportunity at the major league level to make a long-term impression. 2017 will more than likely be the year. With two rotations spots up for grabs at the moment, Mitchell will have a prime opportunity to shine in spring training and earn himself a spot on the starting staff. Even if he isn't chosen as a starter heading into the season, he can still make an impact out the bullpen. Assuming Mitchell can stay healthy for the duration of 2017, this ma...

Every year millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions in hopes of changing their lives for the better.   These resolutions are usually made after one too many glasses of champagne and are seldom kept. For the sake of our sanity and playoff chances, lets hope these guys make and keep these resolutions for 2017. Photo Credit: Tony Gutierrez | AP

When the official second half of the baseball season commences, the Yankees will hope to build on their impressive series victory against the AL Central-leading Indians in Cleveland. I have unequivocally argued that the Yankees show be sellers this year on numerous occasions, however the purpose of this piece is to present an alternative scenario. We all know that the Yankees organization, as Randy Levine indicated a couple weeks ago, will continue to hold out hope that this team will turn it around. As unlikely as it seems, it's still a remote possibility. Below I've identified, and elaborated on, five things the Yankees must do out of the gate in the second half if they are to have any hopes of becoming a serious contender. Some of these solutions may appear to be rudimentary in nature, but others could have a surprisingly beneficial impact on the inconsistent bunch known as the 2016 New York Yankees. Photo Credit: David Richard/USA TODAY Sports

The pitching staff for the New York Yankees in the first half has shown signs of encouragement with some, and has shown extreme disappointments with others. The inconsistency of the starting rotation has somewhat plagued the Yankees as it has contributed to the team’s struggles to string together wins. Of course, the Yankees have the best trio of relievers in the league at the back end of the bullpen with ‘No Run DMC’ in Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman. Although these three have been everything the Yankees have hoped for, the bridge to getting to them has been well below average, which has prompted yet another year of the infamous ‘Scranton Shuttle.’ Pitchers are graded on a standard A, B, C, D, F scale, with A for exceeding expectations, C for meeting expectations, F for failing, and I for incomplete.

If you’re a Yankees fan, chances are you are sick and tired of the night in and night out lackluster performances put on by this underachieving and overpaid Yankees roster. We are now nearing the end of June which brings us within 5 games of the halfway point. Currently the Yankees are two games under .500 and showing no signs of turning things around. Being a lifelong Yankees fan, I am sick and tired of the complacency shown by the management and coaching but more importantly the Yankees players themselves. This is a roster that has a payroll just north of $214 BILLION (!), second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Jim McIsaac

When Bryan Mitchell suffered a fracture and Grade 3 turf toe that required surgery, the magnitude of how much that would hurt the Yankees was unclear. Mitchell did not have a spot in the rotation (although he was arguably the Yankees best pitcher in spring training), but he did have a spot on the Opening Day roster, so he was likely in a middle relief/spot-starter and mop-up, Adam Warren-esque role. But with three of the five Yankee starters struggling of late, in addition to a sixth, Luis Severino who ultimately had to be demoted due to his struggles, the significance of Bryan Mitchell's injury is finally becoming clear. Picture Credit: Kim Klement | USA TODAY SPORTS

Although the Yankees starting rotation was full of questionable marks entering the 2016 campaign, three of the five pitchers in the rotation on Opening Day have become consistent and at times, dominant. CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, and Nathan Eovaldi have all exceeded expectations and have performed extremely well. However, the same cannot be said for Luis Severino and Michael Pineda. Both have struggled heavily, with the Yankees losing in seven of Pineda’s ten starts this season. Even though the Yankees finally demoted the young Severino to Triple-A on Monday, Michael Pineda is still in line to make his next start on Thursday at Detroit. Given the lack of games the Yankees have won with Pineda starting, how successful batters are against him, and his increasing lack of control with the baseball, Pineda should be sent down to Triple-A to work out his issues. Picture Credit: Associated Press/Chris O'Meara