Tag Archives: New York Yankees

April 28, 2024

Giving Judge a Hand

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In the top of the sixth inning in Milwaukee, Aaron Judge of the Yankees walked to start the inning. Alex Verdugo then hit a double play grounder. Judge slid properly into second base, but held up his sliding mitt hand and deflected the throw, allowing Verdugo to reach base. Milwaukee asked for clarification, the umpires gathered, and they let the play stand.

Was this interference? There seem to be two rules at work here. The first is the slide rule.

When sliding into a base in an attempt to break up a double play, a runner has to make a “bona fide slide.” Such is defined as the runner making contact with the ground before reaching the base, being able to reach the base with a hand or foot, being able to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate) and not changing his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder. The slide rule prohibits runners from using a “roll block” or attempting to initiate contact with the fielder by elevating and kicking his leg above the fielder’s knee, throwing his arm or his upper body or grabbing the fielder. When a violation of the slide rule occurs, the offending runner and the batter-runner will be called out.

Accidental contact can occur in the course of a permissible slide, and a runner will not be called for interference if contact is caused by a fielder being in the runner’s legal pathway to the base.

MLB.com

Judge’s slide looked legal to me.

The other rule has to to with interference:

(f) if, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of the runner. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner;

Baseballrulesacademy.com

Now, technically, Judge did not interfere with a batted ball. Nor did he interfere with the fielder.

I can’t find a rule that says you can’t block a thrown ball. If someone else has a rule that applies that, please let me know.

The Yankees went on the score seven runs in that innings, and now lead the Brewers 15-5 in the top of the ninth inning.

Update: The umpires said they missed the call. The play was not reviewable.

April 15, 2024

Voice Retires

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John Sterling, radio voice of the Yankees since 1989, retired today due to health reasons. I’m sorry his health is not good.

I first heard Sterling when I was an Islanders fan in the 1970s. When the Islanders scored a goal, he would yell, “ISLANDERS GOAL! ISLANDERS GOAL! ISLANDERS GOAL!” When the opposition scored, his call was, “goal.”

Most times when I’m listening to Yankees games in the car, he doesn’t bother me much. Sometimes, I have to turn to the opponents broadcast. I particularly don’t like the way he ignored Suzyn Waldman. Waldman would make a point, and seldom did Sterling take the point any further. It was usually on to the next pitch with the point forgotten.

I will admit I do like the nicknames for home runs by particular hitters.

Update: Michael Kay, during the Yankees broadcast, said that Sterling told him it’s not a health issue. He just doesn’t like getting to and from the park anymore. From Kay’s description, it sounds like he’s tired, not sick.

April 3, 2024

This Time it Worked

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Up one run, Aaron Boone, they Yankees manager, issued a two-out intentional walk with men on first and second to get to Arizona pitcher, who had to bat due to the Diamondbacks losing their designated hitter. Scott McGough then stuck out to end the game, the Yankees winning 6-5.

This reminds me of one of my most famous Strat-o-Matic games.* We were playing with 1979 cards in our dorm league, and I was pitted against one of my roommates. We were in extra innings, and with two out, my number six hitter Bill Madlock doubled. My opponent then walked Thurman Munson and Rick Burleson to load the bases, because I could not pinch hit for the pitcher (no DH league) because I had used up my bench. Dave Frost came to the plate, as bad a hitter as a pitcher could be in the game. He faced Joaquin Andujar. The dice roll wound up on Andujar’s card, a 4-9. It turned out to be a walk. The Pinto Hatchbacks were now in the lead.

I started jumping up and down, yelling, “He walked! He walked!” when suddenly the card table came flying across the room at me, and my fuming roommate uttered his now famous phrase, “I hate happy people!”*

Boone is obviously a much better manager.

Andujar was forever called “I Joaquin Runs.”

*Famous among a very small number of people.

March 31, 2024

Yankees Sweep

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Juan Soto posts a 3 for 5 day, including driving in the winning run with two out in the top of the ninth as the Yankees beat the Astros 4-3 for a four-game sweep. Soto ends the series with a .529/.600/.765 slash line.

It’s a long season, but so far, Soto is living up to all the hype. The Yankees leave the best team in the American League over the last seven seasons in the basement of the AL West.

March 28, 2024

A Soto Win

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Juan Soto figures prominently in the Yankees 5-4 win over the Astros. He draws two walks, singled in the Yankees first run, and made a great throw from rightfield in the bottom on the ninth to cut down the tying run at the plate. The Yankees collected nine walks to go with eight hits, and might have scored even more if they didn’t ground into three double plays. Oswaldo Cabrera, starting for an injured DJ LeMahieu and batting ninth, singled and homered, his shot tying the game at four.

March 28, 2024

Valdez Grounders

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Framber Valdez of the Astros keeps getting in and out of trouble against the Yankees. He induced the double play ground balls through four innings. Twice they came with the bases loaded and one out to end big threats. The Houston leads New York 4-0 in the middle of the fourth inning.

Update: Juan Soto breaks the bases loaded double play streak with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning. That cuts the Astros lead to 4-1.

March 28, 2024 March 27, 2024

Division Preview, 2024 AL East

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The division previews finish with the AL East. To help with evaluations, a crude runs created per game is calculated from Musings Marcels projections for both batters and pitchers. I then average these for the core of the team. The nine position players, the five starting pitchers, and the closer. I weight the pitchers as 90% starters, 10% closer. The selection of players comes from the FanGraphs Roster Resource.

The bottom line is a Core Winning Percentage based on the RC/G of the core batters and core pitchers using the Pythagorean method. You can see the spreadsheet with the data here.

Note that the core winning percentage (CWP) is going to be high, often the core is going to be over .500. We are basically looking at the best players on the team. Don’t take that as a prediction of team winning percentage, take it as a way to compare teams in a division.

New York Yankees

  • Position Player RC/G Average: 5.61
  • Pitcher RC/G Average: 4.18
  • Core Winning Percentage: .643

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto both project to over eight RC/G. Two players generating that much offense covers a lot of ills. That’s especially true when the team owns core set of pitchers who are the best in the division. Note that despite a poor season in 2023, Carlos Rodon still projects to be very good, as his 2023 makes up a small part of the projection. Nestor Cortes also comes in below four RC/G, and Gerrit Cole is waiting in the wings. The Yankees right now have the depth to sustain the Cole injury.

That wasn’t true of the offense in 2023, and may not be true this season. I suspect there is upside with Anthony Rizzo regaining his brain health. Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton both hit well in spring training. If those two sluggers are back to their 80% of their old selves, the Yankees have the depth to survive a stubbed toe. This could be a very good season in The Bronx.

Baltimore Orioles

  • Position Player RC/G Average: 5.39
  • Pitcher RC/G Average: 4.26
  • Core Winning Percentage: .615

The Orioles lineup consists of seven players in their prime years. The front office brought along their talent to mature at the same time, and now they have a chance to build on a division championship. With catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Gunnar Henderson each over 6.0 RC per game, the Orioles project to be the strongest team in the division up the middle. Offensively, the biggest weakness appears to be at first base; that position, however, tends to be easy to fix.

The rotation should benefit from the addition of Corbin Burnes. That takes pressure off the young Grayson Rodriguez to be the ace. The pair offer a pretty good 1-2 punch for an excellent offense. Bringing in a good veteran like Burnes is what young teams do when they are ready to go to the next level.

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Position Player RC/G Average: 5.30
  • Pitcher RC/G Average: 4.26
  • Core Winning Percentage: .608

I have my doubts about the Rays this season. They are weak offensively up the middle in a division where everyone else is pretty good. As far as the bat is concerned, Jose Caballero is no Wander Franco. Losing both Franco and McClanahan for a full season is a very tough blow.

I do suspect the Rays put a very good defensive team on the field, however, something that is not measured here. If a good defense can drive down the pitcher core RC/G by a quarter of a run, that might give them enough to compete for the division.

This is a good team, I just don’t think they compare as well to recent seasons.

Boston Red Sox

  • Position Player RC/G Average: 5.44
  • Pitcher RC/G Average: 4.59
  • Core Winning Percentage: .591

The Red Sox project to own the second best offense in the division in 2024. We know that Rafael Devers shines at the plate, but Triston Casas looks ready to join him. He showed signs of getting on base at a high rate and hitting for power. As he moves into his age 24 season, it’s the right year to take that to the next level.

In addition, there is an upside to a healthy Trevor Story. He ranked in spring training. If can produce a run over his 4.62 projection, the Red Sox core winning percentage should move over .600.

The pitching is the weak spot for the team. Giving Bryan Bello a long-term contract indicates the team believes he will improve his 5.09 RC/G projection, and we’ll see if he can assume the mantle of ace this year. It’s not a bad rotation, and the offense and a decent bullpen could keep them in a division race. It’s a year to be bullish on the Red Sox.

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Position Player RC/G Average: 5.27
  • Pitcher RC/G Average: 4.39
  • Core Winning Percentage: .590

The Blue Jays rank last in the division in Core Winning Percentage, but just a hair behind the Red Sox. In fact this is not a bad team, they just play in a very good, balanced division. I can’t help but think the Blue Jays should be at the top, not the bottom.

Five years ago this was a team on the rise. They brought a long a large group of young players, almost all of them related to other major leaguers. Only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette turned into stars, and Guerrero peaked in 2021 at seasonal age 22.

The veterans the Blue Jays brought in to complement that group are now old, and not producing as much. The group projects to be the lowest scoring team in the division. Guerrero is still young enough to find his 2021 form again, but the window is closing on this group to produce a championship.

The pitching side is okay. Alek Manoah‘s fall from the rotation hurt, but maybe the shoulder issue that showed up this spring actually started last year? When a player gets that bad that fast, it’s a good bet there is an injury. If he comes back at full strength in a month or two, that will be a positive for the rest of the season. Right now, however, it looks like the Jays could finish over .500 and last in the division.

Predictions

Here is how I see the probabilities of the teams winning the division.

  • New York Yankees 30%
  • Baltimore Orioles 25%
  • Tampa Bay Rays 20%
  • Boston Red Sox 13%
  • Toronto Blue Jays 12%

Any of these teams might get hot, might make the right trade, or find a prospect is ready to contribute and pull away from the rest. In an odd way, despite this being a good division, I can imagine the AL East not sending a wild card to the playoffs. The five teams might beat up on each other enough that none of them have an outstanding record. The upside is that every AL East intra division series should be a good one.

March 15, 2024

Team Offense Summary

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With all thirty teams analyzed, the Dodgers and Braves come out on top, flipping one and two from last season. The LAT shows the Dodgers finishing first in the majors in runs per game, beating the Braves by 0.07 runs. Note that the Dodgers own a bigger spread between their best and worst lineups, 0.37 runs to 0.32 for the Braves. This suggests Los Angeles may be more dependent on their star players than Atlanta, and more susceptible to an injury causing havoc.

That is pretty much what happened to the Yankees last season. New York, with a healthy starting lineup and the addition of Juan Soto, moves from twenty fifth to fourth. That the biggest jump any team made this season. They still have a high spread, 0.43 runs, so once again remaining healthy becomes the biggest priority for the team. The Cardinals also make a big jump, going from nineteenth to fifth.

There are some drops as well. The biggest one belongs to the Cubs, going from sixth to twenty second. One reason for that would be Cody Bellinger. Musings Marcels uses three years of data to evaluate a player. While Bellinger posted great numbers in 2023, his 2021 and 2022 season were poor. He gets knocked down for that. If he returns to his 2023 level, this will turn out to be a poor prediction for the Cubs.

The Rangers, Rays, and Orioles also show drops. Part of that comes from the young players on the team still getting strong regression toward the league averages. Teams will adjust to these hitters. Some will fade due to that, but some will adjust back. Again, youth brings upside.

On the low end, the Nationals drop from twenty first to last, predicted to finish behind the awful Oakland lineup.

The Reds get my vote for most interesting team in the study. They rank seventh, just behind the Phillies. The spread between their best and worst lineups is just 0.15 runs, indicating their talent is evenly distributed throughout the batting order. In other words, they are loaded with good talent. With youth as well, there is upside to the prediction. If there is going to be a surprise offensive juggernaut, the Reds could be it.

Next week we’ll start to see how things shake out.

You can see the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.

Previous posts in this series:

March 15, 2024

Cole’s Elbow

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There is an unconfirmed report that Gerrit Cole does not need Tommy John surgery:

Cole has been advised to rest and undergo noninvasive treatment, and will be shut down for at least a month, a source said. The Yankees have not given a timetable for Cole’s return.

ESPN.com

A friend of mine suggested the Yankees sign Trevor Bauer. It makes sense if the Yankees are trying to avoid giving big money to a free agent. The Dodgers are paying Bauer’s salary, so the Yankees could get him cheap. If he pitches poorly, he can be released easily enough. If he pitches well, the Yankees have an even stronger rotation when and if Cole returns.

The Yankees have a history of bringing in or back players suspended for domestic abuse. The team was able to get Ardolis Chapman cheap when his personal life made him difficult to move, and they were able to bring back Domingo German. They can probably weather the bad press they would get bringing Bauer on the team, especially if he pitches well.

March 11, 2024

Team Offense, New York Yankees

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The 2024 series on team offense continues with the New York Yankees. The Yankees finished twenty fifth in the Majors and eleventh in the American League in 2023 with 4.15 runs scored per game.

This season I am using FanGraphs Roster Resource Depth Charts* as the source of default lineups. That Bret Boone batting order is plugged into the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) using Musings Marcels as the batter projections. That information produces the following results (Runs per game):

  • Best lineup: 5.32
  • Probable lineup: 5.16
  • Worst lineup: 4.89
  • Regressed lineup: 4.70

The Yankees look to be the most improved offense in the majors in 2024. Adding someone like Juan Soto will do that for a team. He and Alex Verdugo should improve an outfield with a terrible OBP from 2023.

The Yankees should improve in other areas as well. Anthony Volpe has a year of experience under his belt. Austin Wells comes to the majors at the start of his prime, and should better the poor output of the 2023 catchers. Anthony Rizzo appears to be healthy after his 2023 concussion. There is quite a bit of upside here.

The LAT both likes and doesn’t like the lineup construction. It has orders with DJ LeMahieu, Soto, Aaron Judge batting consecutively, but 9-3 rather than 1-4. The LAT and the Yankees agree Volpe should be batting eighth. Despite all that, the default lineup only captures 63% of the optimum lineup.

That is the downside for the Yankees. They have the largest spread between the best and worst lineups studied this season, 0.43 runs. That means getting the right batting order is important. It also means that if the stars go down, there is little on the team to replace them.

Healthy, this is one of the best offenses in the majors. With a couple of injuries, however, they could fall very far once more.

You can follow the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.

Previous posts in this series:

*This is the best source of roster information I’ve seen, with everything on one page.

March 11, 2024

Bad News and Good News

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Gerrit Cole of the Yankees will undergo imaging of his elbow due to poor recoveries after pitching:

Boone, speaking before a Grapefruit League game, said the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner has not been recovering as expected between spring outings.

“His recovery, before getting to his next start, has been more akin to what he feels during the season, when he’s making 100 pitches,” Boone told reporters. “When he’s at 45 [pitches] and building to 55, he usually doesn’t have the recovery issues he’s having.

“I think there’s a level of discomfort, but I wouldn’t describe it as he’s in pain.”

ESPN.com

At least he is not complaining about forearm tightness. Still, it is bad news for the Yankees if Cole is not 100%.

Of course, that might be very good news for Blake Snell and/or Jordan Montgomery. If Cole is seriously injured, those two might get a much better deal from a rich team like the Yankees.

February 7, 2024

DiMaggio’s Payday

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On this day in 1949, Joe DiMaggio became the first MLB player to receive a $100,000 contract (video at the link). Note that at the time, there was no free agency, and the only way to try to negotiate a better deal was to “hold out,” basically refusing to play. DiMaggio’s $100,000 would be worth about $1.28 million today. Note that as a five WAR player, DiMaggio might be worth $40 to $50 million a year today.

That demonstrates both the value of free agency and the growth of the game. The two go hand in had.

January 13, 2024

Catching Up

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Real life got busy the last few days. Luckily, a very tepid hot-stove league continued, but there are a few signings worth comments.

The Yankees agreed to a deal with pitcher Marcus Stroman:

The New York Yankees have added a veteran right-hander to their rotation. New York and free agent Marcus Stroman have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year, reports the New York Post. The deal is worth $18.5 million per season. The team has not yet confirmed the signing, which is pending a physical.

CBSSports.com

Stroman posted solid 3.5 WAR seasons during his prime, and now is a two to two and a half WAR pitcher. That’s the value the contract indicated as well, so the Yankees do not appear to have overpaid. If Gerrit Cole remains great and Carlos Rodon returns to form, Stroman serves as a solid middle of the rotation starter.

Note that Stroman induces a high percentage of ground balls, that might help him keep the ball in the park in Yankee Stadium. Note that millions of dollars smooths over negative comments by the parties about each other in the past.

The Cubs made the Shota Imanaga signing official. The Japanese told reporters he is not a finished product.

Known as the Pitching Philosopher in Japan, Imanaga hopes to improve on his game after getting a taste of the biggest stage when he competed in the World Baseball Classic for Japan last spring.

“I’m not a finished product,” Imanaga said through his interpreter, Shingo Murata. “There’s a lot for me to learn. My approach in that way earned me that nickname.”

Added Cubs president Jed Hoyer: “He’s very curious. He wants to get better. That sounds like a perfect match for the Cubs.”

ESPN.com

He is in his 30s, so his best seasons are likely behind him. Developing new pitches, however, could keep the hitters guessing. His strength as a pitcher is limiting walks, but his K and HR rates were also good.

The Giants signed reliever Jordan Hicks with the hope of making him a starter:

Hicks, 27, has experience as a starter, working there almost exclusively in his two minor league seasons and spending eight games in the rotation with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he has a starter’s build, and even if his velocity recedes with the move, he will still be among the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball.

A source said Hicks can also make up to $2 million per year in performance bonuses.

Perhaps the most sought-after relief pitcher at the 2023 trade deadline, Hicks was dealt from the Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays for two prospects. He finished the season with 81 strikeouts in 65? innings between the two teams, allowing just four home runs while saving 12 games.

ESPN.com

Hicks walked a ton of batters as he filled in as a starter in 2022. If he gets a spring training starting one would hope he would adjust. The good news is the Giants get him in his prime, and the contract will be worth it even if he generates four to five WAR over the seasons. If the Giants are right about his ability to start, there is a lot of upside to the deal.

December 28, 2023

My Uncle Drove a Pinto

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Bronx Banter declares the Dodgers the new Evil Empire:

No one was the least bit surprised when the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani, but there were some audible gasps when word of the $700 million contract — by far the largest ever — was announced. It was a big number, but it didn’t really change the expected narrative of the post season. The Dodgers got their man, and soon the Yankees would get theirs.

Everything changed, however, when we learned that Ohtani would be deferring a staggering 97% of his salary. The Dodgers were getting a Rolls Royce for the price of a Pinto, so why not go shopping for a Maserati?

By following up the Ohtani deal with Yamamoto, the Dodgers did more than just strengthen their rotation while stealing a pitcher from the Yankees. They announced to the baseball world that they are the new Evil Empire. Not satisfied with being the best regular season team in baseball over the last several seasons and apparently no longer willing to subject themselves to the random chance of the postseason, the Dodgers used their deep pockets and their deep farm system to bolster a team that won 100 games in 2023.

BronxBanterBlog.com

Most of the economic restrictions on signing players over the years (bonus babies, the amateur draft, free agent compensation, taxes on salary, slot bonuses) were there to stop the Yankees from spending freely to win. I suspect the next round of restrictions will be aimed at the Dodgers.

December 7, 2023

Soto to the Yankees

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The Yankees and Padres completed a deal than sends Juan Soto to New York:

The San Diego Padres traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees late Wednesday night, marking the second trade in less than 17 months for the 25-year-old outfielder who has established himself as one of this era’s most gifted hitters.

The Yankees also received outfielder Trent Grisham from the Padres as part of the seven-player deal. In exchange, San Diego received right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez, starting-pitching prospect Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

ESPN.com

The Padres get King, a good pitcher with two prime years left, and two years of control. In his minor league career, Brito posted low numbers in all three-true outcomes; he walks few and gives up few home runs, but batters put the ball in play against him. Good defense will be key when he’s pitching. He’s also not young, as 2024 will be his age 26 season. Vasquez also limits home runs, but tends to walk batters more. The Padres needed pitching, and they received major league ready pitching.

Thorpe is the prize here, as he rose quickly to AA in his first year in the minors and pitched extremely well there. He had an injury concern, but the Padres were obviously satisficed with his medical condition. Higashioka gives the Padres a solid backup at catcher, and a catcher who knows the major league pitchers.

The Yankees got left-handed quickly. Soto, Grisham, and the recently acquired Alex Verdugo all bat in a sinister manner. New York takes a risk in trading lots of talent for potentially one year of Soto. Then again, they Yankees have the resources to keep him away from free agency.

I actually find the inclusion of Grisham fascinating. He’s not a good hitter, but his defense helps make him a two-WAR player. It’s also possible to set up a platoon with Grisham and Verdugo, as Grisham is a reverse lefty at the plate for his career. So Verdugo plays most of the time, since right-handers are prevalent in the game, but Grisham can start against left-handers, giving the Yankees a chance to rest other players. He’ll also allow New York to put better defense on the field late in the game.

This deal will need to be judged long term, as it depends on the Yankees ability to sign Soto long term and if Thorpe develops into a superlative major league pitcher.

December 6, 2023

Verdugo A Yankee

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The Red Sox and Yankees made a rare trade:

The Yankees acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, with New York turning to the 27-year-old to improve its offense in just the eighth trade between the rivals since the start of the Divisional Era in 1969. 

The Red Sox received right-handers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice in the deal.

ESPN.com

Verdugo is a career .281/.337/.428 hitter, so his main strength is getting on base. All three outfield positions posted below .300 OBPs in 2023 for New York, so Verdugo should improve offense among the outfielders.

The Yankees did not give up a lot. Fitts owns an excellent minor league record, and the trade is basically Fitts for Verdugo. Judice has yet to record a professional inning, but walked a ton of batters in college.

It’s not a deal that will turn around either club, but each received a useful player.

December 1, 2023

The Soto Trade Problem

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Jon Heyman at the New York Post discusses the fruitless trade talks between the Yankees and Padres over Juan Soto. The last paragraph sums up the problem nicely:

The Yankees are willing to take on Soto’s full salary while surrendering players. But Soto’s value is somewhat limited a bit by the realization he’s a one-year rental. He’s already turned down a $440M, 15-year offer from his previous Washington Nationals team, and with a year to go before free agency, he’d be looking for $500M plus with a much higher average annual value than the $29M in that bid.

NYPost.com

For most teams, including the Yankees, it makes no sense to trade the farm for one year of Soto unless the team is fairly certain they are going to win a championship with him in the lineup. So unless Soto is willing to sign a long-term contract, a big trade chock full of prospects likely won’t happen. I would say the team for Soto would be a young team that has not won in a long time and needs one more piece. I don’t think Cleveland is quite there yet. Maybe the Mariners would be a good fit, and the Blue Jays. The Rays can rebuild quite quickly, so they might be able to afford the loss of prospects for aWorld Series win.

Actually, one team that would make sense for the trade would be the Padres! Maybe San Diego should keep Soto and hope he, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr.produce so much offense the pitching doesn’t matter.

November 17, 2023

Bauers for Prospects

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The Yankees traded Jake Bauers to the Brewers for two prospects:

After trading non-tender candidate Abraham Toro to the Oakland Athletics for a prospect, the Brewers are now on the opposite end of a similar deal. The club announced on Friday that it has acquired first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees in exchange for outfield prospects Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez.

BrewCrewBall.com

The Brewers get a power bat they can control for three years for not a lot of money. Bauers pays for that power with a lot of outs, however.

Avina finished his age 20 season at single A where he was a walk machine with power. Sanchez, playing as an 18 year old in the Rookie League hits four trips in 128 PA with a very high OBP. If they develop right, the Yankees might have a nice table setter/ table clearer combination on their hands.

November 8, 2023

Party Like It’s 1982

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Hal Steinbrenner brings up bunting as an example of how the Yankees will change their minor league development:

In a bizarre moment during his Zoom press conference with reporters on Tuesday, while he was being pressed for specifics on substantial changes the Yankees might make, Hal Steinbrenner finally offered an example.

“So one thing that was discussed in August is bunting — I think Aaron Boone thinks that we’re not teaching the young players to bunt enough,” Steinbrenner said.

Steinbrenner went on to say that, yes, in line with where the game was heading a few years ago, the Yankees “cut back on the bunting skills” in the minor leagues.

“But Aaron Boone feels it’s becoming a bigger part of the game again,” Steinbrenner said. “He feels it’s important. So we’re gonna start right up again at the player development level, with everything we were doing a few years ago.”

NYPost.com

Brian Cashman walked back those comments a bit. Teaching bunting is also very different from using bunting. I can’t help but remember the signing of Dave Collins before the 1982 season as George Steinbrenner decided the Yankees needed to be a speed team:

In planning this year’s strategy, Steinbrenner emphasized that the Yankees would become a team of speed. He did such a good job of emphasizing that, he gave credence to the contention that the Yankees lack the power they will need to fight off such challengers as Milwaukee, Baltimore and Detroit.

NYTimes.com

The Yankees finished fifth, four game under .500, behind all three of those teams.

It’s also not clear what bunting means in this scenario. Bunting has two uses; advancing runners to increase the chance of scoring a run, or taking advantage of the defense to reach base. Mickey Mantle would bunt for the latter reason. His occasional bunts kept the defense honest; they couldn’t play farther back to take away hits.

Of course, the previous decade showed that most players and organizations didn’t think bunting against the shift was a better strategy than going for the home run.

Most people think of bunting in the first sense, however, advancing runners. This used to be an early game strategy. In low scoring eras, getting that first run on the board was important, so having a number two hitter who bunted well worked. In high run eras like today, the sacrifice is a late inning strategy for close games, where one run might mean a win.

Finally, why do MLB organizations need to teach bunting? It’s catching the ball with the bat. This is something that should be learned at a young age, then a few bunts in batting practice to keep the skill honed. Learning to drag a bunt for a hit might take more skill, but I remember a piece ESPN did on Brett Butler in the 1990s where he said he could teach anyone to bunt like he did. Speed leading to infield hits were a bit reason for his .377 career OBP.

There are players who might benefit from learning to bunt well. There are players for whom it doesn’t matter. Concentrating on the former likely makes the most sense for any organization.

November 6, 2023

Early Odds

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The early lines for the 2024 season league championships are out, courtesy of www.betonline.ag:

Odds to Win the 2024 American League
Texas Rangers17/4(+425)
Houston Astros19/4(+475)
Baltimore Orioles6/1(+600)
New York Yankees8/1(+800)
Toronto Blue Jays8/1(+800)
Tampa Bay Rays9/1(+900)
Seattle Mariners10/1(+1000)
Boston Red Sox12/1(+1200)
Minnesota Twins14/1(+1400)
Cleveland Guardians28/1(+2800)
Detroit Tigers28/1(+2800)
Los Angeles Angels33/1(+3300)
Chicago White Sox50/1(+5000)
Kansas City Royals75/1(+7500)
Oakland Athletics100/1(+10000)
Odds to Win the 2024 National League
Atlanta Braves7/2(+350)
Los Angeles Dodgers4/1(+400)
Philadelphia Phillies11/2(+550)
San Diego Padres9/1(+900)
New York Mets11/1(+1100)
Arizona Diamondbacks14/1(+1400)
Chicago Cubs16/1(+1600)
San Francisco Giants16/1(+1600)
Milwaukee Brewers18/1(+1800)
Cincinnati Reds20/1(+2000)
St Louis Cardinals20/1(+2000)
Miami Marlins25/1(+2500)
Pittsburgh Pirates28/1(+2800)
Washington Nationals35/1(+3500)
Colorado Rockies100/1(+10000)
As of 11/6/2023

I suspect bettors underestimated the NL Central here. The Brewers and Reds deserve more credit. The Marlins seem low, also.

Are the Tiger underestimated as well? They just made a deal for veteran Mark Canha. He addresses a team weakness in getting on base. It’s the kind of move good teams make when they are ready to win, plugging a weakness with a veteran. We shall see.

The AL East looks like a monster division again, although the Yankees look overrated to me. They need to build a good, complementary roster around their two superstars, Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. People still like the Padres and Mets. I understand thinking the Padres have to play better, but after the Mets tore their roster apart, I don’t see them recovering that quickly.

The longshot bet would be the White Sox. New management might just figure out the disfunction, and there is talent there. They’ve already let Tim Anderson go to free agency.

September 27, 2023

Two Superstars

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A team can do a lot with two superstars. The Yankees showed that on Wednesday night as Aaron Judge hits two home runs and draws two walks while Gerrit Cole pitches a complete game shutout as New York beats Toronto 6-0. Those two can’t carry a team every game, but when a team has two players of that ability, the trick is then find the right group of complementary players to provide enough value to win. The Braves and Dodgers do that very well, and the Yankees used to do that well. New York needs to get back to finding the complements.

September 10, 2023

Jasson, We Hardly Knew Ye

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Rookie sensation Jasson Dominguez tore his UCL:

Aaron Boone said Dominguez reported soreness in the elbow as far back as his first series in Houston, but it didn’t impact him at the plate until he was taking batting practice Sunday. 

He is expected to be out for 9-10 months.

NYPost.com

Bryce Harper showed hitters can come back from this injury quickly, and youth in on Dominguez’s side in this regard. Of course, the Yankees may not want him as a designated hitter, since they have plenty of people on that team better suited to that role. I could see him DH’ing in the minors until he can throw again, which may mean he might not be back with the Yankees until 2025.

Correction: I mistakenly typed 2024 in the original post.

September 10, 2023

The Game that May Not End

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The Brewers score twice in the top of the twelfth inning, but Giancarlo Stanton leads off the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to tie the game again. One of the great games of all time is tied at three in the twelfth.

Update: The next three Yankees go down, and the game goes to the thirteenth inning. New York has three runs on two hits, thanks in part to the ghost runner.

Update: The Brewers fail to score in the top of the thirteenth.

Update: Kyle Higashioka of the Yankees makes an adjustment at the plate in the bottom of the thirteenth. He moved a bit closer to the plate, which caused Brewer catcher Victor Caratini to make a mound visit. On the next pitch, Higashioka moves closer again and lines the pitch into the leftfield corner for a 4-3 Yankees win.

What a great game. A heart breaking loss for the Brewers. They dominated the Yankees hitters, but New York came through with the game on the line twice, and wins the contest.

September 10, 2023

Brewers in the Eleventh

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The Brewers lead the Yankees 1-0 after scoring in the top of the eleventh inning. Joel Payamps comes on to pitch. The Yankees are schedules to send up Everson Pereira, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Kyle Higashioka,

Pereira grounds out to third, advancing Volpe to third.

Update: Cabrera lines a 1-1 pitch into the rightfield corner for a double. That ties the game at one and ends the Brewers no-hit bid.

Update: With runners on first and second and two out, the Brewer intentionally walk Aaron Judge!

Update: Gleyber Torres grounds the ball up the middle, where the Brice Turang grabs the ball and steps on second for the out. To the twelfth tied at one.

September 10, 2023

Brewers Score

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Tyrone Taylor singles with one out in the top of the 11th inning to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead over the Yankees. They finally have a chance to finish this game with a winning no-hitter. It would be the first 11 innings no-hitter in the history of the game. It would also mean the Yankees have been no-hit and threw a no-hitter in the same season.

Update: That’s it now for the eleventh.

September 10, 2023

Brewers in the Tenth

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The Brewers fail to score in the top of the tenth inning, and once again they try to keep a no-hitter alive as part of winning a game. This would be the first extra-inning no-hitter with a ghost runner. Abner Uribe comes on to face Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Update: Torres gets ahead 2-1 with Aaron Judge on second base. Torres takes a 2-2 pitch for a called strike three on the high, outside corner.

Update: Stanton falls behind 1-2. He works the count full, then draws the walk.

Update: IKF fall behind 1-2. He gets called out on a high, outside pitch that looked just off the zone. Two down.

Update: Anthony Volpe drives the first pitch to the wall in right-center. Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer (in for defense) collide, but Frelick makes the catch, and the Brewers have ten no-hit innings! Wow!

Update: Wiemer comes away with a bloody lip.

September 10, 2023

Brewers in the Ninth

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The Brewers go quietly in the ninth, and take a no-hitter into the ninth in a scoreless game. Corbin Burnes is out of the game, and Devin Williams comes on to pitch.

The Yankees are scheduled to send Ben Rortvedt, DJ LeMahieu, and Aaron Judge to the plate.

Update: Jake Bauers pinch hits. He falls behind 0-2. He strikes out on a foul tip.

Update: LeMahieu gets ahead 2-1. He grounds out on the next pitch to third base. two down.

Update: Judge gets ahead 2-1. Judge swings and misses to even the count. He works the count full. Judge swings and misses for the K, and the game goes to extra innings scoreless, and one team hitless.

September 10, 2023

Burning Love

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Corbin Burnes of the Brewers just finished six no-hit innings against the Yankees. He walked two batters in the fifth inning, otherwise he retired the side in order. He struck out four, and threw 81 pitches so far.

There is no score in the game as Gerrit Cole allowed just three hits and no walks.

Update: A strikeout, a fly out, and a nice play by Burnes on a ground ball as he slipped off the mound keeps the no-hitter intact through seven innings. Still no score.

Update: Two strikeouts and a groundout keep the no-hitter intact through eight innings. Burnes is just carving up the Yankees hitters. Unfortunately for the Brewers, there is still no score. Note that Burnes did pitch in a combined no hitter on Sept. 11, 2021 in Cleveland. Both previous Brewers non-hitters came on the road as well.

September 5, 2023

Back to .500

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The Yankees beat the Tigers 5-1 to return to the .500 level, 69-69. last week, when they stood at 62-68, I had a discussion with a friend who rather dislikes the Yankees. While he was happy to see them losing, he wasn’t sure they were actually out of it. I pointed out that the team still had talent, and could certainly play .800 ball over a 30 game stretch. Since that conversation they are 7-1. While they are 4-1 against the Tigers, they also swept the Astros.

If New York goes 19-5 the rest of the way, they finish 88-74. That probably doesn’t get them into the playoffs this season. On the other hand, they just need to split their final 24 games to avoid their first losing season since 1992. I’m sure anti-Yankee fans will be disappointed that the collapse wasn’t complete.