A year later, same starters, same questions
TAMPA — As of late Monday afternoon, the Yankees had sold 567,000 more tickets than they had a week later last February. Aaron Judge winning the AL Rookie of the Year in 2017 combined with the addition of Giancarlo Stanton, the 2017 NL MVP, has some believing the Yankees will set the all-time record for home runs. Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius delivered stellar offensive seasons a year ago despite each missing almost a month. The bullpen is deeper than any in baseball. Yes, there are questions at second and third base, respec- t ively, and Greg Bi rd has to remain healthy, but the biggest key to the Yankees’ season stands 60 feet, 6 inches away from home plate.
With pitchers and catchers reporting to Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday and Aaron Boone getting camp opened with a noon press conference, the rotation could be the difference between an AL East title or battling for a wild-card spot, which they secured a year ago when they came within nine innings of advancing to the World Series.
Yet, that rotation which houses the same names that ended the 2017 season, has question marks. That’s why the Yankees were interested in Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Angels, and talked trade with the Pirates about Gerrit Cole, who joined the World Series winners in Houston.
According to a person privy to the Yankees’ plans, free-agent Yu Darvish was never coming to The Bronx. However, Rays starter Jake Odorizzi might via trade.
The Yankees’ rotation consists of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray and second-year lefty Jordan Montgomery. To some degree, all have question marks attached.
“Just because we’re gonna be good doesn’t put any more pressure on me. It probably takes pressure off me,’’ Montgomery said Monday outside the Yankees’ minor league complex, where Tanaka long tossed and Severino threw to batters who didn’t swing.
Yet unlimited lineup muscle and a deep bullpen won’t be enough if the Yankees’ starters don’t perform.
Anointed the staff ace by the departed Joe Girardi, Severino has to prove last year’s 14-6 ledger and 2.98 ERA in 31 starts wasn’t a fluke after a poor 2016. Tanaka had the worst year (13-12; 4.74 ERA) of his four in pinstripes and gave up 35 homers in 30 starts before pitching well in the postseason. Sabathia will be 37 in July and working with a right knee that has had inflammation issues, but he posted a 14-5 record with a 3.69 ERA in 27 starts. Gray went 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 Yankee starts, and Montgomery, in his rookie season, was 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts.
But it’s not like the rotation has to sizzle. In fact matching last year’s numbers would be perfectly acceptable because Yankees starters (a group of 11) were second among AL staffs in ERA (3.98), second in OPS (.714) and second in WHIP (1.24). Their 62 wins were fourth as were the 910 ¹/₃ innings pi tc hed and batt i ng ave ra ge against (.242).
The five returning starters went a combined 54-37 with a 4.17 ERA.