How good is the Yankees pitching rotation, and can it be better?
3. C.C. Sabathia
Only Bartolo Colon would be jealous of Sabathia’s physique, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t pitching well this season. On the contrary, the hefty southpaw might be the Yankees starter who is exceeding his expectations by the widest margin on the young season.
Sabathia has the second lowest ERA in the rotation with an excellent mark of 3.27. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to maintain that level of production all season long, but again, this grade is about what he’s done so far, not what he’ll do in the future.
So far, he’s been an above-average second starter for a team that currently sits atop the AL East. The most interesting aspect of his performance to date is that he’s completely reinvested himself as a pitcher. He can’t dial up the high-90s heat that allowed him to dominate hitters in his younger days. Instead, he relies on excellent command to force hitters to chase pitches off the plate.
If you need proof of that, consider the fact that he’s only managed to strike out 47 hitters in 63 innings and change. Sabathia is pitching to contact more than anyone else on the staff. It’s certainly worked for him so far though. As you might expect, Sabathia gets high marks for his pitching to date.