New York Yankees: CC Sabathia Impresses in 2017 Debut

The New York Yankees got an up-and-down season from their veteran lefty last season. Can CC Sabathia still be serviceable after yesterday’s solid 2017 debut?

CC Sabathia got off on the right foot in 2017.

The 36-year-old southpaw, who may very well be pitching the final season of his career, started 2017 the right way. He put an embarrassing start by Masahiro Tanaka on Opening Day behind the New York Yankees and got them in the win column.

Sabathia not only won, but was impressive in doing so. He went five scoreless innings allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out two. He landed 65 percent of his pitches for strikes (55 of 85) and was in control of his main three pitches: fastball, cutter and slider.

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While the Tampa Bay Rays lineup may not be the most intimidating in the power department, they do have a lot more pop than teams of their past. That’s what makes it equally impressive that the lefty really wasn’t hit hard at all. The three base hits he allowed were all singles. Eight of his outs came via ground balls, with none coming through the air.

The Yankees are hoping that this is a carry-over from Sabathia’s hot finish to 2016. In 35.2 innings after the calendar turned to September, the big man compiled an impressive 2.27 ERA with 27 strikeouts and 11 walks. Of course, most of that came with the veteran Brian McCann behind the plate.

And perhaps that’s the most important takeaway from Tuesday’s fine outing for Sabathia. He and Gary Sanchez seemed to work well together, able to maintain the confidence McCann helped Sabathia find again last season.

“It doesn’t have to be on the mound or on the field,” Sabathia told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “Just talking and having a good relationship, him kind of knowing what I want to do and you just go from there. He’s special. He’s different.”

The Yankees would be foolish to think Sabathia is anything near his workhorse form that was once his calling card. The past few seasons have seen injuries pile up and his velocity drop. But he has also worked hard — with the likes of Andy Pettitte — on becoming a pitcher, and not simply the flame-thrower he was in his younger years.

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The Yankees have made it a point to build their bullpen over the years. The Yankees should manage Sabathia properly, and limit him to 90 pitches or five innings an outing. Should they do so, he proved yesterday that he can still be a serviceable piece in the Yankees rotation. That is something the Yankees are desperately looking for in the early part of the season.