Tampa Bay Rays: Time to put Yonny Chirinos in the rotation
By David Hill
Even though the bullpen game has been working, the Tampa Bay Rays need more from their starters. It is time to officially name a fourth member of the starting rotation.
At the start of the season, the Tampa Bay Rays had planned on using a four man rotation, with the occasional bullpen day in place of a fifth starter. That plan appeared to have fallen by the wayside when presumed fourth starter Nathan Eovaldi was injured, cutting down the rotation even further. Undaunted, the Rays have just used a three man rotation in the early going, leading to quite the strain on the bullpen.
That strain has been furthered by the struggles of the rotation. Aside from Blake Snell‘s solid outing on Tuesday, neither he nor Jake Faria have been able to give the Rays the length needed from their starters. The Rays need another pitcher to step up and take over that fourth spot in the rotation.
Fortunately, the Rays may have found their answer in Yonny Chirinos. He has started the last two “bullpen games,” pitching well in those outings. Over the course of his first 14.1 innings, covering those two starts and a relief outing, he has allowed just eight hits and two walks, striking out 12 batters. Even though it is a small sample size, Chirinos has fared well thus far.
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Chirinos also has an excellent track record in the minors. Used primarily as a starter over the course of his minor league career, Chirinos posted a sparkling 2.75 ERA and a 1.075 WHiP. He was not a strikeout pitcher, with only 363 strikeouts in his 474.1 innings. However, Chirinos also showed excellent command, walking only 74 batters during that time.
Even though he had the production, Chirinos was not considered one of the Rays better prospects. He was only ranked 23rd by MLB.com in Tamp a Bay’s top 30 prospects, as they cited his lack of a truly dominant offering. Yet, he uses his repetroire to his advantage, mixing his fastball, slider, and splitter well. More of a sinker than a traditional fastball, Chirinos has been excellent at keeping the ball on the ground, allowing only 35 homers in his minor league career.
That success has followed him to the majors, at least through his first three outings. His velocity, which was mediocre at the start of his professional career, has moved up to the mid 90s. His excellent mix of pitches, along with his natural feel for pitching, have allowed Chirinos to maximize his talent. Given his success at every level, and his excellent start to his major league career, it is time to put him into the rotation.
The Tampa Bay Rays need to find a fourth starter. Yonny Chirinos is the answer.