Five Questions the Yankees Will Need to Answer in 2019
By Manny Gómez
Will a Yankee Starter Crack 200 IP in 2019?
The New York Yankees did an excellent job improving their pitching staff entering the 2019 season. However, despite adding yet another strikeout pitcher in James Paxton, they haven’t necessarily addressed the issue of stamina on the team.
In fact, of all the starters on the rotation, only CC Sabathia has ever cracked the 200 IP threshold. He last did it in 2013.
The only other pitcher to come close to the mark, Masahiro Tanaka, came close in 2016. That season, Tanaka pitched 199.2 IP.
The good news is that the Yankee bullpen is quite possibly the best in MLB. According to STEAMER projections, the teams RP are worth a combined 6.5 fWAR. The next best team, the Houston Astros, are worth 4.6 fWAR.
This gives the team a lot of flexibility. For example, since CC can’t face a lineup a third time, the Yanks can turn to a slew of options ready and willing to pick up the slack.
Stamina isn’t the only issue for the Yankees. According to the FanGraphs the Yanks were ranked 17th in MLB in Def, which brings us to to the next major question the Yanks need to address this season.