Where they rank so far
-
- May
- 2
Here’s where the Yankees rank in various offensive categories within the American League:
Runs: 9th
Hits: 6th
Total bases: 5th
Triples: 4th
Doubles: 5th
Homers: 4th
RBI: 5th
Sacrifices: 5th
Sacrifice flies: 11th
Hit batters: 6th
Walks: 9th
Strikeouts: 3rd
Stolen bases: 12th
GIDP: 6th
LOB: 9th
SLG: 6th
OBP: 10th
Avg: 10th
A few other stats: They are 59 of 145 with runners in scoring position (.245). But Robinson Cano (4 for 34), Jason Giambi (2 for 22), Melky Cabrera (4 for 19), Hideki Matsui (4 for 18) and Alex Roddriguez (3 for 23) are way below average.
None of this means a whole lot after a month. It just shows that the offense has yet to give much support to the pitching staff. Part of the grand plan was for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to enjoy plenty of big leads while they learned their craft. It didn’t work out that way.
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on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
The offense will heat up with the weather
“Part of the grand plan was for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to enjoy plenty of big leads while they learned their craft.”
SUCH a good point!!
if more heat = more offense than every team should enjoy the effect
Amazing how Wang is still 5-0 with this offense.
this is the problem.. they can deal wit ha weak 4th and 5th starter because there en is better if they hit like they should…..
THERE better is better then it has been in yrs. and they have more good pen arms on the way, they need Cano, GImabi, and others to hit better…Arod will be back in 11 games…...
Payroll: 1st
Pete:
You forgot one.
Team ERA: 12th
When they’ve pitched fair to great (read: allowed 5 or fewer runs) the team is 12-5. No outstanding effort has gone to waste as they are 10-0 when allowing 3 runs or less.
When they’ve allowed 6 or more, they are 2-11.
Can’t blame the offense for those numbers….can you?
I would have thought we’d rank first for GIDP.
“Amazing how Wang is still 5-0 with this offense.”
Totally agreed.
Maybe Bedard will help them out of their funk.:)
“I would have thought we’d rank first for GIDP.”
Not as long as the Red Sox are around.
Here’s another crazy stat:
Tampa Bay ranks first in Bullpen ERA.
how could they be 9th in runs but 5th in rbi
Any shots at tonights lineup?
Melky cf
Jeter ss
Bobby rf
Matsui lf
Shelley 1b
jason dh
Cano 2b
Jose c
Alberto 3b
Number of roster changes: 1st.
I’m sure that’s not entirely coincidental.
They have to hit. That’s obvious.
However, the last two nights, they had 2 and 3 run leads and flushed them down the drain due to poor starting pitching.
Sometimes, you have to hold teams down. You have to win low scoring, one run games. Since Thursday night, they blew 4 games in which they had leads of 2 or more runs. That’s on the pitchers. Not on the offense.
When your offense isn’t clicking, those are games in which your pitchers have to step up and get wins.
To carry over a conversation from the other thread, its much easier to break in relievers at the major league level than it is starting pitchers.
They pitch in shorter bursts and they only face guys once around the order.
If guys like Robertson, Cox and Melancon make it to the Bronx this year, it will be easier for them to have success.
Provided of course, they pitch up to their capabilities.
Young starters always struggle. The Angels called up Nick Adenhart to pitch last night against the A’s. He is a high end prospect with great control. He walked 5 in less than 4 innings and got bombed.
Its the same for every team when it comes to breaking in young pitchers. Yankee fans aren’t used to it because they haven’t experienced this over the last 11 years.
The last homegrown starter they broke in until this season was Pettitte. That was in 1996.
The challenge is how to fill the innings since the young guys are struggling. Hopefully, Rasner helps in that regard. That would be a step in the right direction.
More offense would be nice. However, with Cano slumping, Damon and Jeter playing hurt, and Posada and Arod on the DL, more offense isn’t happening anytime soon.
They are going to have to pitch better to tread water this month. Its really that simple.
So the team is 59-145, .245 w/RISP
Exclude Cano’s 4-34 and it jumps to 55-111, .495
Exclude Giambi (2-22) too and you see everyone else is 53-89, .596
Really shows what a drag they have been on the team thus far
It continues to amaze me how guys like NYPD113th are allowed to come here on a daily basis and spam the blog. He never adds anything to the discussion and yet Pete hasnt banned him. Amazing. – End Rant
“Young starters always struggle. The Angels called up Nick Adenhart to pitch last night against the A’s. He is a high end prospect with great control. He walked 5 in less than 4 innings and got bombed.”
Pretty easy to run up a lot of walks vs. the A’s. Thought it was a little crazy having the kid make his 1st MLB start on three days rest.
http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/stats/teamsort/regularseason/yearly/AL/HIT/BASIC?&_1:col_1=9&_1:col_2=4
Pete they’re 9th in rbi not 5th
With a tough lefty like Bedard, I’d go with:
Damon lf
Jeter ss
Bobby rf
Shelley 1b
Matsui Dh
Ensberg 3B
Melky cf
Jose c
Alberto 2b
Man practicing my wiffle ball off speed stuff in my apartment and reading this blog is not helping me study for my Torts final.
Guess you missed my last post SJ
“He has always had trouble throwing strikes. That’s his calling card. Guys like that are a dime a dozen.
You are better off giving McCutcheon a try in the rotation and see what he can do instead of getting a guy as inconsistent as Arroyo.â€
Look, I’ll link you to his stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/arroybr01.shtml
Last season he gave up 63 walks to 156 K’s in 210 innings, the season before that 64 walks to 184 K’s in 240 innings.
To put that in perspective, last season Pettitte was 69 BB’s to 141 K’s over 215.3 innings. Now that I look closer Pettitte’s stats are very very similar to Arroyo’s last year. Both had an ERA+ of 110.
Year in year out he is league average or better and throws 200+ innings. That is far from inconsistent.
You are really overrating McCutcheon and underrating Arroyo. McCutcheon might one day be a league average pitcher but right now he’s just another prospect with little experience. Arroyo is a better than average pitcher right now.
rayblay, i was wondering about that too, since every run is also an rbi (unless it’s a steal home or something bizarre like that). good catch!
Rob: Torts! Pennoyer v. Neff! Just remember, it’s never the plaintiff’s fault (unless you represent the defendant, of course). Good luck!
its amazinghow raymagnetic can comment when he adds even less than nypd
ray,
It’s not against policty to invite someone to your bar so you can kick their butt. It’s also not violating TOS to stick middle finger at someone in cyberspace. I still laugh at that one.
Wooo the sweep! But listen Yankees fans…im from Detriot..i was at the game last night and the stadium was dead…no buddy was into the game…I mean come on your the greatest fans in the world…start acting like it.
Patrick,
He’s ok. Not an answer. He is just a guy and he doesn’t pitch with any level of consistency.
When he pitches against good teams he struggles. His numbers don’t tell the whole story. He has always been inconsistent in his career.
I’d rather see them stay in house for now to solve their issues.
Why not give McCutcheon a start? Just because one young pitcher struggles doesn’t mean you stop using young pitchers.
Wouldn’t you agree that if they can solve their issues from within, it saves their bullets to go after better players who may be available closer to the trade deadline?
You aren’t going to get anybody of value on May 2 via trade. Not unless you overpay and there is no reason for the Yankees to overpay for anybody right now.
Rob NY all you need to know:
duty breach causation damages
BPH
if there’s a broken stair or a light is out, sue.
if you hurt yourself skiing, it’s your own darn fault, if you signed the assumption of risk agreement and nothing completely ridiculous/unexpected happens.
med mal – being a doctor in a small town is a lot different from being a doctor in the big city.
lol Ellen thanks for the luck, if it wasn’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all. (I’m like the Cubs in that sense) And isnt Pennoyer a property case?
“It continues to amaze me how guys like NYPD113th are allowed to come here on a daily basis and spam the blog. He never adds anything to the discussion and yet Pete hasnt banned him. Amazing.”
That’s ‘cause I am Pete. Gotcha.
SJ – Wasn’t Wang a homegrown starter?
I only had damon out of the line up cause I know he is hurt.
“The last homegrown starter they broke in until this season was Pettitte. That was in 1996”
Obviously you are forgetting Wang, SJ.
Patrick:
I agree. Not that I prefer getting Arroyo for anything more than a “B” prospect, but McCutcheon’s MiLB stats do not indicate that he will come close to Arroyo’s performance. At least in 2008. Arroyo has pitched successfully at the MLB level. The Yankees can ill afford to “Break in” another prospect (McCutcheon,Horne,White) in 2008 if their goal is to reach the Post Season.
I think the yankees need to listen to mike francesca. Joba will be terrible out of the rotation and btw what happened to phil hughes isnt he supposed to be able to throw 95 mph. Peter listen to the people who know what their talking about. Would better yet could mike francesca and chris russo ever be wrong. The answer to that is an adament no. Mike Francesca could do your job in 5 seconds flat. Mike Francesca is like Chuck Norris. Time waits for no man except Mike Francesca. Just like the chinese built the great wall of china to keep mike francesca out. it failed miserable. Just like joba would in the starting rotation.
“He’s ok. Not an answer. He is just a guy and he doesn’t pitch with any level of consistency.”
I disagree, he is a much better answer than McCutcheon. I have proved he is a consistent pitcher but believe what you want.
“When he pitches against good teams he struggles. His numbers don’t tell the whole story. He has always been inconsistent in his career.”
You have nothing to back that up but whatever.
“I’d rather see them stay in house for now to solve their issues.”
I agree.
“Why not give McCutcheon a start? Just because one young pitcher struggles doesn’t mean you stop using young pitchers.”
Why rush yet ANOTHER pitching prospect? We need someone to eat innings, not a kid to experiment with. That was my whole point about Arroyo. He will pitch 200+ innings and be league average or a bit better. Thats about what we get from Pettitte.
“Wouldn’t you agree that if they can solve their issues from within, it saves their bullets to go after better players who may be available closer to the trade deadline?”
I would agree. However, I doubt they could get anyone better than Arroyo at the deadline anyways.
I’m not saying the Yankees should trade for Arroyo right now or EVER for that matter. What I’m saying is a vet like Arroyo is a better option if the Yankees decide they don’t want to stick with Kennedy. I hope Rasner pitches well, Kennedy improves and Hughes comes back hungry to prove us all wrong and pitches lights out.
Mel,
I guess it takes a lot to get kicked out of Pete’s house.
I think the Yankees are going to hold open auditions for the 5th spot for awhile. They don’t need a 5th starter nearly as often in May. I actually expect them to send down Kennedy today to bring up bullpen help.
Again, I’m taking a stab at Pete’s lineup:
Cabrera – CF
Jeter – QB
Duncan – RG
Matsui – LF
Ensberg – 3B
Giambi – DH
Molina – C
Cano – 2B
Gonzalez – 3B
Wang – Ace
I don’t see this team winning the world series this year. I think they could be a playoff team if the right things fall in place, maybe a trade or two, but no world series. Let’s accept that this season is for rebuilding.
He struggles against decent AL teams. Want proof Pat… Im procrastinating here’s proof.
W- L ERA
TOR 2-3 4.34
BAL 2-2 5.37
CHW 1-2 6.45
DET 2-1 4.65
OAK 2-1 4.40
He is an okay pitcher. I am sure somebody else in our system can be an okay pitcher and is already on the payroll and doesnt require some pieces to get. I like saving up some bullets for the July firesales.
Strikeouts: 3rd
.
....does this mean that there are only 2 other teams in the AL that strike out MORE than us ? Just askin’....
Where do they rank in injuries and ailments?
I fear tonight will be a super-frustrating 2-0 loss for Wang.
Bronson Arroyo is not the answer. Patience is.
Christine they are tied with the Texas Rangers for having the most of the DL 9
He is an okay pitcher. I am sure somebody else in our system can be an okay pitcher and is already on the payroll and doesnt require some pieces to get. I like saving up some bullets for the July firesales.
He’s an above average pitcher, go look at his stats. Who, pray tell, can give us 200 innings and 110 ERA+ that is already on the roster? Darrel Rasner, Kei Igawa?
Bronson Arroyo right now is better than all of our starting pitchers other than Pettitte and Wang.
Patrick,
I guess my point is, its not rushing a prospect when he is 25 years old. If he was 21? That’s a different deal.
He’s old enough, and has pitched enough in his college and pro career, to be able to get the shot and see if he can help.
I did forget about Wang but, Wang was in a different situation. He was brought up because of injuries. He didn’t begin the year in the rotation like Pettitte, Hughes and Kennedy.
The expectation level is different and, fortunately for the Yankees, Wang became a star. Its also a less pressurized environment than the other guys had starting the season in the rotation.
I just think you solve your issues from the inside out. You start in house and if that doesn’t work, you go outside for help.
They have guys to go to inside the organization right now. I’d rather see that occur than trading for average guys this early in the season.
In 2005, in a similar state, they found guys like Chacon and Small and didn’t give up propsects at the level of McCutcheon.
I don’t mind trading McCutcheon. Just not for the Bronson Arroyo’s of the world.
I think the Yankees can do better than that.
ray,
yes. that little complication known as freedom of speech. journalists love to throw that card around.
it offends our sensiblities sometimes, but you can’t let it drive you crazy. lol.
Patrick,
You projecting that he can do that in the AL. I’m not so sure he can.
When he was in the AL, he wasn’t consistent at all.
He gets to face easier lineups in the NL.
Just not a fan of trading good prospects for a JAG (Just Another Guy).
I’d take the financial hit and trade a better level prospect for a guy like Kevin Millwood before I would go after a guy like Arroyo.
That is, if the Yankees feel they have to go outside the organization for pitching help.
“I guess my point is, its not rushing a prospect when he is 25 years old. If he was 21? That’s a different deal.”
True I suppose.
“I just think you solve your issues from the inside out. You start in house and if that doesn’t work, you go outside for help.”
Totally agree.
“They have guys to go to inside the organization right now. I’d rather see that occur than trading for average guys this early in the season.”
Again, I never said we should trade for Arroyo. I’m only saying that he would be a better option than McCutcheon. If you want to argue you don’t want to waste prospects trading for him, thats fine.
Even if I was saying they should trade for Arroyo, he is not available right now. Perhaps in June at the earliest.
You obviously value prospects very highly which is fine. But honestly you will not get more value than Arroyo for McCutcheon. Guys like Arroyo don’t grow on trees, he’s a bonafide #3 starter.
yankee fans never over rate their prospects patrick, I dont know where you got that from.
Andy’s first season was 1995 and he was 12 – 9 with a respectable era. Not at all like our incumbent young pitchers, more like what we all hoped one or both would be like at the MLB level. There is a reason veteral pitchers who have had success command big bucks. Management is asking too much of Hughes and Kennedy. The long range plan has, and must always be, to build from the inside while competing at the highest level. Young players need to be used as chips to acquire mature, proven talent. Bearing in mind, this approach doesn’t always work as intended, it certainly has worked successfully these last 12 years.
I think the funny thing in all this is that it hasn’t been bad trades that have put the Yankees where they are, but bad signings.
It’s been Cashman’s lack of ability to asseess talent that has led the Yankees to a glut of ineffective players. Now Cashman is turning his less-than acute acumen toward developing young talent…Think about.
“You projecting that he can do that in the AL. I’m not so sure he can.
When he was in the AL, he wasn’t consistent at all.
He gets to face easier lineups in the NL.
Just not a fan of trading good prospects for a JAG (Just Another Guy).
I’d take the financial hit and trade a better level prospect for a guy like Kevin Millwood before I would go after a guy like Arroyo.
That is, if the Yankees feel they have to go outside the organization for pitching help.”
Again, you are underrating Arroyo. He played 3 seasons in the AL.
2003 – 17.3 IP, 4 walks, 14 K’s, 225 ERA+
2004 – 178.7 IP, 47 walks, 142 K’s, 121 ERA+
2005 – 205.3 IP, 54 walks, 100 K’s, 100 ERA+
Above average for all 3 seasons. His first season in the NL was way better than his career averages but it came back down last year to more in line (110 ERA+).
I’d take Arroyo’s 2005 numbers over any pitcher in our organization except Wang/Pettitte. Nobody but those two could match those numbers THIS season.
Millwood has been worse than Arroyo over the last 4 years.
You really should go look at the stats for both of them, I linked Arroyo’s above, here is Millwood’s http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/millwke01.shtml
With regards to Andy:
He got his first start on May 27th and he lost 6 of his first 9, getting run out in the 3rd inning against Texas on July 7th (a 10-0 loss). But Pettitte got better.
The Yankees went unbeaten in his next 5 starts with Pettitte pitching to a 2.02 ERA. He struggled some more after that. In back to back starts in late August, Pettitte lasted a total of 3.1 innings and gave up a total of 13 hits and 12 runs. Pettitte was 6-8 and the Yankees were 4 ½ games out of the Wild Card spot.
Then Pettitte won 6 of his last 7 starts, finished 12-9 and helped pitch the Yankees into the playoffs, his final victory coming on a Friday night in Toronto on the final weekend of the regular season.
http://www.wfan.com/pages/2037062.php?contentRating=1
Mel,
Yes the freedom of speech thing. I don’t think idiots were included however when they made that amendment.
S.A.
Thanks.
Well made point, though I do think that the expectations and context, not having won anything for quite some time, significantly alters the context.
Thanks again, though.
Really good going.
59 for 154 is actually .407, where is .245 coming from?
59 for 145 is .407, sorry
Thanks, Gayle!
Ouch, none of these records are good.
Before the season, If you asked a question like “If the Yankees have to rely on pitching to win in 2008 do you think they will make the playoffs” probably 60-70% of people would say “No”.
We had so many question marks throughout the pitching staff that it was impossible to think they’d all come up great.
Here we are now relying on pitching since we are not hitting at all. When people wonder why we are losing.
Our pitching was never meant to carry us, and for the last month it’s had to. That’s why we are losing.
Even so – we are only three games out. That we have hit so poorly and are that close is fairly impressive.
Lets not forget that the Yanks have lost 4 people from there everyday lineup. Arod and Posada are down and Giambi and Cano are contributing like someone in Single A would. So you have to give them a break there…I didn’t think they would be this bad though.
It didn’t matter what kind of support Hughes and Kennedy were given they would still pitch there 3 innings. If the Yanks spotted Kennedy 10 runs in the 1st inning then would he stop nibbling and pitch 7 innings of 2 run ball? No so what is the point of bringing that up. Yanks gave him 3 in the 1st inning yesterday and how long did that last 2 innings! When somone is not ready for the majors they shouldn’t be here. No matter how hard they are trying to say that he his, his actions are showing hes not.
Um, if the Yanks were 59-145 with RISP, they’d be 20-10 or better—that’s a .407 avg. More like 59-241, that’s .245. And for Cano, that’d be a monstrous improvement.