Pinstripe Alley Feb 21, 2020
Yankees 2020 Season Preview: Aroldis Chapman
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports Can Chapman get his strikeout percentage back up while retaining his improved walk rate? The lasting image of Aroldis Chapman’s 2019 season is a painful one: stunned, standing at the foot of the mound in Houston, wearing a shocked smile as Jose Altuve rounded the bases after unloading on a hanging slider for a walk-off home run that eliminated the Yankees in Game Six of the ALCS. It was just the second hit Chapman allowed in 5.1 innings of work during the 2019 postseason, but one that was likely difficult to forget during the offseason. Now, as Chapman...
Pinstripe Alley Feb 20, 2020
Breaking down the roles in the Yankees’ bullpen
Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday via More length in the rotation and a new relief rule could change the team’s look The Yankees have defined the trend towards more bullpen oriented games, and while full seasons from Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino will likely lessen the need for relief pitching compared to previous seasons, you can expect the relief corps will still play a huge role in 2020. Aroldis Chapman is as sure a thing as any to be working the ninth inning, but the team has a few options for how to deploy the rest of the group. The Setup Man Although the Yankees have...
Call to the Pen Feb 20, 2020
New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman target of burglary ring
A band of Miami jewel thieves have been arrested in a high-tech burglary ring in which New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman was one of the targets. You know that feeling you get when you come across a social media post that seems too good to be true? The perfect baby post; the perfect restaurant […] New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman target of burglary ring - Call to the Pen - Call to the Pen - A Major League Baseball Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Pinstripe Alley Feb 15, 2020
The Yankees have a bullpen battle brewing this spring
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports The Yankees have three prime candidates looking to win the last two bullpen spots this spring. With the beginning of spring training upon us, the Yankees roster has reached another phase of its development. Before exhibition games even begin, some decisions are easy, while a handful of 26-man roster spots are still up for grabs. Two of those spots are in the Yankees’ bullpen, and three pitchers are in prime position to break camp with the major league team. The main body of the Yankees bullpen figures to be made up of stalwarts like Aroldis Chapman,...
Pinstripe Alley Feb 15, 2020
NYY News: Cody Bellinger, noted Yankees supporter
Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Cody Bellinger takes the Yankees’ side; J.A. Happ fixes his mechanics; Cashman and Boone weigh in on the Astros NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: Cody Bellinger may not be a Yankee, but he’s taking the Yankees’ side against the Houston Astros. Bellinger said that Jose Altuve stole the 2017 MVP award from Judge, and did not believe Altuve’s story that he didn’t know what pitch was coming from Aroldis Chapman in 2019. If Bellinger’s opinions match those around the league, the Astros might be in for a long year. New York Post | Dan Martin: Although...
Newsday Feb 13, 2020
Yankees' Aroldis Chapman says he's responsible for home run by Astros' Jose Altuve, but ...
Still, he called Altuve's actions "suspicious" after 2019 ALCS Game 6 walkoff HR.
NorthJersey.com Feb 12, 2020
Yankees' last pitch of 2019 still resonates as pitchers, catchers report for 2020 season
Gary Sanchez put down the last signal of the Yankees' 2019 season, calling for a 2-and-1 slider by Aroldis Chapman.
Pinstripe Alley Feb 1, 2020
Aroldis Chapman has held off regression so far
Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via A down year for Chapman in 2017 has been answered with a return to dominance. When the Yankees brought back Aroldis Chapman in the 2016 offseason on a five-year, $86 million free agent deal, they took a risk that the closer would continue to anchor the bullpen. That gamble ultimately worked out, but it started with a great deal of uncertainty when Chapman struggled in 2017. Chapman started the year off well, but an IL-stint and a series of implosions in August brought a serious discussion about whether Chapman would hold up for the duration of his...
