Pinstripe Alley 2 hours ago
Luis Cessa and his slider give the Yankees another bullpen weapon
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports Cessa has increased his slider usage and it has paid off. Luis Cessa may not be the flashiest name in the Yankees’ bullpen. After all, he is sharing the mid and late innings with stars such as Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Dellin Betances, Tommy Kahnle, Aroldis Chapman, and plenty of others that may be more accomplished and/or talented. However, it is fair to recognize that Cessa has evolved and morphed into a legitimate and versatile major league reliever. Thanks to a change in his pitch mix, Cessa is putting the best ERA of his four-year tenure in the...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 12, 2019
The Yankees have witnessed Gleyber Torres’ rise to stardom
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports The infielder has improved across the board and the arrow keeps pointing up. The Aroldis Chapman trade has the potential to be one of those rare transactions that radically changes both of the franchises involved for the better. Back in that 2016 season, where the Yankees boldly decided to sell a couple of assets to real contenders, they flipped the hard-throwing reliever to the Cubs in exchange for prospects. The headliner of the deal, for the Yankees, was Venezuelan infielder Gleyber Torres. Flags fly forever, they say, so no matter how significant were...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 3, 2019
Tommy Kahnle has the best changeup in baseball
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports A combination of movement, usage, and location has made him arguably the best reliever in the Yankees’ bullpen. What’s your favorite kind of pitch? There’s something to admire in Aroldis Chapman or Jordan Hicks blowing a 103 mph heater right by a hitter. Adam Ottavino has certainly won over a lot of Yankee fans with his hilarious, frisbee-like slider. For me though, there are few things sweeter than a really, really well-placed changeup that makes a batter swing right over top. Felix Hernandez and Marco Estrada are two good examples of pitchers I...
Lone Star Ball Sep 2, 2019
Thoughts on a 7-0 Rangers win
Photo by Jim McIsaac/ Rangers 7, Yankees 0 Rangers 7, Yankees 0 Nothing like ending a historically long streak by your opponents by shutting them out in their house on a holiday. When I think rain delays in the Big Apple, I think of Aroldis Chapman complaining about the rain in the 9th inning, umpires stopping the game for three-and-a-half hours, and then Chapman coming back out and blowing the lead, with the Rangers winning in the wee hours of the morning. This game won’t supplant the Chapman tantrum rain delay in my memory, but it is still going to be memorable. The game starts...
Pinstripe Alley Aug 23, 2019
How Aroldis Chapman has turned things around in August
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports Chapman’s mechanics look far closer to their norms this month. Aroldis Chapman had a tough month of July. He blew three of his seven save opportunities, pitched to an 8.41 ERA and walked 11 batters in 8.1 innings. Although every pitcher can go through slumps, there’s always extra concern with Chapman as he ages and gradually loses his top weapon, his velocity. Fortunately, Chapman has rebounded in a big way this August. Through eight games, he has earned the save in all of them while striking out 13 and only walking two batters over eight innings. With...
Pinstripe Alley Aug 22, 2019
NYY News: Deivi Garcia auditioning for the bullpen?
Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/ Aroldis Chapman has a tough decision to make at the end of the year; Deivi Garcia is getting shifted to the bullpen; Miguel Yajure is a name you need to get familiar with; Aaron Judge makes a young fan’s experience at the ball park unforgettable New York Post | Joel Sherman: Yankees All-star closer Aroldis Chapman has a tough decision looming. From here on out, he will have to decide whether or not he wants to leave a perennial championship contender in the Bronx. Ultimately, the Yankees have leverage. They have a plethora of top arms in their...
Pinstripe Alley Aug 21, 2019
A way too early look at potential Yankees’ free agent targets
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports The Yankees could target these free agents for their 2020 roster A lot can happen between now and the start of free agency. The Yankees could win the World Series, or they could get bounced in devastating fashion. Didi Gregorius and Dellin Betances could agree to new deals or decide they want to test the waters and see just how much they’re worth to a team outside of New York. Aroldis Chapman also has an opt-out clause that some believe he’ll take advantage of, and the Yankees need to decide if they want to retain Edwin Encarnacion for $20 million. You...
