Pinstripe Alley Sep 25, 2023
NYY news: Why watch?
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Reasons to watch the Yankees in their final week; Hamilton discusses his nasty “slambio”; Judge’s health to be a priority as season winds down New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: The Yankees are playing out the string, and these final games lack some intrigue as their playoff odds hit zero. There’s still reason to watch, though, and Sblendorio highlights the top things to look out for as the Yankee season comes to a close. Top of mind is Gerrit Cole’s last chance to burnish his Cy Young case, as well as the Yankees’ winning...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 24, 2023
Michael King and all the reasons he should start in 2024
Photo by Elsa/ Michael King has made it clear that he must be a major part of the Yankees’ plans in 2024. The way baseball works, there are always developmental steps to be made, and impactful goals to be accomplished, whether you’re competing in a given season or not. That has certainly been true for the 2023 Yankees, and as they’ve played out the string, the work of Michael King in these past few weeks has been a high note. This team entered the year with arguably the best rotation on paper in the sport. Gerrit Cole, Calos Rodón, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes,...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 23, 2023
Today on Pinstripe Alley - 9/23/23
Photo by Jim McIsaac/ A Saturday matinee against Arizona awaits. In the darkest times, a superstar can still shine. That’s what Aaron Judge did on Friday night, clubbing a hat trick of homers as the Yankees cruised to a 7-1 victory over Arizona. Much like Gerrit Cole did on Thursday against Toronto, an all-world player’s talent shined through. We’re just lucky to have him on board! Since it’s a Saturday en route to sadly inevitable elimination, it’s a relatively quiet day for us on the site — particularly since the Yankees are playing a matinee today. Jake...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 23, 2023
NYY News: Gerrit Cole, one of one
Photo by Sarah Stier/ Cole’s unmatched ability; Yankees announce Fall League roster; Kiermaier open to playing for Yankees; What to expect from Gómez’s MLB debut; Stephen A. Smith’s “choke job” first pitch Sports Illustrated | Emma Baccellieri: Gerrit Cole may be the last of a dying breed. With his eight one-run innings against the Blue Jays, he breached the 200-inning mark for the sixth time in his career, becoming just the fourth active pitcher alongside Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, and Adam Wainwright to do so. He also became the second player after...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 22, 2023
NYY vs. ARI: Luke Weaver vs. Brandon Pfaadt
Photo by Justin Berl/ How will Weaver fare in his second start with the Yankees? Yesterday, Gerrit Cole authored an eight-inning gem to avoid getting swept by the Blue Jays and to further his case as the AL Cy Young frontrunner. It sets the team up well for their final home series of the season: three games hosting the Diamondbacks. Luke Weaver is on the mound for his second Yankee start so let’s see what to expect. The Yankees claimed Weaver off waivers ten days ago, two days after being DFA’d by the Mariners. He actually pitched for the D’Backs from 2019 until...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 22, 2023
Carlos Rodón’s problems are subtle — but fixable
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Despite a terrible debut year in pinstripes, a bounce-back is easily imaginable for the lefty. Spoiler alert, but this article ends with a bit of optimism about Carlos Rodón. It’s been a bad season, but I’m as confident in a better 2024 for his as I am anyone this side of Gerrit Cole on this volatile question mark of a team. It’s a bit tough to put our finger on what exactly his problem has been this summer, but trying to get there uncovers some things that make me think it’s not as steep of a climb back as the bottom-line...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 22, 2023
Rivalry Roundup: AL East tightens as Rays walk off
Photo by Julio Aguilar/ Recapping how the Yankees’ top AL opponents fared on September 21st. Thursday was one of the last relatively quiet nights of the baseball season. Multiple top American League contenders were off, as the Astros, Mariners, Rangers, and Twins all rested up for weekend clashes. The Yankees did their part as spoiler by deploying Gerrit Cole on the Blue Jays to build his Cy Young case — which he very much did. Two other AL East rivals were also in action, and while Baltimore has an edge, the division race looks like it might be a photo finish....
Pinstripe Alley Sep 21, 2023
Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3: Cole cruises toward Cy Young
Gerrit Cole in the first inning tonight. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Gerrit Cole spun another masterpiece and the Yankees avoided the sweep. With a pair of one-run showings in the first two games of the series, the Yankees looked poised to be swept. But spurred by the presence of their ace and his flirtation with perfection, the Bombers bounced back, taking the last game of their second-to-last series at home 5-3. The Yankees tripled their run total from last night in the first inning alone. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres notched opposite-field singles, staying on a...
Bluebird Banter Sep 21, 2023
Jays Loss to Yankees
Photo by Sarah Stier/ Blue Jays 3 Yankees 5 Jose Berrios gave up a 3-run homer in the first inning, which was pretty much the game. Gerrit Cole was terrific. 8 innings, just 2 hits, no walks, with 9 strikeouts. There is a reason he’s paid more money than God. Tim Mayza allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth and a run of his own in the seventh. Nate Pearson didn’t look great, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks in his 1.2 innings. We got a run in the eighth. Matt Chapman doubled and scored on a wild pitch. And we got a couple of runs in the ninth and could...
Minneapolis Star-Tribune Sep 21, 2023
Cole enhances Cy Young credentials with 8 outstanding innings as Yanks beat Jays 5-3
Gerrit Cole retired the first 16 hitters and pitched eight outstanding innings to strengthen his Cy Young Award credentials as the New York Yankees stayed over .500 with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night.
Pinstripe Alley Sep 21, 2023
NYY vs. TOR: Gerrit Cole vs. José Berríos
Gerrit Cole against the Pittsburgh Pirates. | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Can Cole drive a sweep-avoiding victory? Though the Yankees’ bullpen ultimately blew it wide open, two-thirds of yesterday’s bout with the Blue Jays was a joy to watch, as Michael King set the team’s 2023 bar for single-game strikeouts and matched perennial ace Kevin Gausman blow-for-blow. With Gerrit Cole squaring off against José Berríos tonight, we could be in for a repeat affair, hopefully without a relief implosion (and with the offense showing up). Cole is coming off one of his...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 20, 2023
Yankees 1, Blue Jays 6: King crowned, offense drowned
Michael King in the first inning tonight. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports King struck out more hitters than any Yankees’ starter this season, but he couldn’t do anything about the meager offense behind him. What happens when you pair an extremely pitcher-friendly umpire with two exceptionally hitter-hostile hurlers? Twenty-three strikeouts through six-and-a-half innings, that’s what. Michael King was responsible for 13 of those, a career-high and the most from a Yankees starter all season — better than even teammate and Cy Young frontrunner Gerrit Cole. What’s...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 20, 2023
A tale of two Cy Youngs: Gerrit Cole and Roger Clemens
Photo by SPX/Ron Vesely Photography via How what we look for in a pitcher has changed, two decades after The Rocket. When it comes to WAR, the difference in half a win or three-quarters of a win are pretty marginal. The error bars on the math mean we can’t definitively say a 4.3 fWAR player is really all that much worse than a 4.7 fWAR player, but a 5.5 fWAR player is better than both. With that understood, we can’t confidently say Roger Clemens was the third-best pitcher on the 2001 Yankees, but the Cy Young winner — who captured 87 percent of first place votes...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 16, 2023
Rivalry Roundup: Rays pull even with O’s
Photo by Patrick Smith/ Recapping how the Yankees’ top AL opponents fared on September 15th. The Yankees played a very weird game on Friday night in Pittsburgh featuring a mid-but-palatable Gerrit Cole, a frightening injury to Anthony Misiewicz, shoddy defense on both sides, and a ninth-inning comeback aided by item No. 3. They’re also not in last place anymore, so that’s... nice, we’ll say. Look, the 2023 season doesn’t have much more to offer in terms of even low-bar positives, so we’ll roll with it. Aside from Rays/O’s, all the top American League teams...
Pinstripe Alley Sep 15, 2023
Yankees 7, Pirates 5: Misiewicz’s scary injury mars late comeback
Photo by Justin Berl/ Sloppy Pirates defense gave away the game in the ninth, but the Yankees’ thoughts are with Anthony Misiewicz. Gerrit Cole’s return to Pittsburgh for his first start since being traded away in December 2017 probably would’ve been the primary storyline of this Yankees/Pirates game on most nights. But Friday at PNC Park turned out to have more in store. Anthony Misiewicz relieved Cole in the sixth and suffered a scary injury that brought the crowd to a hush. The Bucs then took the lead on the somewhat-dazed Yanks, but a ninth-inning rally from...
