In an Otherwise Dismal Season

"The new faces of Yankees starting pitching"

In an otherwise dismal season, a ray of hope has been the Yankee pitching prospects. Notably, in the forms of Phil Hughes and Tyler Clippard; however, even having the Funcrusher himself Matt DeSalvo pitch is cause for optimism. Putting the team’s best arms forward, let’s consider the emergence of Hughes and Clippard. Both are under 23, have prospered in the minors, have plus stuff (Hughes clearly having plusser stuff), and have pitched well in the majors (Hughes pitching weller). (Okay, I promise, I’ll stop trying to write like Yogi Berra talks starting now).

Last night, Clippard improved his record to 3-1 against the Chicago White Sox, by throwing 5 solid innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 walks, but striking out 4 and only giving up 1 run. A pretty good case could be made that Clippard should have gone another inning because he had only thrown 89 pitches, but Joe Torre is intent on making every reliever pitch until their arms fall off. We can probably cue up Brian Bruney and Scott Proctor as the latest winners of Torre’s quest to leave no reliever’s shoulder or elbow unscarred. Still, Clippard is young and an argument can be made that he should be kept on a strict pitch count. Regardless of his usage, Clippard’s record, 3-1, and ERA, 3.60, both bode well for the future. Even when you consider that Clippard’s numbers for the year, 20 innings pitched, 18 hits, 11 walks, while striking out 14, aren’t really in line with his won/loss record. For Clippard to stick, he’s going to have to whittle those walks down, but his strikeout rate is acceptable and should get better as he matures. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that he projects as a solid 3 or 4, maybe even a number 2 pitcher down the line.

Phil Hughes of course is the anointed one and his second start indicated why. Although Hughes’ coronation has been somewhat delayed by two leg injuries, a hamstring pull and a sprained ankle, neither are cause for real concern. Hughes’ arm is fine and his leg injuries are of the flukish – one off nature, not the kind that tend to haunt a player. Perhaps the time off will be a blessing in disguise, saving his arm for the long haul.

In addition to the nearly dynamic duo of Hughes and Clippard, Matt DeSalvo also made his debut this season. Unfortunately, after two decent starts against Seattle, it became apparent that DeSalvo was not the third jewel in the Yankees pitching crown, but the Funcrusher Plus. DeSalvo never really projected as a plus prospect, he doesn’t throw hard, he was undrafted out of college, and at 27 he’s old for a prospect. To make matters worse, his pitches have the deadly (for the pitcher) combination of not causing hitters to swing while too often missing the strike zone all together or ending up as fly balls. That combination is very tough for any pitcher to overcome. However, there is an upside to learning that DeSalvo can wreck any winning streak. The upside is that the Yankees know what they have and what they’re dealing with. This knowledge is invaluable. Teams’ often overrate prospects, refusing to trade them or counting on them heavily in their future planning only to learn that they lack the ability to get major league hitters out on a consistent basis. Knowing who you cannot build around can be just as useful as learning that Clippard and Hughes can be built around.

In addition to Clippard and Hughes, there are other bright young spots in the Yankee organization. The Yanks have seen that Darrel Rasner and Jeff Karstens might just make it as 4 or 5/mop up men. Guys like Rasner and Karstens are useful; it is a lot better on the bottom line to pay them, than to pay Jaret Wright or Kei Igawa for similar or worse performances. Additionally, Ian Kennedy, the Yanks number pick last year, dominated single A ball and is already on his way to double A. While other prospects have shown promise.

Interestingly, despite all the negative attention the Yankee’s pitching has gotten this year, it is the part of the team most set for the coming years. Going into 2008, the Yankees should have Phil Hughes, Tyler Clippard and Chien Ming Wang slotted into the rotation. Additionally, it is clear that Andy Pettitte’s option is a no brainer to be picked up and Mike Mussina is solid as long as he’s not being counted on as the ace. Is it John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine circa 1996? No, but it could be one of the better staffs in baseball. Plus, with guys like Rasner and Karstens, Kennedy and the slew of young arms Brian Cashman has stockpiled, there’s depth in case of an injury. This should be the first off-season where the Yankees aren’t desperate to sign an arm. Which is a good thing, because the future of the offense is suddenly looking very shaky, but more on that another time.