Remember back in December when Cliff Lee declined the Yankees' enormous offer to sign with the Phillies and Andy Pettitte subsequently retired to spend more time with his family?
Every baseball fan on the planet immediately began to write off the Yankees and question their previous thoughts of the Yankees making the playoffs.
Brian Cashman, although most likely out of panic, went out and signed hit-or-miss pitchers Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, hoping to catch lightening in a bottle. Heck, he was praying for a tiny spark from just one of the injury-ridden veterans.
He never expected both to produce, and he never expected to be relying heavily on either this early into season.
Cashman has made himself look like quite the genius so far this season, and for good reason. Instead of sitting around grieving over the loss of Cliff Lee, he went out and took a chance—well, two chances, but you know what I mean.
Now in the early goings of the 2011 season, the Yankees starting rotation seems to be pretty well off, despite the fact that Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon are all a part of it.
Even with the overall team success through 16 games, it's been an extremely odd start for the Yankees rotation.
C.C. Sabathia is currently without a win through four starts while posting a 2.52 ERA. Sabathia isn't to blame for the fact that he's yet to win a game this season. A combination of offensive struggles and awful outings by the bullpen have hurt Sabathia. He's still pitching effectively though, and that's all that matters.
Yankees fans will deny it all they want this early into the season, but AJ Burnett is currently leading this rotation. He has a 3-0 record through four starts with a 4.37 ERA.
Doubters, I know what you're all saying. "A 4.37 ERA! How can he be leading the rotation?"
Well, here's what I have to say to you: Sure a 4.37 ERA is relatively high, but that's currently a product of AJ pitching ahead in games. He's just working the ball over the plate and not shying away from contact, a huge problem that he's had in the past.
Who would've thought that Phil Hughes would be the guy to struggle this season—I certainly didn't. Yes, he did show a lack of velocity all spring, but I had faith in the 18-game winner. Unfortunately, the team didn't want to push him any farther and decided to put him on the disabled list.
If you want to go even farther than saving Phil Hughes, the Yanks were probably trying to save themselves. A 13.94 ERA through three starts just isn't acceptable.
Bartolo Colon has since been put into the rotation to replace the recovering Hughes. The Yankees are really relying on Colon to produce and a strong showing could potentially bump Ivan Nova from the rotation when Hughes returns.
In Colon's first start of the season, he recorded a victory against the Blue Jays, his first win since 2009. Colon allowed two runs over six and two-thirds innings, while striking out seven and walking two.
Colon's velocity and command appear to be returning as well, as he's struck out 20 and walked just five over 18 innings this season.
Nova has shown some growing pains in his first few outings this season. Getting through the fourth and fifth innings has been a huge issue for him and that's where a majority of his runs have come from. Through three starts (four games) and 15.1 innings thus far, he's pitched to a 7.63 ERA and compiled a 1-2 record.
Nova appears to have the tools to be a successful back-end starter, he'll just have to limit walks and learn to face hitters a third time through the batting order. His biggest downfall thus far is that he's walked as many batters as he's struck out (nine).
Finally, let's examine Freddy Garcia—a man who wanted desperately to pitch for the Yankees in 2011. He's appeared in just two games this season (one start), but he's been very effective.
Garcia delivered a six inning gem against the Rangers in his only start of the season, allowing no runs on just two hits. He walked one and struck out one as well.
His performance was remarkable, not just because of the outcome, but because of the stuff he displayed. Garcia got by with a low to mid 80s fastball and a curveball that was hovering around 67 MPH, yes, 67.
Even with the early season success, the Yankees "Pitcher Reclamation Project" may not be over just yet. Veterans Kevin Millwood and Carlos Silva are waiting in AAA should the Yankees be in need of their services.
For now they seem just fine with a rotation featuring an unlucky lefty, an undefeated shy-guy, a very portly right-hander, a young kid with growing pains and an apparent slow-pitch softball pitcher.
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