New York Yankees - The First Month

The cold, wet days of April are behind us and the Yankees take the field tonight against the Oakland A’s as – gasp – one of the early season surprises across baseball. After the doom-and-gloom forecasts across the sports-talk world, how on Earth could the Yankees possibly be 17-10 through the season’s first month? 

Since the calendar turned to 2013 reading something legitimately positive about this team has been about as common as an Arod home run. So take a deep breath and soak this all in. Here are 3 reasons why the Yankees are where they are.   

1 – They’re Pitching

Before the first pitch was thrown this season all eyes were on this staff to lead the way and keep this team afloat until the walking wounded returned. They have met these expectations. 

The face of this rotation is CC Sabathia, and he has lived up to the lofty expectations that come with such a title. CC has been his usual self, even amid questions about a perceived drop in velocity. In fact, his 3.35 ERA is more than a full run lower than it was in April of last year, and his 4 quality starts and 5 starts of at least 7 innings have helped save the bullpen.

Andy Pettitte, ole reliable.What more can be said about this guy? 4 of his 5 starts this year have been quality starts, and his impressive 3.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio has neutralized his tendency to allow hits. Honestly, it’s hard fishing for stats to tell the story about Andy – it has been that way his entire career. He’s crafty. He’s smart. He locates his pitches with surgical precision. He just flat-out knows how to get guys out. His durability will be a concern every time he takes the ball – and I hold my breath every time he covers first on a grounder – but when he’s on the hill he exudes confidence, and the entire team follows suit.   

CC is the ace and the face. Andy is the grizzled vet who’s seen it all and leads by example. But make no mistake about it, the best pitcher on the New York Yankees right now is Hiroki Kuroda. This guy has been incredible, and in the most unassuming and underrated way. Kuroda is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA. He has a WHIP of 1.06 and a batting average against of just .206. He hasn’t allowed more than 3 earned runs in any of his 6 starts this season. His slider has been diving all over the place, and he has developed a vicious 2-seam fastball that has allowed him to handle lefties, which typically had their way with him in the past. Needless to say, he is picking up right where he left off last year. 

This rotation has been absolutely stellar, even Phil Hughes appears to be rounding into form after injuries kept him out during Spring Training. If their rotation keeps pitching like this, they’re going to be in most games.

2 – They’re Getting Unlikely Contributions

I could sit here all day and talk about Robinson Cano. The guy is off to an MVP-like start through April, and is legitimately one of the most feared bats in baseball. But this section is titled “Unlikely Contributions”. While that pretty much encapsulates every other person in this lineup, some have had much more of an impact than others.

First, Travis Hafner. Wow. Pronk has turned back the clock with a blistering April. Hafner has been so important to the success of this Yankee lineup – he ranks in the top 2 on the team in the following categories: Average, Home Runs, RBI, On Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, OPS, walks, and runs scored. Yea, that’s just about everything. In fact, Hafner has the 6^th highest Slugging Percentage, 6^th highest OPS, and 8^th highest On Base Percentage IN ALL OF BASEBALL! Let that soak in for a second... If you haven’t passed out yet, this might get you there – he’s even stolen a base! Not too shabby for a pickup that most people scoffed at.

Speaking of scoffing, the naysayers were never louder than when the Yankees traded for Vernon Wells and his massive contract - you’d think the fans were responsible for paying the balance. Much like Hafner, Wells has really stepped up into an everyday role in the middle of this lineup. His swing is shorter and more compact, allowing him to hit to all fields as opposed to being the dead-pull hitter he was the last couple of seasons causing the outer half of the plate to be his Achilles Heel. We are seeing what the scouts saw in him during Spring Training, leading to this trade. He has also absolutely torched his former club this year, hitting .380 with 3 home runs in 7 games against the Blue Jays.  

While Hafner and Wells have joined Cano to lead the way offensively, the sure-handed contribution from first baseman Lyle Overbay has helped remedy any concerns that we had about the absence of Mark Teixeira’s glove. In addition to serviceable contributions at the plate, Overbay’s defense cannot be overstated – especially with Eduardo Nunez still fine-tuning his skills on the fly. Jayson Nix has also filled in nicely at 3^rd base.

With the insane amount of injuries the Yankees have suffered, the savvy pickups by Brian Cashman have allowed us to tread these dangerous early-season waters seamlessly. Perhaps even more impressive, he picked up Wells and Overbay within the final week of Spring Training.

3 – They’re Led By A Steady Hand

As the Manager of the New York Yankees you sign up to be held under the microscope all season long, a subject of frequent criticism and second-guessing. A compliment is practically blasphemous. Maybe it’s the payroll that comes along with the pinstripes. Maybe it’s the arrogance of the front office representing you. Maybe it’s the rich, illustrious history of the franchise that puts expectations in a place most managers wouldn’t dream of inheriting. 

Whatever the case may be, Joe Girardi has done a masterful job with this team so far. He has missed Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Michael Pineda, and Alex Rodriguez since the Spring – and Kevin Youkilis, Francisco Cervelli, Ivan Nova, and Joba Chamberlain have recently been given their 15-day DL membership card.

Girardi has always maneuvered the lineup to rest his aging vets, and keep the guys on the bench fresh. With diminished resources, all 13 regulars have still managed to play in at least half of the team’s games. 

Girardi is often criticized for “worshiping his binder” and as a result, his ability to manage the bullpen has frequently been overlooked. Joe has carved out clearly defined roles for his setup guys, with Robertson, Joba, and Boone Logan handling high-leverage situations in the 7^th and 8^th innings before handing the ball to the incomparable Mariano. With Joba going down with an oblique strain, Girardi will be put to the test as he searches to find a 7^th inning replacement. With the recent call up of lefty Vidal Nuno, Boone Logan may be asked to take on the larger role until Joba returns.

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While their stats are impressive, they don’t jump off the page at you. The Yankees have gotten to this point by being gritty, scrappy, clutch, and resilient. There isn’t a ranking for something like that, but if you’ve watched this team over the first 27 games, you know that there will be ups, and there will be downs, but there will certainly not be any quit from this team.