The Yankees have had a lot of pitching struggles since the All-Star break. The bullpen can’t stay consistent, and the starting rotation has been filled with injuries and covid positives. However, there is one pitcher in the rotation that has been consistently elite since the break.
Jameson Taillon has been the best pitcher for the Yankees since July 18th. In fact, he’s been one of the best in all of baseball. After a start against the Phillies on June 12th, Taillon had a season-high 5.74 ERA. He allowed four runs and only recorded one out. But today, Taillon has a 3.89 ERA.Â
In his last eight starts, Taillon is 6-0 with a 2.20 ERA and a 45/14 strikeout to walk ratio. Batters have only been hitting .213 against him, and in seven of those eight starts, he has allowed two runs or less. With all the pitchers on the IL, Taillon has served as the Yankees’ ace.Â
The huge improvement from Taillon is a big reason why the Yankees are still in playoff contention. If the Yankees do find a way into the postseason, Taillon looks like the game two starter right behind Cole. That would be an awesome achievement for the first-year Yankee who is also coming off Tommy John surgery.Â
It’s unclear whether this will be the Taillon we normally see. He is definitely going to have some bad starts and struggles. However, if he can stay below a 4.00 ERA, he would turn into an awesome trade acquisition.Â
Montgomery will be back this week. Kluber, Severino, and German are all eyeing a return. Even with all that talent returning soon, Taillon will still be the number two. That is something nobody expected to see with a fully healthy rotation.Â
The starting rotation is quickly coming together, as Cole displayed an elite performance against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday evening, striking out nine batters and allowing one run over 5.2 innings.