Adam Ottavino was one of the New York Yankees‘ most trusted relievers in 2019. Although he struggled in the postseason, he had a significant impact on the team in the regular season.
Like DJ LeMahieu, Ottavino was signed after spending several years in Denver as a member of the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted in the first round in 2006 out of Northeastern University by the Cardinals and he made his MLB debut in 2010. After the 2018 season, the Yankees inked him on for a three-year deal expiring in 2021.
The 34-year-old New York native had a 1.90 ERA with a 6-5 record over 73 appearances in 2019. He struck out 88 in 66.1 innings pitched with a 1.312 WHIP. Ottavino also registered two saves.
The 6’5 righty can throw hard but is most known for his big, swooping slider.
2020 Expectations
The Yankees have the same expectations for Ottavino in 2020 as they had in 2019.
They need him to pitch in high leverage situations and pitch in almost half of the team’s games. He needs to continue to have success with his slider and be able to throw his fastball for strikes.
The only thing that they would like different from him is better postseason performance. He had an 11.57 ERA in the ALCS against the Houston Astros. But for all we know, the Astros could’ve been stealing signs.
His ERA was a career-low in 2019, but the Yankees want it lower. Realistically, if he can keep it in the low twos, then I’d call it pretty good.
Adam Ottavino is ready to have another successful season in 2020 and shake off his postseason struggles.