Lacking consistent quality starting pitching was a real burden for the New York Yankees last season. Even though the offense was the reason why the Yankees went down in the postseason, having dominant starting pitching would have helped tremendously.
Last season I think there was no clear ace. There were two guys, James Paxton and Domingo German, who had their streaks of several strong outings, and were the studs of the staff. But there was really no clear cut starter like a Gerrit Cole or Justin Verlander, that every time they went out you knew the team had a very good shot at winning.
Luis Severino is the ace of the Yankee starting pitching. He has been ever since the 2017 season and if it wasn’t for several injuries that hindered him last season, he would’ve been considered the ace again. I expect Severino to make a full comeback next season and put up great numbers like he’s used to doing.
There’s also an argument that James Paxton could be an ace next year. After having a rough start to the beginning of last season, he really turned it around and finished with a 15-6 record with a 3.82 ERA during the regular season.
Another possibility could be Domingo German, given that he avoids suspension from his domestic violence case that prevented him from playing in the playoffs last season. German was having a fantastic season with the Yankees before his removal from the roster, holding a 18-4 record with a 4.03 ERA. If he returns for next season there’s a case that he could lead the rotation.
I would love to add Masahiro Tanaka due to his absolute dominance in the postseason, but he’s just too inconsistent during the regular season. You never really know when he’s going to have a great outing or last 2.1 innings.
Of course, New York Yankee fans would love to see a Gerrit Cole or Stephan Strasburg signing during the offseason to immediately know they are getting an ace. However, if this doesn’t happen, I have full confidence in Luis Severino coming back and returning to his ace role.