The New York Yankees venture towards the postseason with several problems looming. Their run production has supplemented the lack of pitching quality the last several months, which will undoubtedly rear its ugly head during the playoffs considering the elevation of talent and competition across-the-board.
Facing teams like the Astros with three aces will be extremely difficult for a Yankees team that doesn’t even have one dominant starting pitcher. It was thought that Domingo German would be the top option for the Yanks heading into the postseason, but after a disappointing performance against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, optimism has trended downward.
This season, German has pitched 137 total innings, far more than his total from 2018 (85.2). Â His strikeout rate is still impressive with 141 total, and 33 walks. He has decreased his walk percentage exponentially, but he has given up nearly double the amount of home runs from just one year ago. His efficiency as a whole has been unbalanced and inconsistent. He currently sits on the season with a 4.01 ERA and a 17-3 record. Thanks to superb run support from the Yankees he has escaped losses on several occasions.
German, who is coming off two impressive starts before the loss to the Red Sox, still has plenty of potential and expectation for the postseason. Manager Aaron Boone commented on his performance after the game and how they might look to ease up on his workload to minimize fatigue.
“I still feel like he’s physically sound,’’ Boone said. “If and when we get more guys in mix that might happen. I’m not in a rush right now to give him a break. I think he’s thriving in his routine. We’ll continue to watch him closely. We may alter some things, but not right now.â€
With the Bombers getting Luis Severino back from rehab soon, the starting pitching rotation will get a considerable boost. Whether or not Severino acts as a starter and not an opener or relief option is yet to be seen. Boone will undoubtedly want to be cautious with Luis’ workload moving forward, similar to German’s.
Utilizing the Yankees ace in an opening role could be a solid move for the postseason.