It’s no secret the Yankees are already limping through the early stretch of the season, especially when it comes to their starting rotation. What was once a strength now looks more like a game of musical chairs—with half the chairs broken.
Gerrit Cole is out for the year. Luis Gil won’t be back for at least 2.5 months. Clarke Schmidt is finally ramping up for a return in the coming days. Until then, the Yankees are patching things together and hoping the duct tape holds.
Marcus Stroman: From Trade Chip to Emergency Anchor
When the Yankees signed Marcus Stroman, the plan wasn’t necessarily to lean on him this hard. At 33 years old, Stroman was more of a luxury depth piece, maybe a middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater. Now, he’s become a necessity—a piece too valuable to bench, not because of performance, but because of need.
But the numbers are ugly.
Through 8.2 innings, Stroman carries a 7.27 ERA. His strikeouts per nine (6.23) are at a career low. He’s lost his pinpoint command and is walking more batters than ever before. The ground ball rate—once his calling card—is still decent at 46.4%, but not enough to cover for the damage elsewhere.
Velocity Drop and the Harsh Reality
Stroman’s fastball velocity has fallen off a cliff. Ranking in just the 3rd percentile, it’s clear the zip isn’t there anymore. He’s getting hit hard, and he’s not fooling anyone.
His whiff rate? Bottom tier.
Chase rate? Well below average.
Average exit velocity against? Painful to look at.
The only stat that’s saving face is his ground ball rate, which remains slightly above average. But with fewer strikeouts and more traffic on the basepaths, it’s just not enough.
The 140-Inning Conundrum
Then there’s the contract wrinkle. If Stroman hits 140 innings, a 2026 player option kicks in. Right now, that’s the last thing the Yankees want. So while they’re forced to use him out of desperation, they’re also painfully aware of the ticking clock.
Realistically, if Schmidt returns soon and pitches well, Stroman could find himself stashed on the bench or even designated for assignment if his struggles persist. For now, he’s Elmer’s Glue on a leaky pipe.
- Yankees on the verge of pitching reinforcements as starter eyes last rehab step
- Yankees’ super utility man is fighting for his life on the hot corner
- Yankees’ home-grown talent is bursting into stardom
The Yankees just need to survive his starts—maybe put up six or seven runs and hope the bullpen doesn’t cave. It’s not ideal, but until the cavalry arrives, survival is the strategy.