The New York Yankees are poised to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in a doubleheader on Saturday. Following Friday night’s unfortunate rainout, the Yankees will be deploying Luis Severino for Game 1, with a bullpen game scheduled for the evening contest.
A doubleheader allows the team to expand its active roster with a 27th player, providing some much-needed reinforcement to mitigate fatigue. In response, the Yankees have promoted left-handed pitcher Matt Krook, whose performance with the Triple-A Scranton this season has been impressive.
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Matt Krook: A Potential Boost to the Bullpen
Over 22 innings with Scranton, Krook has shone. Despite only pitching 1.2 innings for the Yankees in the current season, where he had considerable struggles, finishing with a 27 ERA and conceding five earned runs against the Boston Red Sox in a blowout with Domingo German pitching, his potential cannot be discounted.
Krook’s stats from last year are indicative of his potential worth as a bullpen addition. He pitched 138.2 innings with Triple-A, recording a 4.09 ERA. Owing to his stamina and longevity, Krook could prove a potent weapon against left-handed batters.
This season, Krook boasts an impressive 16 strikeouts per nine innings, a 76.9% left-on-base rate, a 48.5% ground ball rate, and a 0.0% HR/FB ratio. His arsenal includes a fastball, slider, and cutter. His fastball, which is effectively a sinker, averages 89.7 mph, and his cutter has a significant tunnel deviation from his fastball, making it a threatening pitch.
Will Krook Make an Appearance on Saturday?
While it’s not guaranteed that Krook will feature in Saturday’s games for the Yankees, he is a promising candidate to watch. Should the team need additional support, Krook could potentially provide a significant boost. As the Yankees prepare for the doubleheader against the Cardinals, fans will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on this promising pitcher.