Yankees: Deivi and German are struggling in winter ball, but you won’t guess who’s dealing there

The performance of Deivi Garcia and Domingo German is, naturally, being closely monitored by the New York Yankees and fans alike. After all, as of today, both of them would be in the rotation to start the 2021 season since the team doesn’t seem particularly close to bringing upgrades.

Garcia pitched 34.1 very good innings in his debut season in MLB this year, with a 4.98 ERa and a 4.15 FIP, coupled with a 22.6 K% and an excellent 4.1 BB%. The sample is really small but the Yankees were pleased with his performance. German missed the whole 2020 season after a 2019 domestic violence incident.

Yankees pitchers’ winter league roundup

Not that they aren’t good. They are! Very much, indeed, especially the young Garcia. However, they aren’t pitching very well in winter ball. Both of them are in the Dominican league, LIDOM: Garcia with Tigres de Licey and German with Toros del Este.

German had four no-hit innings to start his tenure with Toros, but he’s been battered after that. In five starts and 16.1 frames, he has allowed 17 hits, and 13 runs, with nine bases on balls and 18 strikeouts.

“Obviously in Domingo’s case, having not pitched this year, to be able to go there and pitch and rack up some innings and just knock off some rust, if nothing else, will give him some momentum coming into spring training,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said this week via Zoom.

Garcia has a 0-2 record with a 7.50 ERA in Licey’s uniform. He has four walks and three punchouts in 6.1 innings.
One that is stepping up for the Yankees’ farm system is Albert Abreu. He debuted this season on MLB, with a 20.25 ERA in 1.1 frames. He struck out and walked two.

However, with Licey, Abreu has a tiny 1.10 ERA in four starts. In 16.1 innings, he has only allowed two earned runs, and while he has handed 10 free passes, he has 19 whiffs.