Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.
The New York Yankees are preparing to do something they have not done since the turn of the millennium – defend a World Series Championship. This year the Bronx Bombers enter spring training with a rotation that not only brought them an MLB leading 103 wins last season but also their elusive 27th World Series title. With a 28th championship in mind, the Yankees set sights on being the first team to win back to back World Series championships since, well, the Yankees. The Yankees were successful last year in large part because they returned to the strategy that made them the most dominant team of the late 1990s – power pitching. Today’s debate is about which team enters Spring Training with the best rotation, and the front runners are the defending champion New York Yankees.
Probably the best reason to like the Yanks’ chances of repeating, or even three-peating, is the fact that their top three spots in the rotation are comprised of the same solid core that helped them to win the championship in 2009. The top three guys – C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte – are returning to anchor the rotation this season. The best part is they do not really bring any major baggage, either. Instead, the Yankees are able to add to a winning design rather than attempt to overhaul the system.
Last season questions existed about Sabathia’s ability to perform in the Big Apple. Similarly, many critics wondered if the former Toronto Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett could fly solo without his mentor Roy Halladay. And still many others questioned if an aging Pettitte could stay healthy or stay out of the media (in the wake of the performance enhancing drugs scandal of last summer) long enough to be an asset to the Yankees. These questions are not questions anymore, especially after these three aces pitched for a collective 46 win and 540 strikeouts. What makes their stats even more impressive is that they accomplished this in the hitter friendly launching pad that is the new Yankee Stadium. All three guys showed up in a big way last season, and they are primed to repeat if not exceed their performance this season.
But the Yankees did not sit on their laurels in the offseason. Instead they were able to improve upon their already dominant pitching with the re-addition of Javier Vazquez. Vazquez, who was 15-10 for the Atlanta Braves last season with a sub-three ERA, returns to the Yanks after a six year absence. He was traded away in January of 2005 as part of the Randy Johnson acquisition after his emphatic collapse against the Red Sox during the 2004 ALCS. Since that time he has matured into an even better, more dependable pitcher. Last season he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting. To have a guy who almost won the Cy Young award as your fourth starter says a lot about the talent the Yankees rotation will field in 2010.
The fifth spot in the rotation is really the only one up for grabs at the moment, and even that proves to be a blessing rather than a curse. Pitching Coach Jeff Eiland has stated that he is excited about the competition heating up for the final starter vacancy. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes appear to be the front runners for the starting gig. Both hurlers have experienced some degree of success as a starter, and maybe more importantly these guys have big game and playoff experience – which is something a lot of clubs cannot say about their ffifth starter. But Chamberlain and Hughes are not the only options. Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin, and Sergio Mitre are all in the mix. Depending on how things go in the Grapefruit League, anyone of these guys could toe the rubber in the Bronx regularly next season.
This brings me to another point: The 2010 Yankees have something that many other teams cannot claim – depth. If guys need a rest or a stint on the DL, the Yankees will not have to settle for treading water until their stud returns. With the depth the Yankees have they can keep chasing the pennant, a feat in itself in the ultra-competitive American League East. The Yanks can simply call on one of their talented pitchers and give their other star the break they need. The Yankees’ stable is full of talent that is hungry for an opportunity to shine. Guys like Alfredo Aceves display a ton of immediate potential and are just waiting for their big break. Last season Aceves went 10-1 through 84 innings. To put that into perspective, Phil Hughes had a record of 8-3 through two more innings. This pitching staff is deep and talented, and the competition brings out the best in everyone.
Other teams may offer one or two dominant pitchers that might have better stuff (the Phillies’ addition of Roy Halladay and San Francisco’s stud Tim Lincecum come to mind), but they do not have the same quality running top to bottom throughout the rotation. As we saw in the 2009 World Series having one unstoppable pitcher – Cliff Lee – will only take a team so far. Even with the three man rotation used in the playoffs, teams still need a strong and balanced rotation. The only team that really rivals the Yankees’ rotation in terms of overall talent is – if dare write it – is the Boston Red Sox. But, despite the addition of John Lackey, the Red Sox still have a shaky back end of the rotation. The 2009 version of Dice-K was nowhere near the form the Red Sox were used to seeing in 2008 (4-6 with a 5.76 ERA in 2009). Tim Wakefield’s success over the past four years has been as shaky as his knuckleball. Similarly, Clay Buchholz, with his career 4.91 ERA and 12-14 record, has not proven himself to be the pitcher the Red Sox can depend on to shore up an unstable rotation. So, even that good staff does not compare with the Yankees 2010 rotation headed into Spring Training.
In the end we may see that the Yankees rotation does not live up to the expectations I have set for them. But that is not what this debate is about. This debate is about which team has the best rotation as we move toward the start of the regular season, and that certainly looks like the New York Yankees.
