After getting smacked around a bit by the Mariners last night, CC Sabathia moved to 7-5 with a 3.85 ERA. The Yankees are 8-9 when he starts, and CC has allowed four or more run in 7 of his 17 starts (more than 4 three times). He is walking more batters and striking out fewer than he as in recent years. Conversely, his WHIP is stable at 1.15, as he is allowing fewer hits than he has in the past, which more than compensates for the increased walk rate. He is also giving the Yankees length, averaging almost 7 innings per start despite his shortened performance against the Marlins 10 days ago. His homer run rate is stable as well, despite playing in the “bandbox.” However, it seems that the Stadium is having an impact on his performance, as he has a 4.50 ERA at home and a 3.19 on the road. Finally, CC is typically a second half pitcher, and his numbers thus far are not out of character for him.
I have been pretty satisfied with CC so far, as his stuff looks generally sharp and he has gotten better as the season goes along. With the Yankee bullpen much improved, they may not be forced to ride him as hard going forward, which should help him remain fresh into September. However, I could definitely understand the sentiment that CC has not pitched like a 160 million dollar pitcher to this point. We have seen flashes of that guy, but he needs to be a bit more consistent going forward. As the ace of this club, the Yankees are looking to CC to set the tone in the rotation, and I have confidence that he will continue to improve as the season progresses.
How do you feel about CC Sabathia’s performance to this point?
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3 Responses to Discussion: CC So Far
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TIQ IQ
cc, aj, joba and andy have all had ace type games this season and in reality, all 4 have given the yankees the “ace” they needed. as long as cc can stay consistent and hover around the high 3 era mark til the all star break, i’d consider his first half a success. cc will absolutely beast in the summer and make the yankees that much scarier.
I don’t see that all.Right now if my life depended on it, the only one I’d trust is AJ Burnett.
I’d take CC over AJ any day of the week. The fact of the matter is that although AJ can be more dominant than CC, he doesn’t approach anywhere near the kind of consistency that CC provides. AJ is a roller coaster ride.