In praise of CC Sabathia

Well, maybe not. The Yankee U recently ran a post about Yankee pitch selection and the effectiveness of those pitches. One name stood out on the defensive side of the ball as much as A-Rod stands out on the offensive side. That name? Sergio Mitre. Just kidding, it’s CC Sabathia.

According to The Yankee U, CC had the best fastball and changeup on the Yankees. Although he may not be known for it, CC’s changeup is actually his best pitch. It was analyzed as the best changeup in the AL in 2009, and second-best in the majors. And the fastball is nothing to sneeze at. When CC is on his game he puts the pitch wherever he likes, routinely topping 96 mph on the YES gun. Add those two weapons to his famous slider, and it becomes clear why the Yankees gave CC a king’s ransom to come to the Bronx.

So far, the team has gotten its money’s worth. CC was outstanding in 2009. He pitched 230 innings of 3.37 ERA ball, good for a WHIP of 1.148. Wins may not matter, but it doesn’t hurt that CC led the AL with 19 of ‘em.

CC switched on another gear in the playoffs. Always a workhorse, Sabathia redefined the phrase in October. He pitched on short rest twice, making five starts in total in the postseason, all of them quality. He went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA and 32 strikeouts. Its hard to imagine what October would have been like without him in 2009, if there would have even been an October.

CC is the clear, go-to ace on a Yankee pitching staff that desperately needed one. The last time a Yankee pitcher was nearly as dominant was 2003, when Mike Mussina pitched 214 innings of 3.40 ERA ball. (Ironically, Moose matched CC’s era in 2008, but he only threw 200 innings — about five full starts fewer than CC in 2009. Advantage? Sabathia.) No Yankee pitcher has thrown at least 230 regular season innings since Andy Pettitte threw 240 in 1997.

Sabathia was possibly the most important Yankee in the second half of 2009. He went 11-2 with a 2.74 ERA, pacing the rotation as the Yankees marched to the playoffs. And in the playoffs he did everything that was expected of him and more. Expect him once again to be among baseball’s best pitchers in 2010, and one of the players most critical to the team’s success, if not the most critical.