Feels nice to have the Yankees put up 15 runs over the last two games, huh? It’s great to see the Yankee offense do it’s thing. Here’s what was on my mind as the game went on, in no specific order.
1. What a night for Yankee minor league pitchers, huh? Manny Banuelos was apparently hitting 97 MPH on the gun, Ivan Nova had a solid start, and Adam Warren set a Trenton record with 15 (!) strikeouts. I’m really getting excited about Banuelos. I’ve always liked Warren, too. His ceiling may not be super high, but he’s pretty polished and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit the big leagues at some point in 2011.
2. Prospects Gary Sanchez (C) and Cito Culver (SS) were both moved from the GCL Yankees to the Staten Island Yankees. Culver had held his own the GCL, but Sanchez just ripped it apart. That guy’s bat seems special and I can’t wait to see him in a full season league next year. Speaking of awesome hitting catchers, Jesus Montero hit another HR last night and his triple slash is up to .284/.359/.491. Considering where he was for most of the year, that’s incredible. I love the .075 IsoD and the .207 IsoP.
3. Is it time to end the Dustin Moseley experiment? I don’t hate the guy and he’s done what a spot starter should do–pitch 5-6 innings and keep the team in the game–but he homers are getting to be a little too much. With he and Nova matched up on the same day, I think the Yankees could call Nova up and move Moseley to the bullpen as the second long man that of course means…
4. It’s time to end the Chad Gaudin Experience. Last night was just ridiculous. He hasn’t been that awful in the last month or so, but with Javier Vazquez struggling and Dustin Moseley starting to slip a bit, Gaudin’s spot as the 25th man should be in jeopardy. He’s got no upside left and I don’t see a reason to keep him around.
5. David Robertson has allowed four inherited runners in his last four outings (though he wasn’t exactly put in a favorable spot tonight) and hasn’t struck out a batter in his last two. You know that this means, David? You need the high socks back. Speaking of relievers…
6. It’s hard to complain since the Yankees won and I usually like how Joe Girardi spreads the workload out in the bullpen, but I’m not sure if he should’ve pulled Joba Chamberlain after just one inning and twelve pitches. They ended up using six relievers when they probably didn’t need to. I think he could’ve let Joba go one more inning there, which could’ve saved Wood, Logan, or Robertson an appearance.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
2 Responses to Thoughts from a Night of Yankee Baseball
Leave a Reply
TIQ IQ
its hard not to gloat over the farm’s success these past couple months. One can’t lose sight that the ML squad is locked in a battle for division supremacy, and guys like Nova and perhaps even Phelps can step in and better what we’ve gotten from Mose and Gaudin.
Its baffling that Nova is still in Scranton. The man can help the Yankees right now.
Is Manny really adding velocity to his fastball as scouts had hoped or was this just a turned up gun? The way he grades out if he adds some more fastball velocity before he makes it to the majors he has a chance to be a really good arm.
At this point in the season and with a rotation spot open I wouldn’t mind seeing Nova come up and start but everyone seems to think that Nova will immediately be as good or better than Mosley and while I think it’s obvious he will be in the long term it’s hard to ask a kid to come up from triple A and make his first starts in the majors in the middle of a pennant race and have his ERA have to be 4.76 or less to justify taking Mosley out of the rotation who did prove himself worthy of a 5th spot with his start against Boston and Cleveland.