Replacing the injured Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman took on the difficult task of starting against the Baltimore Orioles as the Yankees aimed to clinch the AL East. From the very first inning, it was evident that Stroman was in for a challenging outing. His struggles began early, and the Yankee Stadium crowd soon voiced their frustration with a chorus of boos.
First inning struggles set the tone
Marcus Stroman’s difficulties surfaced immediately. Making his first start since September 10, he allowed hits to the first six Orioles he faced. Despite the hits not being particularly hard, Baltimore managed to capitalize on every opportunity. Gunnar Henderson began with an infield single, followed by a line drive from Jordan Westburg that narrowly escaped shortstop Anthony Volpe. Anthony Santander then contributed a bloop single to center field, and Colton Cowser drove in two runs with a fly ball that Jasson Dominguez overran in left field.
While the Yankees’ defense didn’t offer much support, Stroman was able to limit some of the damage. Santander was thrown out trying to advance to third base, preventing further runs from scoring. However, by the time Stroman managed to induce a groundout from Cedric Mullins, the Orioles had already scored three runs, putting the Yankees in an early hole.
Marcus Stroman’s season-worst performance
Unfortunately for Marcus Stroman, the rough start carried through his outing. Over just 3.1 innings, Stroman allowed 10 hits and 6 earned runs, leaving the Yankees trailing significantly. The Yankee Stadium crowd did not hesitate to express their displeasure, with boos intensifying as the game wore on.
Jack Curry noted that this performance was particularly disappointing for Marcus Stroman, whose season has been marred by inconsistency. With a 1.47 WHIP, one of the highest among pitchers with over 150 innings, Stroman has struggled to control base runners throughout the year. Only Chris Flexen and Patrick Corbin have higher WHIPs, emphasizing Stroman’s challenges on the mound.
After the Yankees’ 9-7 loss, manager Aaron Boone defended Marcus Stroman’s performance, noting, “I thought his stuff was okay… his actual stuff is good, and he’s making some pitches.”
When asked if he felt “snakebitten” during the game, Marcus Stroman declined to elaborate further on his frustrations. “It’s disappointing, but at the end of the day, I didn’t do my job to keep my team in a position to win.”
Fans’ growing doubts about Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman’s outing against the Orioles has only deepened concerns among Yankees fans about his role in the rotation. Once seen as a key part of the team’s success, Stroman’s performance has declined as the season progressed. His strikeout percentage, sitting at just 16.7%, is among the lowest for pitchers with over 130 innings pitched, highlighting his difficulty in putting hitters away.
Yankees fans took to the internet to express their frustrations, claiming Marcus Stroman doesn’t deserve a spot in the postseason rotation. One fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, remarked, “Stroman’s audition for the postseason isn’t going well.”
Another fan added, “Cashman must be fuming that he swallowed his pride for a glorified softball pitcher. Now, Stroman will be stuck as a dugout cheerleader for the rest of the season.”
For the 2024 season, Marcus Stroman holds a 10-8 record, a 4.04 ERA, and 112 strikeouts, ranking 97th in the league. Though he showed promise earlier in the year, his inconsistencies have left both fans and analysts questioning whether he can bounce back in time for the Yankees’ postseason run.
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