Stroman shuns headline, talks more about ‘special’ Yankees than his outing

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On Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, Marcus Stroman’s Yankee debut was expected to be the headline, for good reason. The veteran right-hander, out of a tumultuous offseason, took the mound for his first start of the season in pinstripes. But when the dust settled on a dominant 12-3 win and a series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, Stroman made it clear: the story isn’t about him. It’s about the Yankees’ offense, and the unprecedented storm they’ve unleashed to open the 2025 season.

“It just gives you a little more confidence,” Stroman said postgame, reflecting on the support from the explosive bats behind him. “It allows you to attack the zone quicker. What this offense has been doing has been pretty special. We’re all kind of in awe, just watching the balls fly at the stadium.”

And that awe is more than justified considering his love for headlines and a not-so-good performance.

Stroman stays grounded as Bronx Bombers steal the show

Sunday’s finale was the exclamation point to a historic start and one that has firmly reestablished the Yankees as a juggernaut after an up-and-down 2024. Aaron Judge hit his fourth home run of the series, Jazz Chisholm Jr. added two bombs, and even the role players contributed to a relentless offensive onslaught that overwhelmed Milwaukee’s pitching.

“We’re hot right now,” Stroman said about the team putting his outing in the shadow. “But more than that, we’re balanced. One through nine, even the bench guys — there’s just no letdown.”

As for his own performance, Stroman was candid — realistic and a bit trying to avoid talking about his performance. “I thought I threw the ball pretty well,” he said. “Made a few bad pitches, but overall for the first one, I thought it was OK. Definitely need to be better going forward, but to keep this offense in the game is definitely the key.”

The stat line: 4 2/3 innings pitched, three earned runs, three strikeouts, one walk, and 81 pitches. The most notable blemish came on a 3-1 cutter that didn’t get in far enough to Jake Bauers, who deposited it off the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer.

“Sometimes I’m too much of a strike thrower,” Stroman admitted. “Probably need to execute a little better or maybe go with a different pitch there.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone saw positives despite the short outing.

“I thought Stro was good,” Boone said postgame. “Bauers got him, but he had some swing-and-miss stuff working. Kind of in line with what he showed in spring training. Would’ve liked to get him through five, but we were going to 80 pitches today.”

Struggling to earn his rotation spot

Stroman was originally projected as the Yankees’ No. 6 starter entering camp, a testament to the depth of the rotation. But with injuries to Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt altering the early-season structure, the 33-year-old found himself slotted into the No. 3 role.

His veteran poise was on full display, not just on the mound but in the dugout — where he spent more time praising teammates than analyzing his own performance.

“I think it just shows the potential of this group,” Stroman said of the offense. “You see guys like Goldy hitting to the opposite field, Bellinger battling with two strikes, Jazz doing his thing — it’s a complete team.”

That “complete team” phrase is quickly becoming the defining identity of this version of the Yankees.

A Yankees fan

Even with the lineup reloaded, Aaron Judge remains the sun around which the Yankees universe orbits.

When asked if anything the captain does still surprises him, Stroman didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, he does, man,” Stroman said. “It’s easy to take it for granted, but I see the work he puts in every day. He’s truly special. You think he’s going to break a record every time he steps up.”

Judge entered the season with clear motivation after last year’s slow start, and it shows. Through three games, he’s batting .454 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. The Brewers made the mistake of challenging him in Game 3 — once. After a first-inning rocket, they pitched around him the rest of the way. It didn’t help. Jazz Chisholm picked up the slack, and the Yankees kept piling on.

“We’re all geeking out in the dugout,” Stroman said. “It’s like being little kids again, just watching greatness.”

While the long ball remains the most visible weapon, this Yankees offense has made a point of showing off its versatility. Aggressive baserunning, situational hitting, and deep counts are becoming hallmarks of the lineup.

“We’re not just swinging for the fences,” Stroman said. “We’re playing the game the right way.”

Stroman cited the blend of veteran presence and youthful energy as key to the team’s early cohesion.

“Obviously good to win the first series and get the sweep,” Stroman said. “But honestly, even if we had lost today, I don’t think it would’ve changed much for us. We’re a confident group.”

“We’ll be able to navigate anything that’s thrown at us this year,” he said. “That’s what makes this group special.”

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