After getting left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon, the Yankees will have what is likely to be the best starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball for the 2023 season. Even the latest ZiPS projections released by Fangraphs hail the Yankees rotation as “downright terrifying.”
Rodon signed a six-year, $162 million deal to play for the Yankees until he was 35. It wasn’t cheap, but it showed that New York was willing to put money into one of their biggest strengths and make it even better. It’s easy to say that Rodon is a natural fit for the Yankees. He would have been a great addition to any team this winter, so it’s a simple thing to say. Because of this, a lot of teams were interested in the southpaw before New York was able to get the deal done.
The Yankees hope that Rodon and Gerrit Cole will be the best duo in the American League. It’s not a crazy idea to think that. Cole will benefit from having a teammate with so much talent, just like he did in 2019 with Verlander in Houston. If Rodon does what he said he would do, the Yankees’ rotation could be their best since 2009.
Recently, the Astros have been the Yankees’ nemesis, stopping them from getting to the World Series every time by beating them in the ALCS. Over the last five years, this led sports broadcaster Bob Costas to call the Houston Astros the “daddy” of the Yankees after Game 3 of the 2022 ALCS
Costas may have been a bit rude in his comments, but it’s hard to argue with what he said about the two teams since 2017. In the last six postseasons, the Astros are 12–5 against the New York Mets. They put an end to the Yankees’ magical run in 2017, and Jose Altuve’s walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS was a huge blow. The rivalry in 2022 did not have as much drama. Houston beat the Yankees in a clean sweep of four games and soon after won its second championship in franchise history. The Yankees, on the other hand, haven’t won a title since 2009.
In 2022, the Astros were clearly better than the Yankees, but that might not be the case in 2023. In terms of bullpen depth, it looks like New York beat out their biggest rival by signing Rodon, while the Astros lost two-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. Over the last two seasons, Rodón has had the eighth-best ERA+ among starters in baseball. The Astros might have made Hal Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees, go on a spending spree, which is something his father did a lot.
But the Yankees look better prepared for 2023. Their winter has been good. When it looked like the Giants were going to sign Aaron Judge, Hal Steinbrenner stepped up the contract talks, which was a good thing. Hal didn’t think twice about matching that offer and bringing back their star outfielder.
A few days later, the Yankees added an exceptional left-handed power pitcher to their already-star-studded staff. They also made sure of the return of Tommy Kahnle, who is a big boost to the bullpen. Since spring training doesn’t start for another seven weeks, the Yankees still have time to trade for or sign a free agent for left field.
The starting rotation could be a deciding factor in New York’s favor after the 2022 ALCS when the Astros doubled New York’s strikeout total with 50 Ks over the four-game sweep. Last season, the Yankees had no one to back up Gerrit Cole. On the other hand, Houston’s Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez outperformed Justin Verlander in the World Series, allowing just two earned runs in 18 1/3 innings. The biggest thing about Houston’s win over the Yankees on their way to the Fall Classic might have been how big the difference was.
Verlander is now in Queens with Max Scherzer, and the Mets’ cross-town rival seems to have added a legitimate co-ace for Cole in Rodón. Dusty Baker’s team probably still has a slight edge going into Opening Day because of how deep Houston’s rotation is, but the Yankees now seem to have the swing-and-miss stuff they need to make a real run at the title in October.
During the postseason of 2022, the Yankees’ bullpen fell apart, and manager Aaron Boone couldn’t count on it in the ALCS. Baker, on the other hand, always seemed to hit the right button, no matter who came out of the bullpen. In 22 1/3 playoff innings, Bryan Abreu and closer Ryan Pressly didn’t let any runs in. No reliever for Houston had an ERA of more than 2.00. Last month, when the Astros won another championship, their bullpen was a hero that few people knew about.
During the first half of the 2022 season, the Yankees’ bullpen was the best in the major leagues. But with injuries taking a toll, it faltered later. The manager had to juggle back and forth Loaisiga, Peralta, and Lou Trivino. By the end of the summer of 2023, injuries and trades could have changed a lot about the state of both bullpens. But now, their bullpens are the most exciting in the MLB.
The Yankees have a lot of relievers who can throw fastballs, like Clay Holmes, whose two-seamer is the eighth wonder of the world. Then they have Tommy Kahnle, whose arm was fixed by Tommy John surgery, and Albert Abreu, whose sinker is the best. Depending on how many people stay off the injured list, this could be the team that can throw an overwhelming challenge at the Astros.
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