The season hasn’t even started yet and the Yankees are already plagued with injuries. News broke this week that pitcher Luis Severino will undergo Tommy John surgery and be out for the season. Now the Yankees’ rotation, especially the fifth starter spot, is up in the air.
Obviously this is a huge loss for the Yankees, but I don’t think that this is going to cost them enough games to risk a playoff spot. If they hadn’t signed Cole this off-season, I would’ve said Severino’s injury would have at least cost them the division title. But, if you want to read more about Cole, check out this article comparing him to other NY ace Jacob deGrom.
The first question to ask about the Yankees’ rotation is who’s left?
James Paxton underwent back surgery earlier this month and is expected to be back sometime in May. (Early May at Best)
Domingo German is currently in a 81 game suspension for domestic violence (63 games left). He is expected back in early June.
Right now the Yankees’ rotation is projected to be:
- Gerrit Cole
- Masahiro Tanka
- J.A. Happ
- Jordan Montgomery
- TBD
Tanaka has also had an injury history with a torn UCL, originating in 2014. But since missing two months that year, he has not missed any particularly extended time. Just something to keep an eye on, but it’s very important that he stays healthy.
According to MLB.com, Aaron Boone said that possibilities for a fifth starter include:
- Deivi Garcia
- Jonathan Loaisiga
- Michael King
- Clarke Schmidt
So, let’s dive into each of them a little bit to see who might be the best candidate.
Deivi Garcia
Garcia seems like a promising candidate but is still very young, at 20 years old. Last season, he advanced from low Class-A to Double-A in only three months. Then in July, was promoted to Triple-A.
Garcia throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. His curveball has crazy depth to it and is a huge weapon. However, because it has so much depth, some scouts have noted that this may not be as effective against more experienced hitters that will be able to lay off. So, it is important that Garcia finds a way to drop the curve in for strikes.
His scouting grades also highlight his advanced control and consistency. Even though he has the potential to be a starter, some scouts are concerned about this position long term because Garcia’s physical makeup requires him to pitch with extra effort.
For this reason, I believe Garcia may work better as a relief pitcher. His fastball and curveball combination might work better in relief appearances as well. If the Yankees want to get creative with their fifth rotation spot, they can take a page from the Rays’ book and use an opener, followed by Garcia for 3-4 innings, and then finish with the bullpen.
Jonathan Loaisiga
We’ve seen Loaisiga pitch a little bit in 2018 and 2019 at the major league level.
He throws a fastball, changeup and curveball. His fastball’s velocity is top 5% in the majors, reaching up to 98mph. He also gets some pretty solid spin on his hard thrown curveball. His changeup, however, is his most effective pitch in the majors so far. To date in the majors, it has led to a 25% whiff rate.
While walks were not an issue for Loaisiga in the minor leagues, he’s walked 28 batters in 65.1 innings pitched. This is something he can improve at with experience.
Loaisiga also has an injury history, missing most of the 2019 season due to shoulder inflammation. Even with the risk of injury, he is a likely pick for the fifth spot given his experience in the majors and potential.
Michael King
Michael King should also ring a bell for Yankee fans, as he was on the major league roster in 2019 and pitched 2 innings of one game. King joined the Yankees in 2017 from a trade with the Marlins, and since then has greatly improved.
King is a ground ball pitcher, which I personally really like (too many fly balls make me nervous!). In his two years with the Yankees organization, the staff has helped him increase his strikeout rate from 6.3 per 9 innings to 8.5 per 9 innings.
King throws a fastball, changeup and slider and has above average control. In fact, some scouts are even saying he has the best control and command among Yankees prospects. So King has a lot of potential to be impactful. I think if he is awarded the fifth spot he would really have a chance to show his potential and secure a more permanent role in the next couple years.
I’m particularly excited to watch King since he has been so willing and able to adapt to the demands of the Yankees organization. He seems like he is comfortable and a good fit for the team.
Clarke Schmidt
Clarke Schmidt is interesting because he has a really solid pitch mix, including a fastball, changeup, curveball, and slider. Not many Yankees prospects have a pitch mix quite as developed as Schmidt.
That being said, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, partially due to his unique delivery. He’s also taken a step back from throwing his slider regularly to work on his curveball. While his slider and curveball are great pitches when executed, he has struggled with command and consistency.
Based on some scouting reports, it seems like Schmidt has the tendency to have what I like to call “hit or miss” games. Meaning, when his stuff is working, the opposing offense will really have to work to break through. But when it’s not working, he can get hit quite a bit.
I think Schmidt has the potential to be an impact pitcher for the Yankees, but not yet. Seems like he needs some more time to develop and achieve more consistency.
Who do you think should be the fifth starter in the Yankees’ rotation?