The Yankees Pitching Staff Hasn’t Missed A Beat

Before the season, it was announced that Gerrit Cole, Scott Effross, and Tommy Kahnle would be placed on the injured list. This put a damper on what looked like a season to be optimistic for New York Yankees fans. Early in April, flamethrowing reliever Jonathan Loaisiga tore his UCL and was ruled out for the year. However, despite a plethora of injuries to key pitchers, the Yankees’ pitching staff has held up well. It is a big reason why they’ve gotten off to a great start.

Many Key Players On The Injured List

Heading into the season, there was a lot of pessimism to be had among the Yankees fans. Reigning Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole would miss the beginning of the season due to an elbow injury. This put cold water on what was supposed to be a season to be optimistic. Key relievers Tommy Kahnle, Lou Trivino, and Scott Effross would also be sidelined for the beginning of the season due to injuries. During the first full week of the season, flamethrowing reliever Jonathan Loaisiga sustained an elbow injury. It would later be announced he’d miss the rest of the year. Many fans thought that the 2023 season injury disaster would repeat itself this year. However, the players always have the last say on what happens.

Next Man Up

Despite many key pitchers on the injured list, the Yankees pitching staff hasn’t missed a beat. As a staff, the Yankees have a combined ERA of just 3.11. The only teams that have a lower earned run average than the Yankees are the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. The Yankees pitching staff is currently tied for third in opponents batting average against them at .221. The only teams that have given up lower batting averages are the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees pitching staff have also done a great job at limiting the long ball. As a staff, they’ve only given up 15 home runs. The Cleveland Guardians, Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Oakland Athletics are the only teams that have allowed fewer homers.

The Rotation Has Been Holding It Down In Cole’s Absence

With Cole being out, it has forced the Yankees starting pitchers to step into bigger roles than initially planned. Starters like Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil have done a great job filling the void left by Cole. The Yankees even got a quality start out of spot starter Cody Poteet. Stroman has shown that he can consistently go deep into games and Rodon looks like he’s bounced back from his 2023 disaster. While Gil struggles with walks at times, he seems to have recaptured the magic that made him a promising pitcher back in 2021. Clarke Schmidt has given the Yankees some good starts as well.

The Bullpen Getting Success From Unlikely Places (Again)

The bullpen has had to deal with thin depth due to multiple relievers on the injured list. This includes Tommy Kahnle, Lou Trivino, Scott Effross, and most recently Nick Burdi. Loaisiga would be forced to miss the rest of the season with a torn UCL. However, the Yankees’ greatest strength in recent years has been finding floundering relievers and turning them into productive players. Despite being without a plethora of relievers, the Yankees have still been able to hold down leads and set up Clay Holmes with a clean ninth inning. The Yankees have gotten productive innings from guys like Dennis Santana. Ian Hamilton looks even better than he did last season. Offseason trade acquisition, Victor Gonzalez has been lights out. Closer Clay Holmes currently leads the American League in saves.

This Group Has Stepped Up When The Yankees Needed It Most

Despite the early season injury issues, the Yankees pitching staff has been lights out to begin the year. Their success has shut down the early-season pessimism from fans and prognosticators. Given that many of their key players are due back at some point this year, given their early success, New York will have some tasty problems. Whenever the Yankee regulars return, they’ll have this group of pitchers to thank for putting them into the position they are currently in.

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