The New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has some work to do, but not as much as initially thought but he might not have to go to far to do it.
Other than skipping Brian Gordon’s next start, the need for a starting pitcher will be filled when Bartolo Colon and Phil Hughes return; and if all goes well that will be before the All-Star Break.
So, looking at the team the obvious problem is the lefty reliever Boone Logan can’t get batters out. Logan is currently the only left-arm in the bullpen, but what good is having a specialist who lacks a forte?
Lefty-arms are coveted in the world of pitching for obvious reasons; they are are less of them in existence.
Like any MLB skipper, Joe Girardi yearns for a reliable lefty specialist. The guy that can get one or two outs in the eighth inning and preserve a one-run game before handing the ball the great Mariano Rivera in the ninth.
Right now this is a luxury that Girardi doesn’t have, but certainly one he will need with more than half the season to still play.
You might be wondering how this relates to prospect Dellin Betances, who currently takes the bump in Double-A for the Trenton Thunder and throws right?
My answer is because Betances could be that guy for Girardi to call on, and the proof is in his numbers.
WHY BETANCES?
Betances might not throw with his left arm, but when facing them he has an ERA of 1.09 this season.
In just shy of 25 innings pitched, Betances has held left-handed batters to .191 average, giving up two home-runs, three earned-run, while striking out 28.
To make it easier, below are Betances split stats from MILB.com from this season:
Betances stats against lefties are solid, and even though the information is limited it is still accurate.
One thing I noticed was Betances’ 2.91 GO/AO vs. lefties, as it is almost double in comparison to vs. righties.
What is GO/AO?
GO/AO stands for Ground Ball/Fly Ball Ratio (also denoted by G/F) represents how often a pitcher gets batters out on ground balls versus fly balls; formula: (ground outs) / (fly outs).
To put it in perspective, Rivera currently has a 2.33 GO/AO; David Robertson posts a 2.09 and Joba Chamberlain’s GO/AO before he got sidelined was a 3.64.
Another asset of Betances is his mound presence, and particularly smooth delivery for someone who stands at 6’8.
Without question his best pitch is a fastball that averages 95mph, but he easily knocks it up to 96-98 mph. Betances throws his fastball with complete confidence, and has no problem using it as his out pitch.
Betances, also has a wicked mid-80’s curve-ball, which dips late and gets a batter to swing…that is when he is focused. He has been known to get lazy when delivering and you have to finish strong in order for a curve to be effective.
The last in Betances arsenal is a change-up that clocks around the low 80’s, but as time goes on it is getting closer to becoming a plus pitch.
Pitchers who have Betances height have to work harder than the average because they can get Gumby-like and their mechanics look unnatural, hindering their delivery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankee Rumors: Righty Prospect Who Can Fan Lefties’ »