Chris Lynch compares the Hated Yankees and Red Sox pitching staffs. My immediate impression was to be reminded how little these two teams have done to redress the pitching problems that plagued them last season; the Sox added Josh Beckett, a potentially huge but inherently uncertain acquisition (depending on his health), David Riske and Julian Tavarez, and the Yankees have added Kyle Farnsworth and Ron Villone (I don’t expect Octavio Dotel to contribute this season), while Kevin Brown has retired. Other than that, mostly a bunch of very old guys getting older, and the Yankees banking on Pavano and Jaret Wright returning to health. I would quibble, though, with listing Pavano as a fifth starter; if healthy, he’ll be #3.
The two teams have opposite problems: the Yankees still have front-line studs with Mariano and the Big Unit, but lack quality depth, leaving them dependent on another good year from Wang and a bounce-back from Pavano. The bullpen doesn’t look great behind Rivera and the mercurial Farnsworth. The Sox, by comparison, do run deeper than “David Wells, third starter” would suggest – Papelbon has a fine arm, regardless of where he ultimately gets used, and I still like Bronson Arroyo. But they are still screwed if Schilling and Foulke don’t bounce back, unless they get The Leap from Beckett and Papelbon in a big way.
7 thoughts on “Shallowness Charts”
Comments are closed.
Halladay, Burkett, Lilly, Towers, (whose 5th?), w/ Ryan closing…might not be a two team race in the AL East.
Burnett, that is, of course.
For a second I thought maybe the Jays had lured John Burkett out of retirement…
Furtive Glances – Pitchers And Catchers Report Edition
Ah, there’s the smell of horsehide in the air. A few notable stories and posts at the end of a busy Sunday. Label this one ‘hope springs eternal’, though the wait is a lot shorter than it once was. The
The Yankees are primed for another 95-100 wins and a first or second round exit from the playoffs. Lots of flashy numbers in the lineup with old, unreliable starters and a shaky middle relief. They will win a lot of games 11-8 in which they use four pitchers, and head into the playoffs with a tired bullpen (including Mo). Once there, they will lose to a team with pitching that can contain their offense, and can score more runs than the Yankees by being patient at the plate, wearing out the starters, and beating up on the bullpen.
And I am a Yankee fan.
“Screwed” as in win 95 games again “screwed?”
Gone in Belize since this was posted and no one will read this given its stature but…yes, I am a Sox fan but I don’t think this comparison was that accurate. The Yanks staff relies far more heavily on very old guys with lots of miles on the odometer. Schilling I think has a much better chance of having a bounce back year than Johnson. Johnson is nearly in uncharted territory in terms of age. I think he will be effective but he could also be nearing the end. Foulke likely will bounce back as well. No, he’s not Rivera but I think he will likely be a reliable 35 save guy with a 2.00-3.00 ERA. After Mussina the Yanks are relying on Wang (NO experience), Chacon (please), Wright (please) and a bunch of wildcards. Whatever people may think of the likes of Arroyo, Wakefield, Wells, Clement and others they are far more reliable and historically consistent than what the Yanks are serving up.
I think the comment that there will be a bunch of 11-8 Yankees games is true. Their line-up is a collection of regular season all-stars that will score runs. They are average defensively at nearly every positon though and they are old across the board. They will post lots of EWS and will be the East favorites but there are lots of miles on that team. I do think Toronto is legit if not necessarily in the same league.