APRIL REPORT: 15-11

The season began with a slight concern after losing two of three against Houston, but once the Yanks returned home, they managed to win three of four against Boston, swept the Cubbies and took two of three against the Angels. The first month of baseball brought many new looks to the pitching rotation with the debut of Masahiro Tanaka, and the lineup has smoothly adjusted to it's new additions in Ellsbury, McCann and Beltran.  Despite the positives, there have been a few detours along the way. Hopefully healthy for the remainder of the season, Mark Teixeira has shown signs of weakness in both his surgically repaired wrist and hamstrings. Michael Pineda (despite his pine tar incidents) was placed on the DL after aggravating his lat muscle, and Ivan Nova had successful Tommy John surgery this past week. The pitching has seemed shaky, but with a power offense the Yanks possess, winning ball games shouldn't be a problem (as long as they're relatively healthy).  All in all, not bad for a first month of  transitioning for the new faces in the Bronx. 

TOP PERFORMER: Jacoby Ellsbury ( BA .312, HR 1, RBI 11, OBP .369)

Despite his lack of home runs for the first month, Ellsbury has shown no signs of weakness at the plate or in the field. Watching the ex-Red Sox All-Star patrol the outfield is almost artistic. Not only do the Yankees receive a leader in Ellsbury, but also a natural athlete; the guy is simply here to win. Ellsbury hit .312 in April, along with 8 stolen bases. No matter where Jacoby was placed in the lineup, his BA never dipped under .320. Out of all the stars on the field, I'm the most excited about this guy. Even though he won three rings in Boston, I'm finding it very difficult to hate the guy. He wanted to become a Yankee, and so far, he's earned his pinstripes. But just remember, he can cool off at any point. Just look at his stats over the past few seasons. But you got to give credit where credit is due. 

WORST PERFORMER: CC Sabathia (W/L  3-3, IP 37, H 40, K 41, ERA 5.11)

I found it difficult to select one person who was below par, but CC seemed to have raised enough eyebrows. In his first six starts, Sabathia has shown nothing but inconsistency. The major issue this past offseason was his transition of being lighter and in better shape entering the season. His velocity was projected to max out in the lower nineties, and so far the experts have been correct. Sabathia has struggled due to flat fastballs over the plate, weak breaks on off-speed pitches and location problems. Whether or not his stamina can fulfill a nine inning game, it's important to watch how Sabathia handles each start through his body language and emotion. It's very easy to tell if the former ace is in a good frame of mind.  CC traditionally struggles in the early stages of the year and starts heating up come late May/early June, so expect the man to return to his normal ways within a few more starts. Besides, the Yanks have no choice but to keep him at the top of the rotation with both Pineda and Nova injured. 

"PLANGERVIS   SO-LAR-TE"

We all entered the offseason with one major question: Who would be playing third base with A-Rod's suspension? The answer was solved this March with the rise of utility infielder Yangervis Solarte, a 26 year-old who spent nearly eight seasons in the minor league systems of both Minnesota and Texas. His Spring stats were exceptionally impressive for the Yankees, hitting for both contact and power (not to mention his stellar glove in the field). Not only has Solarte become a fan favorite around New York, but he has provided himself as a useful man in the lineup. The kid is versatile and optimistic, and his presence has reflected positively among the rest of the players. To me, he seems to share a few qualities of two past Yanks: Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. Cano had the look and swag of a ballplayer, and maybe Solarte took some advice in the appearance department. Melky Cabrera spent a few years in the Bronx, and he brought a consistent bat and helpful glove in the outfield. It has only been recently that Cabrera has appeared as a power hitter, but his stunt in New York represented a high OBP and BA. I like this rook...a lot. The Yankees really lucked out at third base with Solarte and Kelly Johnson. 

W2W4

A month is in the books, but we have a long ways to go. The Yankees kick off May at home against Seattle and Tampa, and then travel to Los Angeles for a short west coast road trip against the Angels. From there, the Yanks will start Masahiro Tanaka against the red hot Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, and will then return home to kick off the 2014 Subway Series against the Mets. The month of May will also put the Yanks to the test against the powerhouses of Pittsburgh and St. Louis. By the way, the Yankees get to visit Wrigley Field for two games, which is always fun to watch. Overall, it will be interesting to see how both Vidal Nuno and David Phelps perform in the rotation, and I look forward to seeing Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira's bats heat up. (Prediction : 16-12,  31-23, 2nd East)