Yankees Breakdown: Week 1

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The first week of the 2015 campaign began with a sluggish start for the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka took the hill on Opening Day against Toronto last Monday, and conceded five runs in the third inning, limiting the Yankee ace to only four innings in a Jays' 6-1 victory. New York turned it around Tuesday evening with a three-run rally in the eighth for their first win of the year, but Toronto managed to take two of three in the Bronx in the opening series. 

The Bombers continued their home stand against the division-favorite Boston Red Sox, and the rivalry was quickly revamped with production from Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz (the only two players remaining from the 2004 ALCS). Friday's contest lasted nearly seven hours, as New York and Boston played a total of nineteen innings, the most played in the history of the rivalry. Boston squeaked by with a 6-5 victory, while also defeating New York Saturday 8-4 behind a stellar pitching performance from Joe Kelly. At an abrupt record of 1-4, the "Bronx Bombers" title fortunately returned Sunday night, as the Yankees tallied a seven-run first inning off of Clay Buchholz, the most runs scored in the first inning in the last seventy seasons of match ups.

Monday kicked off the Yankees' first road trip of the season for three games in Baltimore, as they will then travel south to St. Petersburg to face the Rays, and then fly westward to Comerica Park in Detroit for a four-game series against the red-hot Tigers. Monday marked the Yanks' second consecutive victory, as a pinch-hit grand slam by Stephen Drew in the seventh lifted New York over the Orioles 6-5. 

With seven games in the books, the Yankees sit a 3-4, tied for the last place with Baltimore in the AL East, and two games back of the first place Red Sox. 

Here's a breakdown of the first week of games:

Identity: Who's the Leader?

As the Derek Jeter era now lies in the rear-view mirror, the role of leader in the clubhouse has been a question mark from the beginning of Spring Training. While many have looked toward veterans like Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann, it currently does not appear that their presence is having a positive impact on morale or production, despite it being mid-April. Improvements can always be made, but other names in the Yankee lineup have stepped up in late situations, specifically Chase Headley and Stephen Drew. Both infielders are in their second season in the Bronx, but Headley has yet to show regression in the limelight, and appears to approach the competition comfortably in a demanding city with high expectations. Headley kept his cool Friday against Boston, as his game-tying home run came while behind two strikes in the count with two outs in the ninth inning. 

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

While Drew relentlessly received ridicule from the fan base after reaching base safely once in eight at bats in Friday's marathon, the second baseman has flipped the script in the last two games, adding two home runs and six runs scored to a stale Yankee offense. With recent signs of production, the front office is forced to keep Drew on the active roster for now, although the majority of fans and analysts doubt Drew's value in the long run. 

Mark Teixeira currently leads the team in home runs with three, but his batting average is notoriously low (.238). With health as a major concern for the starting first baseman, Teixeira has began the year optimistically, as he has played in six of the seven games so far. If he keeps this pace of play, Tex will play in approximately 138 games, the most he has played in since the 2011 season. While many expected a sluggish start for Alex Rodriguez, he holds a tie for most runs scored (6) and has played in all seven games. While Rodriguez returns to the groove of everyday baseball activities, he refuses to let up, and any complications with past injuries so far are non-existent. He will regularly be replaced on the base paths in late inning situations, but his most recent success has been healthy for the franchise, the fan base, and most importantly, Major League Baseball. 

Defensive Blunders

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Yankees were not projected to finish as a top-ranked offense in the American League, and with the coaching staff aware of the scenarios, one of the strong offseason focuses was on the improvement of defense, hoping that the limitation of runs could impact wins (of course, that's the objective of baseball). New York invested in Arizona's up and coming shortstop Didi Gregorious, who is known more for his glove than his bat. With second and third base as concerns, Chase Headley was re-signed for his exceptional defense, while Stephen Drew has taken over as the every day middle infielder with Gregorious. Speed in the outfield has returned with Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury, as Brian McCann continues to perform well behind the plate with pitch calling. 

Ironically, the Yankees have began the season with nine total errors, tied with Oakland for the most in baseball. These mistakes occurred three innings in to the season, as a throwing mishap by Headley sparked the five-run inning for Toronto against Tanaka. Three errors alone came on Saturday, which included a catching error by Gardner and a fielding error by platoon man Garrett Jones. In order for New York to stay close in games, the grounders and fly balls cannot be botched on a regular basis. It is unfair to judge any players' performance in only seven games, and although Gregorious has not looked flashy with the leather, he must be given the benefit of the doubt- he is filling the shoes of Derek Jeter, and that is difficult for any player. 

The Staff and Pen

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Yankees' staring rotation holds an average ERA of 5.04, including a team average of 3.58, ranked 18th in the league. While Tanaka and CC Sabathia have began in lackluster form, the aid of the bullpen has contributed immensely, completing 33 of New York's 73 total innings. Opponents are hitting .244 against the Yankee hurlers, including 26 walks and 66 strikeouts. In Andrew Miller's first year in pinstripes, he has recorded the first two saves of the season, which places a great deal of pressure off the shoulders of Dellin Betances, as his rookie performance last season is going to be hard to match this year. 

Not only does the bullpen consist of men that can command the zone, but also of innings eaters. Esmil Rogers has appeared to be the grinder, and has been utilized in any situation, with seven innings of work already under his belt. David Carpenter has shown command in velocity, and Miller will continue to serve as the lefty specialist with an intimidating sweeping slider. 

Starter Ivan Nova has been sidelined nearly twelve months after Tommy John surgery last April, and is expected to make a rehab start this upcoming week, and if no setbacks occur, the Yankee ace will likely return to action by the beginning of June. 

Outlook In a Sentence

If the Yankees continue to swing the bats for timely hitting, and improve the efforts on defense, New York will have no issue competing in a tight-knit division without a definitive favorite. 

2015 New York Yankees Preview

The 2014 Yankees campaign concluded with anxiety and disappointment, as New York said farewell to their captain, Derek Jeter, and to their hopes of reaching the postseason for the second consecutive season. After an exceptionally quiet offseason, the Yankees made little progress with the lineup and pitching rotation, but as the 2015 season begins this week, the concern is not only with the roster, but also with the health of the players in uniform.

Here's a breakdown of the 2015 New York Yankees:

The Lineup

The Yankees 2014 offseason additions included the bats of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran, and after a season long list of injuries and slumps, the offense lacked production, which resulted in less runs scor
ed and abysmal hitting statistics. With Derek Jeter now in retirement, the Yankees traded for young D-Backs shortstop Didi Gregorious to fill the void, while also re-signing infielder Chase Headley after a successful few months in the Bronx after the trade deadline last summer.

While the home run numbers are expected to increase due to the number of lefties in the lineup, the questions remain in the health of the nine men in the lineup. In order to compete, Mark Teixeira must consistently hit and reach base safely, and both Ellsbury and Brett Gardner must increase their stolen base numbers to put the ducks out on the pond for the heart of the order to drive in runs. After serving a season long suspension in 2014, Alex Rodriguez will return to action this year, and with limited veteran leadership in the locker room, it will be interesting to see how Rodriguez handles the pressure and ridicule from fans, while also taking the role of a good teammate and individual to his team, coaching staff, and management.

The Pitching Staff and Pen

Of course, the concern stirring around ace Masahiro Tanaka stands as paramount. After investing roughly $170 million on the Japanese star last winter, it is only fair for the Yankee brass to closely examine the health of Tanaka's right elbow. Tanaka's rookie season in the Majors ended abruptly last July, as MRI's discovered a partially torn ulnar-collateral ligament in his right pitching elbow. While doctors did not recommend Tommy John surgery as necessary treatment to the injury, Tanaka's health has the potential to become a ticking time bomb. Pitch and innings limits may be the solution to avoid any ware and tear to the Yankees' most valuable arm.

In evaluating the remainder of the rotation, questions linger around the health of CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda. Sabathia is coming off the shortest season of his career (eight games) after suffering from knee discomfort last May. The discomfort led to season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery, and as Sabathia claims the injury was due to simple "ware and tear", the days of a strong and efficient CC may be behind us. When healthy (and playing by the rules), Michael Pineda showed promise in his approach on the mound in ten games last year (76.1 IP), posting an ERA under two (1.89), while also striking out 59 and walking only seven batters. Pineda will be living in the shadow of Tanaka, but his production may possibly be an x-factor to the success of the rotation. The fifth slot in the staff will remain up for grabs between Adam Warren, Chase Whitley, and other young guns, while the fourth slot is claimed by newcomer Nathan Eovaldi. Depending on the production of the fifth starter, he may be replaced by Ivan Nova, who is expected to return by mid-June after a ten month recovery from Tommy John surgery.

The Yankee bullpen appears to be the only potent force, as the addition of lefty specialist Andrew Miller brings promise to the late-inning situations. After losing closer David Robertson to free agency, the closing role will most likely belong to sophomore Dellin Betances, who is coming off an impressive All-Star rookie campaign. Despite disconcerting numbers this Spring, Betances is eager to take on the responsibility and pressures as a Major League closer, and the Yankees will go as far as Betances can bring them in the final innings. Hurlers David Carpenter, Justin Wilson, and Esmil Rogers will serve as the innings eaters if all else fails in the opening innings.

The Farm and Bench

After nearly forty days of Spring Training ball, the Yankees will appear to enter Opening Day with a limited amount of younger players, and with this decision, it is evident that the front office does not yet believe in the up and coming prospects to step up in spotlight. The popular names at the table consist of outfielders Aaron Judge, infielders Greg Bird and Rob Refsnyder, and pitcher Luis Severino. Regardless of the hype surrounding these names, Refsnyder stands as the only man worthy of making the active roster, as he has already served time in both Double-A and Triple-A ball. Both Williams and Bird have not yet reached Triple-A, which means their time in the Bronx is still a few seasons away. With Stephen Drew projected as the starting second baseman, an early injury to Drew could place Refsnyder in the hole, but expect the farm stars to see some action in the latter part of the season, unless injuries plague the team for the third straight year, forcing countless roster transactions.

With the Yankees expecting to carry twelve pitchers on the active 25-man roster, the
bench will most likely consist of four names: platoon infielders Garrett Jones and Gregorio Petit, catcher John Ryan Murphy, and outfielder Chris Young. Jones was an offseason snatch from Miami in a trade that included Nathan Eovaldi, and his left handed bat will serve some power with the left field porch of Yankee Stadium. Murphy will serve as the backup to McCann, after beating out Austin Romine for the role. The competition will remain throughout the entire year, as catcher Francisco Cervelli was traded to Pittsburgh last winter. The offensive production last season was down, so assume the Yankees will load up with depth at the plate.

Prediction

Consistency, depth, and health are the key contributing factors to the 2015 campaign, and if all goes according to plan, the Yankees will have the ability to remain in the mix to win the AL East. Of course, injuries are inevitable, and with the stars consistently serving time on the disabled list, the lack of talent will hurt the team in the long run. With a hefty amount of talent on the free agent market next winter, the Yankees will look to load up on pitching, and will build the lineup around prospects that are bound to make their name in the new generation of Yankees baseball. The AL East is annually up for grabs, but the Bronx Bombers are slowly dipping, and it will be difficult to place a successful product day in and day out on the field this season. Prediction: 83-79, 4th AL East.