We now know the New York Yankees roster and their pitching rotation for the ALCS.
A.J. Burnett will start Game Four at Yankee Stadium. And while many people feel it is the wrong move, it is definitely the correct move for the Yankees to make if they want to advance to the World Series.
While many fans want CC Sabathia to throw games one, four and seven on three days rest, it would be foolish to heap that much on the big guy. With better performances by Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes in the ALDS, it would benefit the Yankees if all three of their ALDS starters were scheduled for two games each on regular rest in this series.
I would much rather have all three of the Yankees top starters pitching two games each than CC running out there three times. Overall, the Yankees starters are much better than the Rangers starters, even including Cliff Lee.
And even including A.J. Burnett.
Other than Lee and Wilson, the other two Rangers starters are not that good.
Colby Lewis was an All-Star for the first month of the season, but has thrown for almost a full run higher in the second half. Tommy Hunter is two runs higher in the second half and much better at home than on the road.
He pitches at Yankee Stadium in Game Four, going up against Burnett.
I wrote it was a mistake for the Yankees to keep A.J. on the ALDS roster because he was never going to be used. First, he is not a relief-type pitcher, as he does not throw consistent strikes, the key ingredient to being a successful relief pitcher.
Second, keeping A.J. off the ALDS roster would allow him to stay fresh by going down to Tampa and pitching in real games, keeping himself in pitching shape. It would be in instructional league games, but it was still against real hitters.
The biggest issue for starting pitchers is when they pitch with too many days rest because their command suffers. A.J. will have had 17 days off from live pitching when he toes the rubber in Game Four Tuesday night.
And Burnett is already having issues with his command now that he is back throwing to live hitters.
Sabathia had eight days from his last start of the regular season to his ALDS start. CC lacked command in that start, allowed five hits, walked three and missed his locations all game long.
David Price missed the same amount of days before his first ALDS start and had a similar outing. His second outing in the ALDS (although he received another loss) was much better command wise.
A.J. has too many days off. So why should he still get a start in the ALCS?
It will make the other starters better. The time period between their first and second starts will be on normal rest. While I believe Sabathia on nine days rest will struggle again tomorrow night, he will grind through that game, and the Yankees will come out on top.
He could go on three days rest.
And both Hughes, the up and coming young stud, and Pettitte, the aging but still very effective (and oftentimes dominating) lefty, will not be thrown on three days rest. The Yankees will not do that to their No. 2 and No. 3 starters, at least not in the ALCS.
If Hughes and Pettitte were going on three days rest, they would likely be limited in the innings they throw in their first games, probably six. Limited innings would severely put an added emphasis on the back end of the bullpen.
The bullpen has been good over the second half of the season. Brian Cashman’s trade for Kerry Wood has solidified an already strong pen and has appeared to lift the performances of most others back there.
But if Hughes and Pettitte become six inning pitchers, I do not know if the bullpen will be able to get nine outs per game. CC’s three day rest start in last season’s ALCS was an eight inning gem, but the other pitchers all had that extra day of rest and went on regular rest.
No extra day this season. Hughes and Pettitte are not three day rest guys this season.
Not when they have a starting pitcher in Burnett who can possibly go out in Game Four and pitch a good ball game like he did last year in Game 2 of the World Series.
But if bad A.J. shows up, hitting the barrels of bats, going deep into counts and walking hitters, Joe Girardi will pull him early in Game 4.
That is why Sergio Mitre is again on the roster, and was pretty good during the season in relief appearances. In 13 relief appearances of more than one inning, Mitre only allowed a run in four of them.
Mitre will likely keep the Yankees in the game if Burnett falters early, but if Burnett is on, the Yankees will have easier access to a second straight World Series.
However, no matter how Burnett goes, if the Yankees don’t win the Sabathia starts, don’t buy your tickets for November baseball.
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