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| Photo: Getty Images |
The A's don't have the hard choice that we do. I feel like their choice of starting pitcher is reasonably already made. Now that Sean Manaea is out for shoulder surgery, I assume the A's will likely start Mike Fiers. He has the experience and he's probably the best guy for the job. The Yankees though? You can probably make a case or two for all of them.....except Lance Lynn. I think it's safe to assume his performance has pitched his way out of that consideration. So, what about the others?
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| Photo: Getty Images |
Why he is deserving: Seriously, I don't think CC has been given enough credit because he has been good this year. Some people I have talked to disagree but it is hard to argue against his 3.80 ERA in 142 innings with a bad knee! I think that says a lot about him. The last three years he has put up very similar numbers and even better ones than years previous. He is a pitcher that is adapting well as he ages. He still fools hitters. His experience in the postseason will continue to be huge for the Yankees. He's pitched in A LOT of big games, if anyone can handle the pressure....he can.
Why he may not be the best choice: CC hasn't been as effective since returning from the disabled list. Not to mention the A's roughed him up pretty good earlier this month. I'd say the A's got a really good look at him so that might not be the best move.
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| Photo: Getty Images |
Why he is deserving: Tanaka has been on fire lately! He looks completely different then the start of the season. He's been the Yankees best starter now for the last couple of months and been consistent while others have struggled. I also can't forget what he accomplished last year in the postseason, he was unstoppable. Also something to consider....the A's haven't faced Tanaka this season so they haven't had a good look at him. So, advantage Yankees?
Why he may not be the best choice: Tanaka is very home run prone. If the Yankees win home field advantage this could be a problem since the A's can hit the long ball. They are second in home runs hit this season, just after the Yankees. Tanaka excels by getting hitters to chase out of the zone. He's very good at using his sliders and splitters to expand the zone and the A's do not chase after pitches. If Tanaka uses that approach the A's could lay off those pitches and back Tanaka into some really bad counts. His approach has been very successful against other teams....but it probably wouldn't work against the A's thanks to their plate discipline.
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| Photo: Getty Images |
Why he is deserving: He is crazy talented and had a dominant first half. For a while his name was in early talks for Cy Young. When he is on, batters can't catch up to him. He limits balls put in play and he throws hard. He put up good numbers last season and has the experience.
Why he may not be the best choice: He's been inconsistent and ineffective since the All-Star break. It's hard to ignore the past couple of months. His command is off, he has lost his slider completely. It's not unreasonable to say that Severino has been one of the worst pitchers in the second half and his downward spiral couldn't have come at a worse time considering how poorly the Yankees have played for awhile now. The most concerning point for me, his worst appearance of the season came against the A's. He wasn't fooling the A's at all. Why should the Yankees expect a different result? Would it be wise to play him again in a one game playoff? I'm having a hard time saying yes.
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| Photo: Getty Images |
Why he is deserving: Let's face it....the Yankees got everything they could have asked from him. He's been reliable and he's put up some damn good numbers. He faced the A's earlier this month and only allowed one run in six innings. He's proven he can handle the A's and our toughest division rivals. He's been great in the regular season, I don't see him cracking under postseason pressure.
Why he may not be deserving: I really can't think of a lot of negatives. I guess my biggest concerns would be playing the A's again. They would see him twice in less than a month which motivates them to prepare for round two and study. The more often hitters get to look at a pitcher, the more advantages it gives them. Maybe more concerning, Happ is a fly ball pitcher. The A's are among league leaders in runs scored and home runs as mentioned before and that could be a dangerous combination, especially if the game is home.
I'm not sure who Aaron Boone is going to trust with the ball here. It's a tough choice that will be highly scrutinized in a one game playoff. I don't think I could pick just yet. Do you have a favorite to start the wild card game? Comment and tell us why.
--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Nyprincessj
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