Bleeding Yankee Blue: TONS OF TALENT IN THE 2023 YANKEE STARTING ROTATION!

Sunday, December 18, 2022

TONS OF TALENT IN THE 2023 YANKEE STARTING ROTATION!

The signing of Carlos Rodon earlier this week pushed the 2023 Yankee starting rotation to number one . Led by Gerrit Cole, Rodon will likely slot second in the rotation as one of the best, most dominant pitchers in baseball. In fact he could certainly position himself as the Yankees lefty ace to stand tall alongside the righty Cole! Then there's Nestor Cortes, the standout surprise of 2022 for the Yankees. Yes, there is tons of talent in the 2023 Yankee starting rotation. But can they work together, stay healthy and have the endurance to push through 162 games into the Fall Classic? Let's unpack it.

We've seen Cole in action for two full seasons now and although he stacks as one of the best pitchers in baseball, he gives up way too many home runs which hurts his ability to pitch more innings and remain consistent. As CBS Sports reports, "Cole led the AL with 33 homers allowed last season. He allowed a home run in all three of his playoff starts and, in fact, has given up at least one home run in his last nine playoff starts going back to 2019."

The Yankees definitely bring the heat, but the upside is that home runs are more frequent, particularly in the short porch of Yankee Stadium. "In fourseam fastball whiff rate (with 1,000 pitches minimum) last season, Cole was No. 1 and Rodón was No. 2 in all of baseball."

The concern with the Yankee new left hander is that Rodón has dealt with shoulder injuries in 2016 and 2021 and had Tommy John surgery in between. "This means he started, by season,12, 20, 7 and 2 games, respectively, from 2017-20. In 2021, it looked like his career year, but he only managed 23 innings in five starts after Aug. 7. Even in making 31 starts last season, he averaged just 5 2/3 innings per start, adding up to 178 on the season."

Then there Nasty Nestor who had the best season of his life in 2022. Can 2023 be a repeat or even better? And what about Luis Severino and Frankie Montas? Are they able to make a powerful impact this season. If the answers are in fact yes to these questions, the Yankees will be unstoppable defensively, a trait we have not seen since the 2000 dynasty years.

"On a pure talent level, this is the best rotation the Yankees have featured in decades. It wouldn’t surprise me, and shouldn’t you, if the position group tops 20 WAR — a rebounding Gerrit Cole and both Sevy and Cortes able to pitch more innings than last season gets you pretty close, and none of those circumstances would be that outside the realm of possibilities," wrote SB Nation.

To keep their talent healthy, the Yankee coaching staff will need to ensure their big five starters have a consistent strength and conditioning program, good off the field routines and strategies to support their overall health and wellness. 162 games make a very long season. Only the strongest prevail and the Yankees have certainly had their share of injuries. Can 2023 be the new 2001 for Yankee pitching? Now wouldn't that be something!