GERRIT COLE'S SURPRISE RANKING BY MLB NETWORK HAS US ALL TALKING!

MLB Network has an offseason tradition that some prople really like. On Saturday, the top ten starting pitchers were revealed and Gerrit Cole was on the list, but some Yankee fans may not like where he was ranked.

Our new ace was unranked last season which is crazy to think about. The Yankees have been in love with Cole for a long time because baseball fans everywhere consider him to be one of the best (if not THE best) in the game. The Yankees have been trying to get Cole for years, so how could he have been unranked until now? So I guess finally getting on this list is recognition he deserves, but should he be ranked third best?

That's where MLB Networks "The Shredder" has ranked him. If you are unfamiliar with "The Shredder" it is a tool that factors Statcast data with a mix of analytics and traditional statistics. So those of you who like to talk about WAR, it is factored into the rankings. It is also important
to know that the rating formula used focuses on player performances from the past two seasons and a variety of offensive and defensive numbers and no human bias is incorporated into the ranking process.

Even though there is no human bias in the rankings I still find the lists to be debatable. I've never been a huge fan of MLB Network's "The Shredder" specials that list the top 10 "right now" as they call it but my husband loves them. Here is the rankings that came out this weekend.

Are there any names missing on this list but are included on yours? I have a big one that isn't included. How did World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg not make the cut? He dominated during the playoffs and then got a big fat payday during the offseason but doesn't get a ranking. It doesn't make sense. And if these rankings are based on two years of stats I would think Chris Sale should also land somewhere on this list (as much as I hate to admit it).

And how is Hyun-jin Ryu number five in the rankings above Zack Greinke? And Mike Clevinger and Jack Flaherty are on this list? They are absolutely good pitchers. They are difference makers for sure, but top 10? I think that is a stretch. They would not crack the top in my rankings.

As we said before, human bias plays no part in these rankings but it makes me sick to my stomach that a disgrace to the game of baseball is ranked number two right now. Justin Verlander complained about cheating when he was a Detroit Tiger but two months later when he was traded to the Houston ASSTROS he became a hypocrite and participated in a massive cheating scandal that proves he has no integrity and compromised the game. He should not get recognition for being a top ten pitcher in baseball for that especially after VERLANDER POKES FUN ABOUT THE ASTROS CHEATING & FAILS.  He's a disgrace to the game we all love.

At any rate, here is a complete list of "The Shredder" top ten right now for every position. Even if we had no bias about Cole, would you still rank Cole as number three? Tell us what you think.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj 

WILL THE GERRIT COLE CHRISTMAS GIFT CRIPPLE THE YANKEES?

Christmas has come early this year! The Yankees have wanted Gerrit Cole for YEARS. Fans have been drooling for an ace for years and we finally got one. The Yankees got their "white whale" as Brian Cashman called him. Yet some people still aren't happy. Maybe not everyone, but some.

This is a nice Christmas gift though! It just goes to show you that some people are not happy no matter what you get them. Buy someone a Fitbit, but they want an Apple watch instead...that sort of idea. The Yankees just paid for an elite pitcher and gave us all the best Christmas present and well....not everyone is excited.

Personally, I think Mike Francesa complains a lot but I can understand his initial reaction. Forget about the Stanton deal. That's done and over with. Unnecessary? Okay, but we can't change it. As for Cole, I am not THRILLED with the contract structure BUT it may not be as bad as Francesa seems to think it will be. 

The Yankees signed CC Sabathia to a $161 million, seven-year deal before the 2009 season and he was also 29 years old. He stayed with us for 11 years, not all of those years was he an ace-level pitcher but it worked out well for us. We got a championship in his first season and a veteran leader for years after. He's a beloved Yankee likely bound for Cooperstown.

Several other pitchers before Cole have signed big contracts. The Nationals just re-signed Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander all signed big deals. None of those deals were busts or crippled their franchise. You could call the David Price deal close to a bust. The Red Sox would be happy to trade him if they can find an interested team but they would never give back the championship he helped them win in 2018.

The money and years are not ideal, I'm sure we all would've liked this deal even more with less years and more money. Problem is that wasn't going to happen. The Strasburg deal reset the market and that was the new market value. We all need to remind ourselves that this contract is all about this first three to five years. The Yankees have all of the pieces to win another championship....or more than one. If the Yankees win the World Series earlier into this contract then they won't mind a couple of less productive years at the end of the contract. Cole will be 37 years old when the contract ends unless he chooses to opt out after five years for whatever reason. It's not the end of the world.

It will be interesting to see how this effects the Yankees willingness to spend money on guys like Gleyber Torres, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge when their time comes. I don't worry as much for guys like Judge, the Yankees can and should pay him.....but what about guys like Sanchez? This would be my concern more so then the money and years we just committed to Cole.

So can Yankee fans ever truly be happy? There's always something to complain about. It's either too many years and too much money or it's frustration that we let a guy walk. It's time to realize what just happened and accept it. We smashed the piggy bank and paid big bucks for Cole. We finally got our ace, we got an upgrade we needed.

Be thankful for your Christmas gift!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj

RUMOR: YANKEES MAKE RECORD SETTING OFFER TO GERRIT COLE

Will Gerrit Cole be under the Christmas tree for Yankee fans this year? We sure hope so. Rumor has it that interested teams are submitting offers to Cole early this week. The top free agents could move fast, maybe some exciting news before the end of the Winter Meetings. That would be nice!

So I am still hopeful about Cole. Other teams are just as hopeful, but the Yankees have this history of chasing after Cole. It would be nice to see the Yankees finally get Cole in pinstripes. So I am still sticking to the idea that A FOUR HOUR LONG MEETING MEANS SOMETHING, and maybe it did. There are conflicting reports out that the Yankees MAY have already made an offer. We'll have to watch these rumors and see what happens, but here are two rumors posted to twitter.

So I wonder which Bob is right here. If Bob Klapisch is right and the Yankees made a seven-year offer, will the Angels or Dodgers add an additional year or more money to try and sway Cole back to the West Coast.

If the Yankees did make a seven-year, $245 million offer it would exceed Zack Greinke's average annual value and it sounds like any deal Cole signs will surpass David Price's $217 million contract that he signed with the Red Sox in 2015.

So this may be the start of a bidding war. It will be interesting to see if the Angels will try to outbid the Yankees, or if being closer to Cole's home in Southern California will ultimately win out. The Winter Meetings kick off today, it will be interesting to see what other rumors come about Cole.

I hope Hal Steinbrenner wasn't bluffing about what he said and he is ready to be active in the free agent market. Cole is the ultimate prize, and could be the answer to get back to the World Series. It's been 10 years....it's time to stop chasing for an ace and it's time to finally get one.

Stay tuned everyone and cross your fingers that we finally get our ace.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj

LOOK WHO’S DOMINANT NOW!

(Associated Press/Sue Ogrocki)

The first game of the ALCS is in the books, and what a performance we saw by the Yankees! The starter, the bullpen, the hitting, the defense – just about everything went the Yankees way tonight. Perhaps what makes it all the more gratifying is the way most coverage has focused on how dominant the Astros are expected to be in this series. How the Yankees had to win at least one game in Houston to have a chance. Yes, mathematically the Yankees had to win at least one game in Houston to win the series. But if you believed what you heard on TV and on the radio, you would have thought winning last night or tonight were both longshots. Well, you find out how dominant you are when you face another dominant team. Last night, the Houston Astros and their fans found out.

(Associated Press/Matt Slocum)

After the first 3 innings, both Masahiro Tanaka and Zack Greinke had faced the minimum 9 batters. Both had given up a hit and benefited from a double play. Then Gleyber Torres lit it up; first with a double in the 4th scoring DJ Lemahieu from second. Then, he hit a solo homer in the 6th. followed by a 2-rbi single in the 7th. He finished them off with an infield dribbler to score Lemahieu from third.  Add to that solo home runs by Giancarlo Stanton and Gio Urshela, and the Yankees lived up to their hitting reputation with 7 runs on the board.

(Associated Press/Eric Gay)

When I look at the other side of my scorecard, it’s pretty clean. Tanaka went 6 innings and faced the minimum number of 18 batters. You probably heard the announcers talk about that repeatedly. What they didn’t mention as much was that by the end of the game, Yankees pitchers only faced 2 batters over the minimum. In other words, the domination continued up to the final out. There were a few other indicators of domination. Like the fact that the Astros had a runner on third for a grand total of one pitch! That was right after Gleyber Torres and Didi Gregorius let a Jose Altuve grounder roll through the infield for a “single” that put Michael Brantley on third. One pitch and one replay review later, and Alex Bregman had hit into an inning-ending double play. That's it.

(Associated Press/Eric Gay)

I cannot say enough about how well Masahiro Tanaka pitched. Unless you’re counting foul balls, Kyle Tucker’s single in the 3rd was not only the first hit, it was the first time in the game that a Houston hitter hit the ball out of the infield. That feat would only be repeated two more times, once when Brantley flied out to Stanton in left in the 4th and once when Yordan Alvarez flied out to Aaron Judge in right in the 5th. He had outstanding control, allowing only one hit, one walk, and only got to ball 3 with three hitters. Against an offense touted to score 20 runs per game, that was almost superhuman.

(Associated Press/Matt Slocum)

The big takeaway, especially for the Astros, is that if they thought that all they had to do was show up, they found out how good the Yankees are. Just like we’ve been hearing about how good Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are and what it will take to beat them, the same goes both ways. Houston is going to have to work hard and they’ll need to catch a few breaks to beat the Yankees. Suffice to say, I expect most of the coverage today to be about whether Houston will recover from last night’s beating, whether the Yankees can keep the momentum going, and about how critical Verlander’s start is tonight. Personally, I think the Yankees are gonna sweep the series. But we’ll see. In any case, the ALCS is living up to its billing of being an awesome series. Let’s go Yankees!

--Ike Dimitriadis
BYB Contributor

Twitter: @KingAgamemnon 

THE YANKS, THE 'STROS, HICKS & THE ALCS

It's happening, folks! After a bump in the road (the Rays waking up), the Astros finally move on to face the Yankees in the ALCS.

I don't know about you, but I was rooting for the Astros so we could have an incredible series coming up. With a combined 210 wins in the regular season, these two teams are powerhouses.

Source: Bleacher Report

We're also getting a rematch of the 2017 ALCS where the Yanks dropped a 3-2 lead, allowing the Astros to go on and win the World Series against the Dodgers. (Would have loved a Yankees v. Dodgers World Series, shame.)


The Astros definitely showed their vulnerability in the past few games. If Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke can get smacked around by the Rays, imagine what our Yankees hitters can do to them.

"It's going to be a battle. They've got a great team," Alex Bregman said of the Yankees.

Source: New York Post

Thanks to our sweep, our guys are fully rested with Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino ready to go in Games 1 and 2. We can also activate CC Sabathia and Aaron Hicks for the series. So the team is looking in great shape, while the Astros will have less rest going into Saturday's game.

What do we need to do? Score quickly and get into the bullpen early. Since the Astros' aces, especially Gerrit Cole, aren't going to be ready to go until at least Game 3 giving us an edge.

"The Yankees are obviously a formidable squad, Cole said after the game when asked about facing the Yankees. "They've got a lot of talent, a boatload of talent. That's just how they've always made. They've very stoic, they grind out a lot of at-bats. It's going to be a tough matchup."I'm excited and I hope you are too! Let the battle begin.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

LIKE I SAID, BRING ON THE ASTROS!

Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

So now we now know that the Yankees will be facing the Houston Astros after they eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 last night. I felt like I saw this matchup coming for more than a month now, so I named my last piece on BYB THE YANKEES CRUSH THE TWINS - BRING ON THE ASTROS! Apparently a few friends and readers decided to take exception to my title and questioning why I would assume the Astros would win their Division Series. Obviously, you cannot assume the outcoming of any game or series. Just as obvious is the fact that if the Rays had won I would be writing a VERY different article. But, seriously?? I find it hard to imagine why anyone would NOT understand how high was the likelihood that the Astros would take it.

You cannot ignore the seismic effect that the Astros bring with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke. You have three dominant starters, of which two are 20-game winners and the third an 18-game winner. They all have ERAs below 3 and WHIPs below 1 on the season. That’s what the Yankees are set to face starting tomorrow night. It’s a tall order, to be sure.

Photo Credit: CreditCreditWendell Cruz/USA Today Sports

If you listen to sports announcers and analysts, they are all talking about how with the Rays pushing the ALDS to 5 games, Gerrit Cole won’t be available until Game 3. The Yankees would face Cole in Games 3 and 7, Verlander in Games 2 and 6,  and Greinke in Games 1 and 5. That’s assuming they alk pitch on regular four days rest. To me, forcing game 5 just shifted the order of the starters. It's still the front three for two games each. Nevertheless, the Yankees still have some key advantages that I think will put them on top by the time the ALCS is over.

Photo Credit:  (Seth Wenig/AP)

The Yankees have done well against those three this season, all things considered. Historically, Verlander has struggled against the Yankees. We faced Verlander twice this season for a combined ERA of 4.15 and a combined WHIP of 1.154. Cole pitched against us once in April, throwing 7 innings and giving up 3 earned runs (ERA 3.86), 4 hits, and 2 walks (WHIP 1.000). Greinke faced the Yankees twice this year as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did well in his first outing and lasted 5 innings in his second, allowing 2 earned runs, 2 hits, and 3 walks.

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Noah K. Murray)

The point is these guys are hittable, and the Yankees have a track record to prove it. In the hysteria of their win last night, everyone is hyper-focused on the recent dominance of their starters. Memory of the power of the Yankees’ bats seems to have faded, at least for the time being. A few days ago they were covering how impossible it seems to be to keep the Yankees from scoring runs in bunches, and how the Yankees’ pitchers kept the team who set the single season team home run record from scoring.

One thing that everyone can agree on is that this ALCS is going to be epic. The two best teams in baseball are going to go head to head, and neither team is going to go down quietly. Whoever win will have earned it. My money is on the Yankees.

--Ike Dimitriadis
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon 

PICK YOUR ALCS POISON: RAYS OR ASTROS?

Today is an important day, folks and I will definitely be glued to the television tonight. We will FINALLY get to see who the Yankees will take on for the ALCS. No matter who the Yankees play, it is going to be a tough series unlike what we saw against the Twins.

So who are the Yankees going to play....the Rays or the Astros? Or maybe the better question here is...which team would you PREFER to play? There are a few things to consider.

If the Yankees play the Rays:

1. The Yankees get home field advantage for the best of seven series. The Yankees had an 8-1 record against the Rays at home this season. They also play well at home and had the third best home record this season behind only two other teams: the Astros and the Dodgers.

2. More importantly, the Yankees have had success against the Rays this season, they won 12 of 19 games against them. The Rays 12 losses to the Yankees were its most to a single opponent in any season in which it reached the postseason. The last time the Rays lost 12 games to a division rival was in 2013 against the Red Sox, who also beat them in that year's ALDS.

3. Yankees would avoid Rays big arms early on

Since Tyler Glasnow will start opposite Gerrit Cole his next turn in the rotation wouldn't be until game three. The Rays are not as likely to start Glasnow on short rest (unlike other teams) after he missed four months earlier this season due to a right forearm strain. That injury was in May of this season at Yankee stadium where he gave up three earned runs. Charlie Morton also may not be available in Game 1 either because there is a very good chance he will pitch in relief tonight considering tonight's "win or go home" finale. If he pitches tonight the Rays are likely to give him two days rest. Also important, two of Morton's worst starts during this season were against the Yankees in the Bronx where he gave up five runs in both games.

BUT If the Yankees play the Astros:

1. Redemption!
I'm still thinking about 2017. Fans are still thinking about 2017. Oh and Aaron Judge is still thinking about 2017 against the Astros, "Any year you're not the last man standing, the season is a fail. You can win every single game in the regular season, but if you lose in the postseason it doesn't matter. Each year, it left a bad taste in my mouth, especially Game 7 in Houston, never a good taste going into the offseason. But for a lot of guys, that keeps us hungry," read more HERE. It won't be easy, but if the Yankees play the Astros and play their best game they could be the winner this time.

2. Yankees would avoid Astros big arms early on

Cole is starting today, so we won't see him early on, his next time in the rotation would lineup for Game 3. Could the Astros push his start up? Maybe, but Cole has never pitched on short rest before. He's also never pitched in relief before so it is unlikely they would use him in relief in place of his bullpen day. Then there is Justin Verlander, who did pitch on short rest on Tuesday and had his worst start of the season. The Astros are highly unlikely to pitch him again on short rest. If you like stats like I do check out fangraph's latest piece HERE, it gives some very interesting insight considering Verlander on short rest and stats show his body likes pitching on schedule. There is still Zack Greinke of course who is a good pitcher, but Cole and Verlander are the more intimidating arms.

Hopefully the extra rest does the Yankees some good and at the same time, the extra playing time hurts our soon to be opponents. The ALCS won't be easy, both of these teams are very good but you have to pick one to play.

Pick your poison....do you want the Rays or the Astros? Comment and tell us why.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

SONNY GRAY IS GOOD, GUYS

Look, the truth is Sonny Gray was always good, but clearly he couldn't perform for the New York Yankees. Pressure was too much for him. Big market teams and historic runs freak out guys sometimes. It's fine... it happens.

Hell, look at the guy like Zack Greinke. He'll never come to New York because of his anxiety. I get it.  You do what you know you can do. You find the right team for you. Hell... good for Sonny Gray. He's found a home in Cincinnati.

SNY writes:

"Sonny Gray's season and a half with the Yankees did not go as planned. In 34 regular season starts as a Yankee, Gray struggled to find consistency, pitching to a 4.51 ERA with a WHIP of 1.416. Gray eventually lost his spot in the starting rotation, and never seemed to be comfortable pitching in Yankee Stadium, where he had a 7.71 ERA during the 2018 season. 

The right-hander was traded to the Reds prior to this season, and it seems as if he's turned things around during his first season in Cincinnati.After starting the year with an 0-4 record, Gray is now 10-6 with a 2.75 ERA. 

On Thursday, he pitched six innings of one-run ball as the Reds went on the beat the Phillies 4-3 in 11 innings. Gray is now assembling one of the better pitching seasons by a Red in recent years..."

Here's the thing; Yankee fans wanna be all mad.  You can't be. This is life. These players play the best they can, but sometimes it doesn't work out. But Sonny is back and good for him.

I tip my cap.

EXPERTS WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THE YANKEES ARE OUT OF THE WORLD SERIES

I LOVE being the underdog. I LOVE when the Yankees win. I LOVE when the Yankees are the underdog AND they win. I'm hoping the Yankees continue to win all the way through the World Series. We've had our challenges, but you should never underestimate the Yankees, right?

Right! Some experts though are already counting us out. I'm okay with that. Sometimes things just don't live up to all of the hype, like the Boston Red Sox for example. The defending World Champions haven't looked like the same champions this season and have a 11-4 record against them. I never would've expected that, Boston has some very talented players.

But I also wouldn't have expected to still be considered an underdog going down the homestretch of the season. The Yankees have the most wins in baseball, that speaks a lot to how good this injury riddled team has been this season. The trade deadline came and went without adding the starting pitching we were hoping for, and the Diamondbacks surprised us all by trading Zack Greinke to the Houston Astros....who coincidentally are considered the Yankees biggest competition to get back to the World Series.

Just like no one should underestimate us....no one should be underestimating the Astros. The Astros are a good team, who are now an even better team with Greinke so maybe that is why sources like Sports Illustrated and USA Today are convinced that the American League will come down to the Astros and the Yankees....with a very strong following that the Astros will win. Interestingly enough, Sports Illustrated felt strongly about the Astros BEFORE they got Greinke at the trade deadline. The Yankees have a 3-4 record against the Astros this season, so this match up isn't a comfortable bet for either team.

Fact is both of these teams are strong. The Yankees have the power and the Astros have the pitching but if Luis Severino can return in time we will also have a pitching addition. Getting Sevy back would be a game changer for us, and I know nothing is guaranteed but I am cautiously optimistic. If he continues to progress, we MIGHT have him back in time for the postseason, read more HERE. At this point, any production we could get out of him would be a plus.

USA Today thinks that we may see a rematch of the 2017 World Series, but the Yankees aren't an easy victory. This team has a lot of heart and determination and the postseason is a different animal.

 I think USA Today is right and the Dodgers will likely make to the World Series....but the Yankees may be their opponents. It could happen. I'd love to see Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger try and out slug each other again. I hope the experts are wrong, and I hope the underdog Yankees can get to the World Series and shock everyone. There's only one thing better than a win.....and that's a win that no one thinks you will get.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES & THE THREE HEADED MONSTER

Source: UPI

Last week on @bleedblueshow podcast I said to listeners that the Yankees will have to face the three headed monster in Houston during the impending post season.  That three headed monster is made up of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke, the A-team of pitchers the Astros will use to keep us from the World Series.  But before the Yankees even can qualify for that battle, they have to get through thick Toronto three headed monster of former big leaguer sons Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio.  And so far, the Yankees have been unsuccessful two out of the three games, with the last bout set for today.

Source: AP

"That trio is expected to be the foundation of the Blue Jays’ future — and Saturday they combined to beat the Yankees, 5-4, in front of 33,903 and deliver the visitors a second straight defeat after they had won nine in a row," reported the NY Post.

Source: NorthJersey.com

The Yankees have beaten up teams so much as of late that fans who are looking for a more adventurous battle are seeking out the New York Mets, who have been on an incredible streak and are frankly more exciting to watch for many.

Source: NorthJersey.com

Part of the reason the Yankees are seemingly "boring" as WFAN said on Friday is because they are winning in great force, but honestly, despite having the three headed monster of Gio Urshela, DJ LeMahieu and Mike Tauchman, the Yankees' anchor has been nothing more than lackluster.

“Aaron Judge is a matter of time where he locks in and goes through a stretch where he really carries us,’’ Boone said of his second-place hitter, whose average has fallen from .297 on July 20 to .274 entering Friday. “Fortunately, guys have stepped up,’’ reported the NY Post.

Source: NY Post

Many believe that Judge needs to get hot fast because the deadly duo of Urshela and Tauchman could cool off any minute.  LeMahieu's consistency leaves him out of the "cooling off" conversation, but frankly, Gary Sanchez, who did hit a home run in his first game back from the IL, and Aaron Hicks, who is on his second stint on the IL, need to be more of a force.  That three headed monster has not even gotten started.

Facing opposing teams and ending up on top takes a lot of power, commitment and drive.  And the Yankees have it in them if they can pull together, work hard and stay healthy.  Let's hope the Bronx's three headed monster can withstand the rest of the season and carry the Yankees to victory in October.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof