Looking at the Starters

The starting rotation for the Yankees definitely had a shaky statistical opening to the season, but they have really pulled it together during their recent surge. As Kevin posted earlier, they couldn't be a more tight knit group from a friendship stand point, but to be honest, their recent success as a unit is more appealing than their general unification. Let's take a look at the starting 5 for the New York Yankees.

CC Sabathia- After a rocky start, CC has cruised in his last 6 starts, going 9, 8, 7, 8, 7, and 8 innings respectively. He has only given up 13 runs over these 47 innings, which is very impressive. His WHIP through 12 starts is sitting at a fantastic 1.13, and his ERA is a very respectable 3.56. Hitters are only hitting .226 off of CC. His K/BB ratio could be better, as he is at 2.33/1. Most importantly though, CC has given us much needed longevity, averaging 7.1 innings per start. As Kevin stated before, he is not just a force on the mound, but a great clubhouse guy as well. All in all, CC has pitched like the ace that we envisioned him to be, especially over the last 6 starts.

AJ Burnett- AJ, on the other hand, is not pitching to his potential. His ERA sits at 4.69 and his WHIP is a dismal 1.39. He is averaging 9.4 K/9, which is great, but his 4.1 BB/9 takes away from that. He is also giving us longevity, averaging 6.2 innings per start. Hitters are hitting .255 off of him, and have an OPB of .344, which is not good. Although his stats haven't been great so far, AJ has great stuff and will figure it out as the season goes on.

Chien Ming Wang- Wang struggled again in his first start back off the DL, giving up 5 runs in 4.2 innings. Wang has certainly had trouble this season, but he showed great promise early in the game and during his 3 bullpen appearances. Wang's rough game 2 days ago could have been the product of a lack of arm strength, as he had been out of the pen since mid May. Wang has been a very consistent pitcher for us over the last few years and I am confident that he can figure out his issues and return to the pitcher that we all know he can be.

Andy Pettitte- Andy has had an OK season thus far. He has a 4.33 ERA over 11 starts, which isn't terrible by any means. The stat that scares me is his 1.544 WHIP. He is putting the team in a position to win every start though, as the Yankees are 8-2 when Pettitte has pitched. That is what's really important...

Joba Chamberlain- Joba is off to another great start. The 23 year old has an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.244, which is just awesome for a kid his age. Scratch that, which is awesome for any pitcher in the AL. Joba has proved that he belongs in the rotation, and hopefully his stats will silence the people that still think he should be in the pen. He shouldn't, it's a ridiculous theory. Unfortunately, Joba has walked too many this year, averaging 4.6 BB/9. He will be a great pitcher one day. He is already preforming at a high level, and I can't wait to see this kid progress. 

There's the SP lowdown. Let's get the win tomorrow...