Expectations are usually so high for the New York Yankees that they rarely find themselves in an “overachieving” position.
At 37-18, there’s no denying that the Bombers have been a pleasant surprise this season.
Sure, we’re only one-third of the way through the season, and while no one will confuse the 2024 Yankees with the 1998 Yankees, the fact of the matter is the Bombers are legitimate World Series contenders.
One of the biggest reasons for that is the surprising performance of the pitching staff.
Entering the season, most expected the Yankees lineup to be deep and dangerous.
However, as has often been the case in recent years, there were severe concerns about the depth of the pitching staff.
When reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole suffered an elbow injury during spring training, those concerns multiplied by a hundred.
Fortunately for the Yankees, the pitching staff has more than carried their weight and has been a major factor in the team’s fast start.
As a matter of fact, with right-hander Clarke Schmidt’s outing against the San Diego Padres yesterday, the Yankees accomplished a notable feat.
The Bombers became just the fourth team since 1893 to have their starting pitchers last five-plus innings while allowing two or few runs for 14 consecutive starts.
It should be noted that the Yankees lost the game 5-2 – but still, the streak is quite impressive.
The three other teams to accomplish the mark are the 1907 Philadelphia Phillies, the 1968 Pittsburgh Pirates, and the 2022 New York Mets.
Schmidt ended up pitching five innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) while striking out six.
The collective strength of the Yankees rotation is evident in their impressive statistics.
With an ERA+ of 122 or higher, all five of their typical starters – Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes, and Carlos Rodon – have been consistency effective on the mound.
Impressively, each of the five currently boast a strikeout-to-walk ratio exceeding 2.40.
With Cole expected to return to the mound next month, the Yankees rotation will become even stronger.
What are your thoughts on the Yankees streak?
Are you confident that the rotation will be able to keep this level up?
Assuming Cole is able to regain his dominant form, where do you rank the Yankees rotation when it comes to the best in baseball?
Will the Bombers finally break their long (for them) World Series drought this year???