Yankees Battle for the Rotation update

Here we are a little more than halfway through spring training and the battle for the rotation is fiercer than expected. Let’s take a look at how the candidates (that haven’t been cut) are doing.

Pitcher	G	IP	ERA	WHIP	K/9
Manny Banuelos	4	7.2	0.00	1.17	11.74
Sergio Mitre*	3	5.0	0.00	1.00	7.20
Ivan Nova	4	14.0	1.29	0.71	4.50
Bartolo Colon	3	9.0	3.00	1.00	12.00
Freddy Garcia	3	7.2	4.70	1.30	7.04
Dellin Betances	4	6.0	6.00	2.17	12.00

*Mitre was diagnosed with a minor left oblique injury earlier this week. He’s looked good thus far, but a lack of appearances and health could hurt his chances severely.

The Young:
I included Banuelos and Betances on the list even though Brian Cashman has counted them out because…

1. Cashman isn’t always accurate (see Rafael Soriano signing)
2. My followers are excited for these two Killer B’s.
3. I think one of them still has a shot to make the rotation, and his last name sort of rhymes with “hold the tomatoes.”

After Nova’s no-hit outing last night, he has a tight grip on the fourth spot. But if the Yankees want to keep Nova, Colon, Garcia and Mitre, they’ll have to option Nova to Triple-A. The other guys don’t have options. Personally, I’m OK with letting Colon go. Forget about spring training stats!

The Old:
Garcia hasn’t been pretty with the Yankees thus far, but he’s still the favorite for the final spot in my book. You have to look at the numbers that count, and Garcia’s recent track record is superior to Colon’s and Mitre’s.

Tonight:
The man nobody seems to be talking about this spring starts against the Rays tonight. That man is Phil Hughes, who has been roughed up in his past two outings.