Yankees Rotation "Stacked"

     With the acquisitions of Michael Pineda and Huroki Kurdoa, the Yankees might have one of the best starting rotations in the American League.  On paper, the new look Yankees are a dream team.  However, fans must hope that injury does not plague the starters, and healthy arms will lead them to a World Series run.

     The Yankees have one of the top pitching aces in the history of baseball.  C.C. Sabathia is a work horse.  In his three seasons with the Yankees, he has thrown 705 innings, and he has won 59 games. His ERA with the team is a 3.18.  Sabathia has single handedly carried the team on his back, especially last season when pitching was a major issue.  With a supporting cast, C.C. can still dominate, but also know that he will have help in a seven game playoff series.
     The number two spot would probably belong to the newly acquired Michael Pineda.  At 22 years old, he has a lot of years ahead of him, and with a team like the Yankees, he can accomplish tons.  In his rookie season last year with the Mariners, Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA. He had an impressive 173 strike outs in 171 innings pitched.  With a salary of $414,000, the righty is a bargain number two. He must prove that he can handle the pressure of being in pinstripes, but with run support from Robbie Cano and Mark Teixeira, that shouldn't be a problem if he remains healthy.
     One would have to assume that Huroki Kuroda would fill the number three hole in the rotation.  At 36 years old, Kuroda achieved a 3.07 ERA in 32 games.  Although he gives up about nine hits per nine innings, Kuroda has the stuff to punch out batters.  He has 523 strikeouts in his four seasons.  The only major concern is he has only pitched in the National League with the Dodgers, and we all know things are different in the AL.  Balls tend to fly out of the ballpark often, especially in Yankee Stadium, but if Kuroda can maintain his velocity, pinpoint his fastball, and follow up with his change up, the Yankees $10 million dollar man shouldn't disappoint.
     Ivan Nova is going from the number two to number four spot where he will not have the pressure of all of New York on his shoulders.  Last season, 24 year old Ivan Nova shined in pinstripes.  He was considered a rookie, and proved to be a sure candidate for Rookie of the Year.  Nova went 16-4 in 28 games.  His ERA was 3.70, and he was one of the top pitchers in getting ground ball outs. Given the past two seasons, we know that Nova is durable; it will be  to see just how high of a pinnacle he reaches in his sophomore season.
      This is where things begin to get entertaining.  There is one spot left in the rotation, and three possible candidates for that spot.  Freddy Garcia was signed during the offseason to a one year contract.  Last year he proved everybody wrong who counted him out.  With the Yankees, Garcia went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA.  At 34 years old, nobody believed Freddy Garcia was worth given the opportunity.  He seized the moment with the Yankees and was their number three starter during the playoffs.  He has the veteran mentality, and with number three stuff pitching in the number five spot, he should succeed, but if he doesn't the Yankees have another option.  Phil Hughes is 25 years old and is coming off a rough season.  He was plagued with injuries and has yet to reach the point where we thought he would.  He had a disappointing 5.79 ERA, and whenever he pitched Yankee fans hid behind their hands.  If Hughes can come back healthy, he should be able to compete for the spot.  Finally, A.J. Burnett might have one last chance to prove that he belongs in pinstripes.  When placed in a pressure situation last season, Burnett shined and gave the Yankees another shot at advancing.  Expect Burnett to fight for his spot, and earn those millions that New York has ever-so-willingly overpaid him.
     Yankee fans are hoping that with the recent additions they finally have a competitive starting rotation.  We know that the American League is one of the most difficult to compete with, and the Yankees are hoping that their starters will shut out both Boston and Tampa.  Spring Training is only 49 days away, but more importantly, the World Series is nine months away.