The MLB regular season is quickly winding down, with teams jockeying for playoff position with about 10-12 games left in the regular season.
One team on the cusp of excellent positioning to have home-field advantage throughout the postseason is down in the Bronx in the New York Yankees. The Yankees have the best record in the AL at (89-63), with the Cleveland Guardians only two losses back in the loss column at (89-65). As we approach the final stretch, every game determines the playoff picture.
Marcus Stroman To Bullpen?
As the Yankees gear up to unleash their full potential heading into the postseason, they recently made a significant change to their starting rotation by moving starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to the bullpen.
This bold move aims to optimize their starting rotation, features Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Nestor Cortes. This past month, Stroman’s performance started to go downhill, as he had an ERA of 6.75 in September in the three games he pitched against the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Seattle against the Mariners.
In the games against the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, Stroman’s performance was less than stellar. His ERA was 4.03 and 4.07 in these losses, respectively. At one point, Stroman’s ERA was a concerning 8.00, and he allowed 16 hits and eight earned runs in just nine innings. These numbers, coupled with the postseason approaching, prompted GM Aaron Boone to make a change in the starting rotation.
With Stroman’s struggles, many are questioning whether he’ll be on the Yankees’ playoff roster come October. Stroman will be in the bullpen as a relief pitcher until further notice, as the Yankees’ pitching depth is deeper with guys back healthy. Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million deal with the Yankees in January, including a player option.
The Yankees hope the former All-Star will find his confidence and rhythm before the start of the postseason as they look to make a World Series run.
In his first season with the New York Yankees, Marcus Stroman has been a contributing piece to the Yankees pitching rotation.
After struggling during the middle of the summer, Stroman has bounced back and put together dominating performances in his recent outings. In his last three starts, Stroman has a 2.25 ERA after posting a whopping 6.32 ERA in his previous 10 starts.
On Sunday, Stroman, pitched five innings and allowed three runs in securing the Yankees a 10-3 win. He also got a front row seat to witness Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton accomplish a feat that had not been done since Sept. 17, 2020. The tanking-trio went back-to-back-to-back.
Soto smoked the ball for 418 feet to right-center field, Judge bro bombed one 377 feet and Stanton followed up with the most majestic shot, a 425-foot to center field.
After the game, Stroman, who remains one of the go-to voices on the team in both tough and triumphant moments, said, “I mean, it’s hard to put into words, to be honest. It’s truly special. I think we take it for granted what these guys are doing each and every day. What Cap is doing is truly incredible. You know, it’s historic, and it might never be done again. It’s just very fun to witness, amazing to be around, and I try not to get lost in taking it for granted, like I feel we all do.
It just seems like hitting a home run every day is very normal for him [Aaron Judge]. And obviously, what Soto’s been doing before him is scary, scary. So, Stanton obviously going back-to-back-to-back, that’s incredibly fun. Like I said, having those guys swinging it gives the pitchers and the whole team more confidence.”
With the Yankees clinging on to the top spot in the American League East Division, Stroman will look to continue to put his team in positions to win games as the season is winding down.
Marcus Stroman Can Reach Career-High in Wins
The two-time All-Star has a 9-6 record with a 3.88 ERA and 97 strikeouts. His nine wins are third best on the team and he has the opportunity to set a new career-high in wins before the season is over.
His current career-high in wins is 13, which he set back in 2017 with the Toronto Blue Jays. During the last four seasons, Stroman has ended the season with an ERA under four.
With the Yankees being one of the top teams in the AL, there’s a strong chance that Stroman gets another opportunity to appear in the postseason. He’s only appeared in the playoffs two times in his career, coming in 2015 and 2016, both with Toronto. In five postseason starts, he is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA.
One thing about Stroman is that he’s a competitor. Whether he’s coming off a bad performance or one of his best outings, he’s going to go out there and compete.
Marcus Stroman Struggled In July
During the month of July, Stroman made four starts and finished with an 0-2 record and finished with a 5.50 ERA. Not an ideal stretch for a pitcher, and it didn’t get any better in his first start during the month of August.
Against the Blue Jays, Stroman allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and did not make it out of the second inning. Going through a rough patch like that can have you asking a ton of questions, wondering what you need to do to change the outcome.
As mentioned before, Stroman will always compete no matter the situation. And during his start on August 11th against the defending World Series champs, he did just that. He went five innings against the Texas Rangers allowing just one run as he picked up his first win in six appearances.
Stroman Slump Over: Rounding Into Playoff Form
After that performance, he locked in and followed up with two impressive starts.
He made the start in the Little League World Series Classic game against the Detroit Tigers. Even though the Yankees lost to the Tigers in walk-off fashion, Stroman was on the money in that game.
He was signed to help the Yankees go deep in the playoffs. When Gerrit Cole was out at the beginning of the season, Stroman picked up the slack by pitching almost lights out through first five starts.
The playoffs will determine his Yankees legacy and Stroman knows this well. He’s hoping to be at his best when October rolls around.
Aaron Boone’s been pleased with Stroman’s last few starts.
“I thought he was just real sharp,” Boone said. “I thought he was better this time even than last time. Real efficient. Was attacking the zone but also with command.”
If he can continue to remain consistent, attack the zone, and keep hitters off balanced, Stroman will be in a good position once the postseason comes and he’s pitching in a must win game for the Yankees. When the pressure is one, he wants the ball in his hands.
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