Let the race begin!

Opening day is right around the corner and the smells of freshly cut grass and raked infields fill the air throughout the U.S. as all 30 major league teams prepare for the start of the season. The Yankees will come into this season as reigning champions; the first time they can say that since the start of the 2001 season. All the major story lines have played out and the team is set to defend their title and win number 28. Here's a breakdown of what to expect this season.
Alex Rodriguez will move into 6th all-time on the home run list. He is currently in 8th place with 583 home runs but, barring any injuries, he should pass Mark McGwire and and Frank Robinson within the first couple months of the season. He'll likely pass the 600 mark around June and could close in on Griffey's current spot if he has a monster year and no set backs from his ailing hip (Griffey currently has 630 home runs but is suiting up for one more year with the Mariners). Also, Rodriguez will join the 300 career stolen bases club likely by May and he will pass Honus Wagner on the all-time list for RBIs and runs scored. Any time you pass Wagner in any stat in baseball you are most assuredly destined for the hall of fame.
Derek Jeter passed the "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig last season for most all-time hits by a Yankee. Jeter could retire today and his name would be in Cooperstown but he plans on sticking around for a while. Based on an average of his last three seasons, Jeter should finish the 2010 season with over 2900 hits in his career. It is likely that he will pass both Barry Bonds and Frank Robinson on that hits list to break into the top 30 all time. The sets the stage for him to join the illustrious 3000 hits club early in the 2011 season (there is no way the Yankees will allow him to get to that mark with some other team as he is a free agent at the end of 2010). Now bear with me here: if Jeter, who turns 36 in June, can average 200 hits the next three seasons he will be in 9th place on the all-time list right behind the aforementioned Honus Wagner. Depending on how long he would like to play, he would be 38 at the start of the 2013 season and could possibly be in 9th place on the career hits list at the time. If Jeter wanted to challenge Rose's all-time hits record of 4256 he would likely have to play until he was 43 and average 180 hits per year in the five year span starting in the 2013 season. It might sound like a long shot but his hitting has yet to decline and he will likely play until they force him to stop so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Jeter still slugging away in his early 40's.
The immortal Mariano Rivera will be turning 40 this season and his dominance has never been doubted. He continues to succeed at the highest level with his devastating cut fastball. With another solid season he should set himself up to approach the 600 save mark by the end of the 2011 season (and yes I'm assuming that he comes back for next season). No one has yet to reach 600 career saves although the ridiculous Trevor Hoffman seems to want that record for himself. He will reach 600 this season needing only nine more saves to get there. I'm not one to wish for bad things to happen to people but I wish his career would end some time this next season. I know, I know, that isn't very sportsmanlike and not in the spirit of the game but no one ever mistook me for a saint. Rivera should hold the title of most saves of all-time because he has been the most dominant closer in the most difficult division in baseball. Hoffman did most of his damage with the Padres in the lighter hitting National League. While I'm not doubting that Hoffman has great stuff and is a great closer I am saying that he would not have put up those numbers in the American League. If Hoffman retires after this season, and Rivera does indeed continue to pitch until he's 44 or 45, he should become the all-time saves leader and would rightfully assume the title of greatest closer in the history of baseball. We'll have to wait and see.
Finally, getting back to current news, there have been some tweaks to the Yankee lineup that are worth noting. Apparently Robinson Cano will be hitting behind Rodriguez followed by Posada, Granderson, Swisher, and Gardner. Baseball experts have predicted that Cano will become a number three or four hitter at some point in his career so maybe this year will be the beginning of that progression. Also, with Cano hitting behind Rodriguez the lineup is set up so that there are no left handed or right handed batters back to back (Texeira, Posada, and Swisher are switch hitters). By doing this, the Yankee lineup becomes a match up nightmare in late inning situations forcing opposing teams to bring in more than one specialist to get outs. No matter what, this lineup is set to do some serious damage at the plate.
1. Jeter (RH) SS
2. Johnson (LH) DH
3. Texeira (SH) 1B
4. Rodriguez (RH) 3B
5. Cano (LH) 2B
6. Posada (SH) C
7. Granderson (LH) CF
8. Swisher (SH) RF
9. Gardner (LH) LF
The rotation is finally set as well after Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland agreed that Phil Hughes would be the 5th starter for the Yanks. This moves Joba Chamberlain into a setup role in the bullpen which is where his natural abilities translate as a solid bridge to Rivera. There are some question marks with some of the starters, with the exception of Sabathia, like will Posada and Burnett be able to stay on the same page this season and still effectively get hitters out? Will Burnett improve his control or continue to walk batters and throw wild pitches? Will Pettitte continue to pitch at a high level or will his shoulder and lower back force him to call it quits? Will Vazquez be able to translate his dominant work from his last season in the National League into the more difficult American League East? How will Phil Hughes perform as a starter? All these things are concerns or worries that I see as potential issues this year, but if most of these problems work themselves out the Yanks should be in line for another run at title number 28.
1. Sabathia LH
2. Burnett RH
3. Pettitte LH
4. Vazquez RH
5. Hughes RH
Thanks for reading and I hope you are as excited as I am for the upcoming season. Tune in on April 4th to watch the Yanks take on the Red Sox for the Opening Day game of the 2010 season. GO YANKEES!

Let's put this to rest...

Hughes and Chamberlain should both be in the bullpen. They have both shown that their numbers are much better in the bullpen than as starters. Rivera cannot pitch forever (even if I wish he could) but until he retires the Yankees still need quality arms to bridge the gap between the starting pitchers and The Sandman. Hughes was dominant in the pen last year and Chamberlain was lights out in the bullpen in 2007. One of those two could eventually take over as the closer of the future, or they could eventually transition back into starting pitchers, but the best fit for them this next season is in the bullpen. We can put Mitre or Gaudin in the fifth starter spot and have Aceves, Hughes, and Chamberlain come in as relief pitchers. Aceves has proven that he can come into the game in a variety of roles whether that might be a long relief role, a short relief role, or he can even make a spot start here and there. Mitre and Gaudin are serviceable and could even surprise me with their performance this upcoming season but in the end it does not really matter. One of those two guys can likely win between ten and fourteen games for the Yanks strictly due to the Bronx Bomber's offensive lineup. I am giddy thinking about the strength of our bullpen with Hughes, Chamberlain, and Rivera as the seventh, eighth, and ninth inning guys! That would be amazing and I can only hope the Yankee brass can see what I see in the potential of these pitchers. Only time will tell I guess...

Spring training update

Spring training is in full swing and we're getting a good look at which prospects are ready and which ones need some more polishing. The biggest story line thus far has been the performances of the five pitchers vying for the fifth and final spot in the rotation. The two biggest names, and the two front runners, are Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Hughes has shown flashes of brilliance throwing nearly nine innings with an ERA just above 2.00. He had a great year in the bullpen last year but he has four solid pitches and has more control than Chamberlain, all of which point to him becoming a better starter in the long run.
Chamberlain on the other hand has struggled mightily. His ERA is somewhere around 27.00 and his fastball location isn't coming along as quickly as many had hoped. The fear is that Joba will not be able to fully translate his abilities into the starting rotation. The team has spent so much time and effort in converting him into a starter that their front office and coaching staff would look like fools if he couldn't rekindle his lightning in a bottle 2007 bullpen performance as a starting pitcher. Chamberlain's stuff was so much more electric when he came out of the bullpen that, in my opinion, he should never have been converted into a starter in the first place. He has between four and five mph difference in his fastball when he pitches as a starter than as a reliever. In the big leagues, 96-97 mph is much more formidable than 91-92 mph.
The other three pitchers in the mix for the fifth starting job are Aceves, Gaudin, and Mitre. Of the three, Aceves has been the most surprising this spring. He has pitched wonderfully in his spots and his 0.90 ERA proves that. However, I think his abilities translate better to a long relief/spot starter position because he can come into the game in various situations and can do what needs to be done. Mitre has been good but not great and Gaudin has shown some leftover rust from the offseason. Each pitcher will get at least one more chance to prove their case before the season begins. While nothing is set in stone as of yet, the likelihood is that Joba will return to the rotation, Hughes and Aceves will be in the bullpen, and either Gaudin or Mitre will join the bullpen while the other will be sent to the minors, traded, or released. In a couple weeks some of these questions will be answered while others might not be answered until sometime during the season. Keep checking in for further updates.