Kuzul

The Yankees just can’t catch a break.

After dealing with an ailing Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre and Greg Golson this spring, the oblique strain is back and is now affecting key player Curtis Granderson.

The right muscle strain caused the hitter to be scratched from the lineup on Tuesday and may deprive Granderson of participating in Opening Day on Thursday against his former team, the Detroit Tigers.

Despite improvement from Granderson, there is still a change he may not be ready for Opening Day. Although it only took Mitre days to overcome the strain, it took Chamberlain 10 days and Golson two weeks to fully recover.

Rushing players back with this type of strain will most likely end badly.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi told the Daily News, “We told him, look Curtis, we don’t need to rush this back where you say ‘I have to play by Friday or Saturday.’ You don’t have to do that. Let’s just make sure that when you’re ready to go, you’re ready to go.”

Despite starting off 2010 as one of the more dominant Yankee players, Granderson has had his ups and downs with the team, posting a .247 batting average with the Yankees last season.

Facing some difficulties on the plate, Granderson finished April with just a .211 batting average; this slump continued throughout the summer.

Thankfully for the Yankees, Granderson performed to his full potential from September throughout the playoffs, recording a .455 batting average in the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins and a .294 in the ALCS against the Texas Rangers.

Before becoming injured, Granderson’s success continued throughout Spring Training, recording a .385 batting average in 15 games.

“I know the guys more, I know the facility more, the coaching staff more,” Granderson told reporters of the Daily News, “This year will be very similar in mentality to every other spring training except for last year. I’m excited about that. Everything is just normal again.”

With Granderson feeling more comfortable and apart of the Yankees, when he is fully recovered from this strain (hopefully by Thursday), Granderson is expected to play as well as he has been.

If unable to play by Thursday, Brett Gardner will go back to his old position and replace Granderson in center field as Andruw Jones is a candidate to play left field.

Jones recorded a .230 batting average last season with 19 home runs, 12 doubles and one triple with the Chicago White Sox.

Another favorite to replace Granderson is outfielder Chris Dickerson (.267). The player went 3-for-3 with a RBI and a double on Saturday against the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field before getting taken out of the game due to cramps and hamstring spasms.

If healthy, he will most likely replace Granderson over Jones in left field.

Granderson being unable to play on Opening Day would impact the lineup, as he has more experience than Dickerson and is a better hitter and outfielder than either of these players.

However, the Yankees offense is performing up to par, leaving them to be in good shape until the Grandy man returns.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Despite hurling some of his best stuff in five years (1-0/2.40/15 IP/17 K), Bartolo Colon will start his season with the Yankees in the bullpen.

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi announced Sunday that the team will round out their rotation with Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia as their fourth and fifth starters.

Though the announcement was touted as “expected” by many media outlets, including ESPN, it still comes as a surprise to anyone who has followed both of their springs, or even their careers.

Colon was the victim of a manager already making up his decision as to who he was going to pick before either of them took to the mound. In an article from ESPN, Girardi touts what Freddy Garcia had done in the lead up to spring, and in the past season, as the reason he picked Garcia over Colon.

Colon did not have any stats to speak of in 2010 due to injuries.

So if Colon outperformed Garcia so blatantly this spring, and Garcia has been mediocre at best over the past few seasons, what put the nail in the coffin for Colon?

Versatility.

That’s right. Joe Girardi’s reason to ESPN was, in essence, that he didn’t expect Colon to be this good:

“Bartolo was the wild card in all of this,” Girardi said. “I didn’t really have any expectations for Bartolo. I had no idea what to think, what he was going to do. You didn’t know his velocity was going to be as high as 93, that he’d have that much movement on his fastball, that he’d be able to pick up a cutter in a day. And it happened.”

So the only place that makes sense to keep him is in the “mop-up duty” roll in the bullpen, where Colon will see very limited action.

This could very quickly become a moot point, however.

Both have a very long injury track record over the past five years, we could see one (or both!) of these guys land on the DL before we even have time to argue who should have gotten the spot.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring training is upon us. The Red Sox have been busy this offseason. The Yankees, on the other hand, were uncharacteristically quiet. How could the New York Yankees make noise this offseason with a payroll of over 200 million dollars? Yes, even the “Evil Empire of New York” has limitations on how much they can spend.

This article will break down the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry as it stands today and forecast what the 2011 season may hold for each team and/or their players.

Looking at the resurgence of the Boston Red Sox this offseason by means of key acquisitions Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, one has to wonder, will the Red Sox push the Yankees around in 2011? Are they better than the Yankees? 

When Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was asked if he agrees that the Red Sox are better on paper today than the Yankees, he said,

“I would agree because they have a deeper starting rotation. I’m not saying they’re going to beat us. We’re not conceding anything. But if somebody asked me right now, they might be a finished product. We’re an unfinished product,” he said last night at a charity event.

“But you don’t win championships in the winter, you win them in the summer. We’re looking forward to going head-to-head with everybody and anybody.” 

“That does not discount anything I have got here,” Cashman said. “It’s just that I have more work to do. I might have the answers right here in front of me. I like what we have coming. Is it ready right now or not yet for an American League pennant race? We’re going to find out and weigh that vs. what becomes available over time. But what I do have, I’m very proud of. And what I do have is going to compete for that title. Can I make it better? I can make it better.”

His opinion that, as of now, the Red Sox are better is shared by most in baseball. There are of course exceptions, including Hank Steinbrenner.

On Tuesday, Hank Steinbrenner had this to say about Brian Cashman’s comments and where his team stands heading into the 2011 MLB season..

“I think we’re the hunter. At the end of the day, listen, no one’s conceding anything. No one’s conceding anything. But as I described the other day in full force, if this was the start of a race..from their winter, they (the Red Sox) qualified for the pole position. Their pole position right now is better than ours because of the winter that they had compared to the winter that I personally had.”

“When you guys are looking at me straight-faced in the eye and (say) what did you think about their winter and where does that put them compared to you, I think they’re the hunted, we’re the hunter and that’s as simple as that and I don’t think anybody would disagree with that,” Cashman said.

“You can make with it whatever you want, I don’t really care, but that’s not selling us short. I like our talent. I like our talent a lot. I give myself an incomplete. Simple as that. If you want to insult anybody …I’m insulting myself. It’s as simple as that. I have more work to do.”

Brian Cashman also was quoted as saying, “We have a lot of talent here because they (the Steinbrenners) allow us to go the extra mile to try and find as much as we can to put us in position to succeed,” Cashman said.

“We almost got back to the World Series but almost obviously is not good enough in our market, so every now and then, a healthy reminder of what comes with not crossing the finish line, that’s going to happen. Why we fell short, how we fell short, the bottom line is we fell short.”

Now that we have heard the sentiment from around the league, let’s now analyze for ourselves which team is better. A good place to start is by looking at the projected opening day lineups. Next, an assessment of the two team’s defenses and pitching staffs will be in order. Lastly, every team is only as good as the coach(es) behind it, so we will take a look at each team’s coaching staff.

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Curtis Granderson’s debut season with the New York Yankees can best be described as one filled with many peaks and valleys.  Judging by his strong second half and impressive postseason numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising if Granderson has a 2011 similar to his breakout 2007 season with the Detroit Tigers.

His Yankee career couldn’t have gotten off to a finer start.  In his first at bat of the season, he crushed a Josh Beckett pitch into the right-center field bleachers at Fenway Park. 

Just three days later, Granderson led off against the Red Sox in the 10th inning and delivered an early moment of ecstasy to Yankee fans by blasting a game-winning home run to right field stands off of Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Granderson quickly endeared himself to his teammates and the “Bleacher Creatures” by immediately performing against their hated rivals, but his numbers would soon take a tailspin. 

He finished April with a batting average of just .211 and only two home runs.  Some Yankee fans began to question whether their center fielder would be able to produce under the bright lights in the Bronx.

Granderson’s struggles at the plate continued into July.  His sub-par first half totals consisted of a .240 batting average, seven home runs and 24 RBI and wasn’t impressing the hard-to-please crowds at Yankee Stadium. 

He soon found his power stroke and went on a torrid run, hitting 17 home runs in the second of half of the season including nine in September/October.  Granderson complied a slugging percentage of .523 after the All-Star break, which was 114 points higher than his first half mark.

In the 2010 playoffs, he took his game to new heights by leading the Yankees with a .357 batting average and tied Robinson Cano with a team-best six RBI.  In the ALDS against the Twins, Granderson dominated the Minnesota pitching logging a .455 batting average and a monstrous slugging percentage of .727.

Granderson will be looking to turn the page in 2011 and find the consistency that allowed him compile some fantastic seasons in Detroit. 

He told the New York Daily News, “All those ‘firsts’ are done with.  I know the guys more, I know the facility more, the coaching staff more.  This year will be very similar in mentality to every other Spring Training except for last year.  I’m excited about that.  Everything is just normal again.”

A player that possesses tremendous tools, Granderson played very well defensively last year and has the all-around ability to mold himself into a complete ballplayer.  Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long will work with Granderson during Spring Training to perfect his swing. 

Long was able to turn a struggling Cano into a fearsome MVP candidate and has been known to expertly retool the approach of Yankee batters over the years like Alex Rodriguez.

If Granderson can continue his bright performances throughout the 2011 season, he could come close to raising his average to above the .280 mark that he was accustomed to with the Tigers.  In a down year in 2010, Granderson still was able to hit 24 home runs and drive in 67 RBI.

Once he figures out Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field, he might have a shot at surpassing his career-best total of 30 home runs.  I’d like to see manager Joe Girardi take the training wheels off and allow Granderson to be aggressive on the basepaths. 

In 2007, Granderson stole 26 bases and only was thrown out once all season.  Last year, he converted 12 of 14 stolen base attempts and should come closer to being a “20-20” man in the upcoming season.

Granderson will turn 30 before the Yankees’ March 31 season opener against the Tigers.  He is in what most would consider his prime years and very well could go on to produce a career-best season in 2011.

Join in the discussion below and follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/HartyLFC.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We all know that the Yankees have another solid team heading into the 2011 baseball season.  However, there is a reason why they are not the favorites this season and it is much bigger than failing to get Cliff Lee and barely attempting to get now new Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford.

The Yankees still have a powerful lineup especially when clicking all at once.  They have a much improved bullpen as they signed Pedro Feliciano and Rafael Soriano.  They are finally heading into a spring training where they will give Jesus Montero and Austin Romine a big chance to make the Major League squad.  Of course as we all know only one can make it.

They have Damaso Marte coming back from  injury to give them a viable second left handed reliever to bring out of the bullpen along with Feliciano.  Though they did lose Andy Pettitte to retirement, they have two front line starters in C.C Sabathia and Phil Hughes along A.J Burnett who believe it or not will rebound in 2011 to have his usual 14 or 15 win season.

Now, of course Burnett will have games where he makes you want to throw and break something.  But, on the positive side, he will also have those spectacular outings that will make you wonder, why with a curveball like he possesses is he not one of the greatest pitchers in the game?

That’s the good side of the Yankees as a whole.  The bad side—well we all know what it is.  They have mediocre pitching at the 4th and 5th starting rotation spots. Their bench is okay at best and some might say that Derek Jeter’s defense is another issue.  But frankly that is ridiculous.  When Jeter is hitting well the media says he is playing great defense and when he is batting .260 like he was last season his defense is a “liability”.

It is to be expected that this team will not look the same when we get into the dog days of August and September because of the two glaring holes on the bench and in the starting rotation.  That is the beauty of of having rich bosses who will undoubtedly invest money in a starter and some bench help by the July 31st trade deadline.

With that said, the biggest concern with this Yankee team is Joe Girardi.  The truth is that though they are not the favorite to win it all this season the Yankees have a really good shot.  It is up to Girardi to not mess it up and to help this team overcome all the flaws that they have this season.  That is what good managers do.

Thankfully this writer is willing to help.

Now, it is well known that managing from your living room couch when you are not in the public eye, and criticizing from the outside looking in is much easier than being one of only 30 major league managers.  Not to mention that a Yankee manager works for an organization that has no patience for not winning it all.

But eh! I decided to do it anyway.

Here is how the 2011 Yankees should be managed from starting pitching, to the lineup, the bullpen, the bench and defense.

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Ranking Major League Managers can be a tricky business. Managing can be, like standing on a razor edge; one wrong move and you’ll get cut. 

It seems that no matter, what the city, or team, managers are always on the hot seat.  Security in this job, is never guaranteed, so it comes as no surprise that, entering the 2011 season we have twelve teams sporting new managers. 

What may come as a shock, is that seven of these men, are rookie managers; untested in any way, shape, or form. This makes it as difficult, to rank these seven men, as a blind man judging a beauty pageant. 

With this in mind, I am going to give it, that “ole college try” and rank these men from bottom to top, heading into the 2011 season. 

Begin Slideshow

What is the going rate for a cerebral college pitcher with a continually developing arsenal, increasing strikeout rate, and a perennial winner?  How about a fourth round draft pick in the 2009 amateur draft by the New York Yankees.

Adam P. Warren is a 6’1″, 200lb right hand pitcher from New Bern, NC.  He played his high school ball at New Bern High, where he earned the New Bern Journal’s “Baseball Player of the Year” award.  An honor roll student, he graduated fifth in his class.

Warren went on to pitch for the University of North Carolina in 2006 and helped turn around what was not a highly regarded baseball program.  “We had not been to the College World Series since something like 1989, I think” says Warren in 2009. “And now I have been there four times.”  This was not a coincidence.

It was his sophomore season of 2007 when Warren really started to shine.  He went 12-0, sporting a minuscule 2.17 ERA in 70 2/3 innings.  His 12-0 record ranks as the most victories without a loss in school history.  Warren also earned two wins in the College World Series, allowing a total of two runs on six hits in 10 2/3 innings.

Warren’s junior season at UNC, in 2008, saw an incredible feat come to an end.  He suffered his first loss as a collegiate player after a run of 19 straight victories spanning his first three seasons.  It was the longest streak by a UNC Tarheel since Scott Bankston ran off 20 straight during the 1983-1984 seasons.

Warren’s senior season in 2009 saw him go 10-2 with a 3.31 ERA. The most impressive part about his development as a college player was his ever increasing strikeout rate.  He went from a K/9 rate of 5.6 as a freshman, to a 6.3 rate as a sophomore, 7.9 rate as a junior and finishing with a 9.5 rate as a senior.  This development, and his playoff success—six earned runs in 22 1/3 innings, 23 strikeouts and two walks—made it difficult not to notice him.

Warren was drafted in the 36th round in 2008 by the Cleveland Indians.  He went back to school for his senior season, and it payed off because the Yankees took him with the 135th pick of the 2009 first-year player draft.

Warren was sent to short season Staten Island in 2009 and simply dominated.  In 56.2 innings, he sported a 1.43 ERA with only 49 hits, 10 walks and an awesome 50 strikeouts.  Hitters were baffled against him with a .236 batting average against.

In 2010, Warren began the year with class A Tampa and went 7-5 with a 2.22 ERA, 72 hits, 67 strikeouts and 17 walks in 81 innings.  He was promoted to class AA Trenton where it was more of the same. He finished the year with a 2.59 ERA with 121 hits, 126 strikeouts and only 33 walks in 135.1 innings.

The increasing strikeout rate continued as a professional.  In 2009, it was a 7.9 K/9 pitching for Staten Island.  He improved to 8.3 in 2010 with Tampa and Trenton.  His strikeout rate was actually the best at Trenton—9.7 K/9—where the competition is at a higher level than his two previous stops.

In an interview with Lane Meyer, Warren describes his arsenal as “a four-seam fastball between 90-94” (reports are it touched 96 in the minors) and a two-seamer that “don’t lose much velocity” but “does get a little sink”.  He also has a change up “that sinks a little bit” and a 12 to 6 curveball that is still developing.

Finally he throws “what has started off as a cutter but has now developed into more of a slider that runs anywhere from 80-85 miles an hour”.

Warren has excellent control—his WHIP in the minors is 1.10—and a good feel for his pitches.  He mixes his pitches very well, as evidenced by his large arsenal, and does a great job changing speeds.  He can throw anything from a 74 MPH curveball to a 96 MPH fastball, so it plays a huge role in what he does on the mound.

It looks as if Warren will start the year at either class AA Trenton or AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  It is conceivable that he will battle for a rotation spot in spring training.  He has the talent to be a solid middle of the order starter.  If he keeps improving on his strikeout rate, who knows where it may lead.

It is very clear that Adam Warren is a winner and has been his entire career.  This would make his transition to the rotation in the Bronx smoother.  The pressure is on, and Warren, seemingly, can handle whatever is thrown at him.

Brought to you by Pinstripes and Pasta

The Patience Series:

Patience Part 1: Hector Noesi

Patience Part 2: David Phelps

Patience Part 3: Brandon Laird

Patience Part 4: Adam Warren (Above)

Patience Part 5: Eduardo Nunez

Patience Part 6: Gary Sanchez

Related Articles:

It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are you in the market for a 27th round draft pick with a good baseball eye and a propensity to hit home runs?  The Yankees decided the answer was yes with the 884th pick of the 2007 MLB amateur draft.

Brandon Laird, a 6’1″, 215 pound right-handed hitter and the brother of Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird, was a star at La Quinta High School in Westminster, CA.  As a varsity shortstop in 2004 and 2005, he hit .545 with eight home runs in 124 at bats (one home run every 15.5 ABs).  As a bonus, Laird pitched to a 1.91 ERA, 12 wins, six complete games, and 124 strikeouts in only 88 innings pitched.  He was named First-Team All-League, First-Team All-CIF, Second-Team All-American, and League MVP in his high school career.

Laird was drafted out of high school in the 27th round in 2005 by the Cleveland Indians. He decided not to sign and took his bat to Cypress College.  Since Cypress was a two year school, he would be eligible for the draft again in 2007 as opposed to 2009 had he chosen a four year college.  

All Laird did at Cypress was hit balls, and hit them hard.  In 2006, he led the team with 74 hits, including a ten game hitting streak to start the season.  In 54 games, he hit .341 with six home runs, and slugged .484.  Laird’s sophomore season in 2007 saw him get even better, hitting an amazing .392 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of .672.  

When the Yankees picked him in the 27th round, he decided to sign rather than move on to a four year college.

Laird’s first professional season was in 2007 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees

He picked up right where he left off.  

In 168 ABs he averaged .339 while slugging .577 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs.

The Yankees rewarded Laird in 2008 and moved him up to class A Charleston and it is here that he started to show his power.  In 454 At bats, he hit .273, slugged .498, and smacked 23 home runs with 86 RBIs.  

With that level of production, Laird was beginning to look like a late-round steal for the Yankees.

 He was promoted to high A Tampa in 2009 but his season did not match up to his 2008 campaign.  Laird’s stats fell in almost every category with a .266 average and he slugged only .415 in 451 ABs with just 13 home runs.  Where Laird did improve, however, is in strikeouts. He was wrung up only 75 times (compared to 86 in 2008), showing an improved discipline at the plate.

However, the Yankees felt Laird’s 2009 showing was enough for a promotion to Double A Trenton in 2010. Armed with a fresh start, Laird smashed 23 home runs in only 409 ABs (one home run every 17.8 ABs), slugging .523 with 90 RBIs, 84 strikeouts, and an OBP of .355.  He was promoted to Scranton Wilkes-Barre where his numbers dipped but he finished 2010 with a .281 average, 25 home runs, and 102 RBIs in 531 ABs.

Laird has a keen baseball eye and knows how to work a count.  However, if he could cut down on his strikeouts, his value would improve dramatically.  His OBP has sat in the .329 to .336 range, which is good for a slugger.  

The video shows Laird’s plate discipline.  He is able to work out a walk after being down 0-2 in the count and does not chase many pitches out of the zone.  His swing is long and smooth, and if he can shorten it he’ll likely make more consistent contact and improve on his strikeouts and OBP.

Laird would be the perfect fit as the fourth outfielder that the Yankees are looking for, if not for his suspect defense.  His bat is Major League ready and he should start the season at Scranton Wilkes-Barre where he can build on his hitting and improve defensively.  He has good power to all fields and can project to be a perennial 25-30 home run hitter.

Brandon Laird is just another example of the great scouting that Brian Cashman and the Yankees have found in the late rounds.  Just one more powerful reason the future looks bright in the Bronx.

The Patience Series:

Patience Part 1: Hector Noesi

Patience Part 2: David Phelps

Patience Part 3: Brandon Laird (Above)

Patience Part 4: Adam Warren

Patience Part 5: Eduardo Nunez

Patience Part 6: Gary Sanchez

Related Articles:

It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Talent needs execution like you and I need air to live and thrive. That’s perhaps an extreme analogy but oh so true.

Joba Chamberlain knows this deep within himself.

This uniquely gifted man, lifted up by expectation that now slides down toward a thoroughly middling career because he can’t quite get a handle on “great” and his grip on “good” is slipping.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. A rock star before his foot went from warning track gravel to the outfield grass on his way in from the bullpen; “Joba” was the one-named flame-thrower who defined hype.

A hype that seemed more than justified in those first two months as Chamberlain struck out 34 and allowed only one earned run in his first 24 major league innings.

The rest is perhaps a cautionary tale.

Dazzled by his early dominance, the Yankees pushed Chamberlain into the starting rotation with caution and delicacy. Inconsistency from the pitcher and from the team with regard to his role followed and by 2010 Chamberlain would return to the bullpen with decidedly mixed results.

Chamberlain doesn’t really have a role on the Yankees staff now. The incredibly gluttonous signing of Rafael Soriano supplanted him from the eighth-inning role, and middle relief is a waste bin.

Some have said the Yankees might look to trade him, but Chamberlain’s value has likely never been lower.

You’d think the team might roll the dice one last time and give Chamberlain a chance to best the unimpressive Sergio Mitre in a fight for the fifth spot in the rotation but as of now you’d seemingly be wrong.

Whether frightened by his inconsistency or perhaps the long-term durability of his shoulder the Yankees contend that Chamberlain’s skill set plays better in the ‘pen.

This is of course there prerogative.

The Yankees have given Chamberlain more opportunities to live up to his heady potential than they are used to and though they earned much of the blame for the lackluster results you can’t blame them entirely.

Whether it’s the first or the ninth inning, amidst screams of adulation or derision it’s been on Chamberlain to live up to our limitless hopes while forsaking our ineffable fears. That he has failed to do exactly that puts his career on the cusp of something seemingly unimaginable three years ago.

Moments of truth are forecast too often in the realm of sports but few demand that trite imagery more than Joba does in 2011. A year filled with waning opportunity, definition and either the strange rise or typical fall of Joba Chamberlain.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What would you pay for a 6’3″, 190 lb pitcher with a mid 90s fastball, who was ranked as the 5th best prospect in Indiana by Baseball America?  The Yankees decided that the price was the 440th pick in the 2008 amateur draft.

Born on October 9, 1986 and raised in Hazelwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, David Phelps played both basketball and baseball for Hazelwood High School.  A National Honor Society student, he set the school record with a 30-inning scoreless streak and compiled a high school stat-line for the Wildcats consisting of a 2.96 ERA and 172 strikeouts in only 109.2 innings.  Those stats helped him get named to the All-Conference team and All-Metro performer while serving as a captain his junior and senior year.

He committed to Notre Dame in 2005 while being ranked the sixth best prospect in Missouri.  As a starter in his sophomore year, Phelps didn’t disappoint by posting a stellar 1.88 ERA, five complete games and 102 strikeouts in 110 innings.  The result of such a phenomenal season?  He was named to the All-Conference First Team. 

What may turn out to be a lucky break for the Yankees, he did not match his success as a junior by posting a 4.65 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 93 innings.  Expected to be drafted in the first eight rounds, he fell in the Yankees’ laps in the 14th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

Once signed, he moved through the Yankees farm system at a rapid pace.  With the A ball Staten Island Yankees in 2008; he made 15 starts in a short season.  Phelps showed what he was made of with an 8-2 record, 52 strikeouts, 18 walks, and a meager 67 hits in 72.2 innings.  His ERA was a whopping 2.72 and batters hated facing him by posting a .245 BAA.

Phelps first full professional season in 2009 was even better.  Starting the year with A ball Charleston and finishing with Tampa, he continued his rapid ascent through the system.  Starting to show his stamina, he logged 151 innings while annihilating the competition with a 2.32 ERA, 122 strikeouts with a minute 31 walks, and a .263 BAA.

Another fantastic season led to another promotion and Phelps started 2010 in AA Trenton.  He proceeded to go 6-0 in 4 starts posting a 2.04 ERA.  He allowed 63 hits and 23 walks (good for a 0.98 WHIP) striking out 84 hitters in 88.1 innings.  The cream of the crop in MLB prospects hit a meager .199 against him.  The sky was the limit for David Phelps.

Midway through the 2010 season, the Yankees promoted Phelps to AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  In 70.1 innings, his ERA was 3.07 while striking out 57 batters, issuing a microscopic 13 walks, and allowing 76 hits to the tune of a .274 BAA.  Phelps continued to carve out his workhorse mentality with a combined 158.2 innings for the 2010 season.

The numbers say that Phelps is a ground ball pitcher, evidenced by a GO/AO between 1.12 and 1.56 throughout his minor league career.  He does a good job of commanding the bottom of the strike zone and as a result does not allow a lot of home runs (20 HRs in 382.1 MiLB innings).

Sean S., from the Yankees Daily, reports “Phelps’ fastball has been clocked between 89 and 95 but will sit in the low 90s.  He has a good sinking two-seam fastball along with a plus slider.”  Phelps also features a change-up and 1-7 curveball that Sean says “if he gets to an 0-2 count, he’ll throw the breaking ball to strike them out.”

His 2.0 BB/9 average in the minors shows Phelps’ control.  If he can develop one of his offspeed pitches to become a plus pitch, it can put him at another level.  He is a legit prospect that appears to have the chops as a third or fourth type starter that can eat innings.  

Phelps has shown remarkable control with a WHIP of 1.16 through three minor league levels.  Chances are he will never be an ace type but his potential to be a third or even second type starter is there with the right development.

As of right now he will probably be given a shot to earn the fifth starter job in spring training.  If he does not, then he will start the year with Scranton Wilkes-Barre and probably be one of the first pitchers called up if the Yankees need him.  Phelps is just another example of the remarkable scouting that Cashman’s team has done to turn this once moribund farm system into one of the best in MLB.

The Patience Series:

Patience Part 1: Hector Noesi

Patience Part 2: David Phelps (above)

Patience Part 3: Brandon Laird

Patience Part 4: Adam Warren

Patience Part 5: Eduardo Nunez

Patience Part 6: Gary Sanchez

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com