New York Yankees

Mariano Rivera / RHP / closer

For a pitcher that has had so much success, it’s amazing that Rivera has thrown only one pitch over most of his career. 85-100% of the time, he’ll throw his cut fastball, a nasty, high velocity pitch that consistently breaks bats.

Mariano will mix it up just enough, by throwing a few running fastballs, usually inside to right-handed hitters. These fastballs have a tendency to duck under the bats of hitters looking for the cutter.

Rivera was a shortstop as an amateur player in Panama, and didn’t toe the rubber regularly until he was 20 years old. After signing with the Yankees, he steadily rose through their minor league system, and became a star when he was moved into the bullpen. 5/14/11

[cut fastball(90-95), fastball(90-95)]



C.C. Sabathia / LHP / starter

Sabathia with what I believe to be a slider grip

C.C. began his career as a hard thrower with a high walk rate. Now he has excellent control of his low to mid-90s fastball, hitting either corner of the plate with it consistently. Carsten has sharpened his slider in 2011, and he's now throwing it consistently around 82 mph. He has also added a true curve to his repertoire. The curve is only used as the first pitch of an at-bat, and usually against RHs. His old breaking ball was a hybrid slider/curve type pitch that he referred to as his "slurve". Sabathia's changeup is fairly straight, but he can fool hitters with it due to his good arm action on the pitch.

The California native is listed 6' 7", 290 lbs and looks much bigger than that on the mound. Sabathia has been a serious innings eater throughout his ten year career, topping out at 253 innings in 2008. 9/29/11

[fastball(90-97), slider(80-85), changeup(82-87), curve(75-80)]

Michael Pineda / RHP / starter

Pineda's slider grip

Pineda has arrived. They're calling him the "Prince" in Seattle, where King Felix still reigns. Despite the lesser nickname, Pineda is showing that he can equal Hernandez in pure stuff.

Pineda cranks a 95 mph fastball and a mid-80s slide piece. His delivery also gives the batter an awkward look at his flying elbows and intense scap-load, before he spins his hips hard, unleashing the Dominican heat in his right arm. He's listed at 6' 7"" and looks even bigger than that when he's on the mound. 6/9/11

[fastball(90-98), slider(81-88), changeup(83-88)]

Hiroki Kuroda / RHP / starter

Hiroki has a smooth, effortless motion. The ball flies out of his hand and moves all over the place before it reaches the catcher's mitt. Kuroda primarily works with a 2-seam fastball / cut fastball / splitter combination. His 2-seamer eats up the handle of RHs bats and induces plenty of groundouts to second base from LHs. Kuroda works the cut fastball on his glove side of home plate, going inside on LHs and away from RHs. The splitter can be a good strikeout pitch, diving toward the dirt as it nears home plate. For breaking pitches, Kuroda throws a slider and curveball. The slider will twist away from RHs and Kuroda has the ability to throw strikes with the curve.

Kuroda came to the USA after an 11-year career with the Hiroshima of the Japanese Central League. Hiroki won as many as 15 games in a season with Hiroshima before moving to LA. I rate Kuroda second, only to Hideo Nomo, in ranking the best Japanese starters who pitched in MLB. 10/25/11

[2-seam fastball(90-94), splitter(85-88), cut fastball(90-94), curve(75-80), slider(83-85)]

A.J. Burnett / RHP / starter

A.J. Burnett is a power pitcher. He owns a rising fastball that sits at 94-95 mph and can hit the upper-90s. His second pitch is a hard curveball, great for getting Ks. A.J. has concentrated on improving his changeup over the last few years, and it's developed into a decent third pitch, getting good tail and sink. He also learned from Roy Halladay in Toronto and altered his pitching motion, creating a more relaxed and fluid delivery. Staying healthy has always been Burnett's biggest problem, maybe his new delivery is helping. His stuff can be dominant, but not from the DL. 7/4/11

[fastball(91-96), curve(79-85), changeup(85-89)]

Rafael Soriano / RHP / setup reliever

Despite showing plus stuff and putting up stunning numbers at the major league level, Soriano has been traded twice already in his career. The first trade had him going for Horacio Ramirez, and the second trade saw the Braves acquire Jesse Chavez for him. Yikes! Soriano has had a history of elbow problems, including TJ in 2004 and another elbow surgery in 2008, but Jesse Chavez? Since that trade he's become a $35M pitcher.

Soriano begins with his low to mid-90s fastball that gets some arm side run. Then he mixes in his new weapon, the cutter, and it's a good one. I'm not sure when he introduced the pitch, but it was either late 2009 or spring training 2010. In the past, Soriano would appear to get some natural cutting action on his fastballs, but now I believe he's working this pitch on purpose. The cutter appears as close to resembling Mariano Rivera's cutter as I've seen, slipping glove side just at the moment of contact. Soriano figured out quickly that this is a good pitch and is using it often. Rafael still goes to his slider as well, a pitch that dives downwards towards home plate. I'll also bet Soriano still throws his sinking changeup a handful of times a season against tough LHs. 5/14/11

[fastball(90-95), slider(78-84), cutter(89-93), change(84-86)]

Phil Hughes / RHP / starter

Hughes has a good arm and compact delivery. His fastball seems very straight, but he can spot it well, inside and outside, with good velocity. Hughes' curveball looks like his number two pitch; a hard, 12 to 6 breaking ball. Phil has worked on improving his cutter, a pitch he has relied on often since 2009. It's a good, tight breaking pitch that moves just enough to break a bat or induce a weak groundball. A straight changeup rounds out Hughes' four-pitch repertoire.

Hughes dominated at every stop in the minor leagues, but hit a major bump with the Yankees in 2008. He returned to pay huge dividends out of the bullpen in 2009, and produced as a starting pitcher in 2010. 10/22/10 CSJ

[fastball(89-95), curve(74-79), cutter(86-91), change(83-85)]

Joba Chamberlain / RHP / setup reliever

Chamberlain has ridiculously good stuff. His fastball is often in the mid-90s and overpowering. What made him such a big prospect was the control he showed with that pitch. He has the ability to hit his target at 95 mph. In 2007, he coupled his fastball with a slider that was nearly unhittable out of the bullpen. In 2008, the Yankees enlisted a series of embarrassing "Joba Rules", which were supposed to limit Joba's workload and protect his arm. Over the next three years, they switched him from setup reliever to starting pitcher and back again. As a starter, Joba was mixing in a big curveball and tinkered with a straight changeup. All of this nonsense nearly led to Joba's demise. He had lost velocity and began 2010 so poorly that manager Joe Girardi had Joba throwing mop-up duty. It wasn't until September before Joba seemed to regain some of his old form. 7/4/11

[fastball(92-96), slider(85-88), curve(80-81), changeup(80-82)]

David Robertson / RHP / setup reliever

Robertson is a young pitcher with a loose arm. He throws a naturally cutting 90 mph fastball and breaks off a sharp 12 to 6 curveball. In rare situations, David has shown a straight changeup to LHs and has used a tight slider. Robertson was MVP of the 2006 Cape Cod League playoffs. 8/19/11

[cut fastball(90-95), curve(77-83), changeup(82-85), slider(85)]

Ivan Nova / RHP / starter

Nova is an excitable right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He's 6' 4" and has a power arm. Nova starts most hitters with a moving low-90s fastball. The pitch will normally get some sink, but will cut when thrown glove side. Ivan owns a curveball and changeup that both have potential. The curve can break sharply and is thrown with good velocity. Nova's changeup gets good sinking action, but is a bit erratic. Nova's fourth pitch, the slider, routinely backs up on him. It's such a bad pitch that he is able to fool hitters that are expecting the ball to break away from them.

Nova has a tendency to try and overthrow when he gets in trouble. The only time I've seen him hit 95 mph was with runners on base. Ultimately, the extra juice makes him wild, creating more problems. 9/15/11

[fastball(89-95), curve(78-82), changeup(83-87), slider(85-88)]

Boone Logan / LHP / reliever

Boone has the standard left-handed reliever repertoire of fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball velocity is improving, and he's relying on it more often to get outs. Against LHs, he will consistently pepper the outside corner with a fastball/slider combination. While against RHs, he relies more on his changeup. Despite his improved stuff, Logan is basically Scott Schoeneweis, which doesn't bode well for him. 7/4/11

[fastball(89-94), slider(79-84), changeup(84)]

Freddy Garcia / RHP / starter

Freddy Garcia will throw all kinds of junk. He throws a slider that he can vary the tilt on, mixes in a sinking changeup, and drops in soft splitters that can get unpredictable movement. His fastball can get some sink in the low-90s and he mixes in a rare 12 to 6 curve. All of this can either add up to a great appearance or a long day of walks and basehits. He is known as Mr. "Ten Million Dollar Win" in Philadelphia. 9/7/11

[fastball(84-89), slider(77-82), splitter(78-79), changeup(79-82), curve(67-71)]

Pedro Feliciano / LHP / setup reliever

Feliciano throws from a very low 3/4 arm angle. This low release point creates dramatic movement on his pitches, making up for his lack of velocity. His fastball flies around 87 mph with good sinking and running action. Feliciano's bread and butter is his two different breaking balls. He'll throw what he calls a cutter in the low-80s to both LHs and RHs. Then he'll mix in a slower, sweeping breaking pitch that LHs wave pathetically at. Against RHs, Feliciano relies on a good changeup that fades off the plate. This deceptive repertoire has made him a very valuable member of the Mets bullpen over the last few seasons. 8/1/09 CSJ

[2-seam fastball(86-89), cutter(81-84), slider(74-77), changeup(74-77)]

Damaso Marte / LHP / reliever

Marte has always been a fastball/slider pitcher. He has decent velocity on the fastball and gets his slider to sweep across home plate. I have seen a changeup from Marte, but that pitch is extremely rare. He has posted some very good seasons as a setup man for the White Sox and Pirates. 5/5/09 CSJ

[fastball(90-94), slider(81-85), changeup(82)]

Luis Ayala / RHP / reliever

Ayala is something of a mystery to me. First, he short arms lots of 2-seam fastballs. Sometimes his stuff looks lethal, but all too often he leaves his hand underneath the ball, pushes a flat fastball toward home plate and gets hammered. Then the mystery begins. Ayala spins breaking balls that will fly with varying velocity and movement that are difficult to classify. He'll also show an off-speed pitch or two that don't vary much from his 2-seam velocity. I seem to remember Ayala throwing upper-80s splitters in the past and my bet is that he is capable of trying just about any pitch out there on the mound. 10/2/11

[2-seam fastball(88-93), slider(84-86), changeup(87), splitter]

Warner Madrigal / RHP / reliever

Madrigal is a hard thrower out of the mold of his former teammate, Frank Francisco. Warner throws a hard, mid-90s fastball, a splitter, and a slider. His splitter can often look like a changeup when he overthrows it. 8/7/08 CSJ

[fastball(93-96), splitter(84-88), slider(84-88)]

Kei Igawa / LHP / starter - reliever

Japanese art model and professional pitcher, Kei Igawa, throws three basic pitches. He has a fastball, changeup, and slider. None of these offerings are particularly effective because he lacks command and control. Igawa has also shown a very slow curveball. The Yankees cannot be pleased with the money they spent on this Japanese import. 3/24/09 CSJ

[fastball(85-91), changeup(74-78), slider(75-80), curve(64-69)]

Cory Wade / RHP / reliever

Wade is not a hard thrower, but he has a good curveball and changeup. His curve is a big breaker, a real 12 to 6er that can miss bats. Wade throws his fastball in the upper-80s, touching 90 mph at times. His plus control makes this repertoire effective. Wade has begun to show a tendency to drop down and whip his fastball and slider from a low 3/4 slot. 8/19/11

[fastball(87-92), curve(73-78), changeup(79-82)]

Sergio Mitre / RHP / starter - reliever

Mitre is a sinkerballer that was over-hyped by the Cubs (big surprise). Since returning from T.J. surgery in 2009, Mitre is showing better control of the strike zone, and in turn is seeing better results. Sergio's stuff is average and he has never looked comfortable with any of his secondary pitches. 6/9/11

[2-seam fastball(86-89), slider(79-80), curve(76), changeup]

Scott Proctor / RHP / reliever

Proctor is a four-pitch reliever. He throws a very good fastball, then mixes in two different breaking pitches. He has a hard slider and a 12 to 6 curveball. Proctor also throws a changeup, usually to LH hitters. Proctor almost got away from Joe Torre's overuse of him, until Torre followed him to LA, making certain that Proctor's career would be derailed by injury. Now in 2011, the Yankees brought Proctor back to the Bronx, despite his history of burning his uniform on the field. 9/7/11

[fastball(91-96), slider(81-83), curve(75-77), changeup(85-87)]

Matt Daley / RHP / reliever

Daley pitches out of a Ricky Henderson type crouch, using his back leg to really drive his pitches towards home plate. He offers a standard repertoire of fastball, slider, and changeup. His stuff looks pretty average, but he stands a chance of being successful due to his good control. 8/1/09 CSJ

[fastball(88-91), slider(79-82), changeup(82-83)]

Hideki Okajima / LHP / reliever

Okajima throws a straight over-the-top fastball that is surprisingly effective. His splitter is his best pitch, getting amazing deception and some drop just before the hitting zone. His breaking ball is a standard curveball. The Kyoto native has struggled some in recent years, as hitters seemed to finally figure out his no-look delivery. 5/27/11

[fastball(86-89), splitter(80-84), curve(74-78)]

Manny Delcarmen / RHP / reliever

Delcarmen is a hard thrower, bringing a 95 mph fastball that misses bats up in the zone. Delcarmen also shows two plus secondary pitches to back up the fastball. His overhand curveball can be filthy, falling like a classic "drop ball". He also shows a plus changeup that is fairly straight, but deceptive. Manny is a Boston native. 8/19/09 CSJ

[fastball(91-98), curve(73-80), changeup(78-83)]