TwitterHe’s Right But…
21 Dec 2010
Brian Cashman really put an end to the idea of Joba in the rotation with this quote given to Ken Davidoff:
“His stuff plays so much significantly [better] out of the ‘pen. We had given him an opportunity to pitch in the rotation, and the velocity dropped. It’s just not the same stuff.”
Looking at the numbers, Cashman is right. Joba averaged 92.5 mph on his fastball in 2009 vs. 94.6 in 2010. His slider went from 84.6 to 87.2 and his curve from 77.7 to 80.2. My question is- so what?
Velocity has to be the most overrated aspect of pitching. Location and the ability to change speeds are much more important. Cliff Lee looked pretty good this year averaging 91.3mph on his fastball. And if velocity is so important, why did the Yankees bring Sergio Mitre and his 90.2mph fastball back?
I think this might be a diplomatic way for Cashman to say that Joba doesn’t have the mental makeup for starting. I can’t really argue that, but the Yankees had better be sure about that assessment. Joba’s stuff may drop when he is a starter, but it is still a lot better than that of most of the other current candidates for the rotation.
Dec 22, 2010 @ 11:09:11
Peter,
I think the Yankees’ patience has worn thin with Joba. On the one hand, I can understand why — he’s been frustratingly inconsistent. However, I don’t believe he’s been handled/mentored properly at the big league level — and that falls on the Yankees. This is not the tired old argument about whether he should or shouldn’t have been bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. Please — it’s not as if he’s the first pitcher that’s gone back and forth. It’s just that he came up loaded with talent but also young, immature and undisciplined (not entirely unlike Robinson Cano) and needed a firm, guiding hand. It’s part of the player development process. I don’t feel the Yankees have really embraced the patient approach necessary to help him achieve his potential. By way of comparison, they were prepared to throw $154 million at Cliff Lee. He arguably didn’t come into his own until 2005 at the age of 26. In 2007, at the age of 28, he was sent to the minors. But Joba, at the age of 24, is finished as a starter? Really? I think it behooves the Yankees to find out. Especially if the alternative is Mitre.
Couldn’t agree more about velocity. Good grief, Greg Maddux was no fireballer and he was only one of the finest pitchers ever to play the game. The Yankees need Joba to pitch, not merely throw fast.
Dec 22, 2010 @ 12:00:13
Could not agree with you more Peter. Only thing I would add is that sometimes higher velocity is a problem in that pitches don’t get a chance to break as much before they arrive at the plate. It’s all about keeping your cool while you are on the mound and maintaining a consistent motion and release point. Mo is the master of that – Joba and AJ are the poster boys for inconsistency.
One day Joba may “get it” and when he does, he will (if given the chance) stick in the middle of a team’s rotation.