O Yankees made some key offseason acquisitions in hopes of winning their first World Series since 2009, and Marcus Stroman is proving to be one of the greatest.
In an offseason where they traded for Juan Soto, Stroman’s signing actually boosted the Yankees’ rotation. With so many important names like Luis Severino It is German Sunday leaving via free agency, the addition of Stroman solidified this Yankees rotation, especially in this incredible stretch New York finds itself in.
After Saturday Night’s 4-1 win over the Padresthe Yankees are now 10 games over .500, a season-high, and winners of four straight games, and much of that is due to their starters, including Stroman.
The 33-year-old pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Yankees over the Padres.
“He was locked in from the start and that’s what you love about him,” Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge: We trust Stroman a lot, that’s why we went out and got him. pic.twitter.com/Bm9tB77wNP
– YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 26, 2024 “target=”_blank”>said Meredith Marakovits of YES Network on the field after the win. “Especially against a good lineup like this. Facing a tough team, a tough pitcher.
“We have a lot of faith in Stroman, so we went out and got him. That’s why we hired him. That’s why he wanted to come to New York. He wanted to be in big moments with a packed crowd and a packed environment and he went out there and did what he wanted.”
Stroman’s exit on Saturday was his third consecutive quality start. During that span, he gave up just one run in 19.1 innings.
Impressive considering it was reported that the Yankees wanted to sign the reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell this offseason. However, when Snell’s team rejected an offer from the Yankees, the team turned to Stroman.
Snell ended up signing a two-year contract with the Giants worth up to $62 million. Due to delayed signings and injuries, Snell made just four starts and pitched to an 0-3 record and 11.40 ERA.
In 11 starts, Stroman is 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA. The Yankees signed Stroman to a two-year, $37 million contract. While it’s still early days, Stroman has made New York look like a hiring genius.
“I always knew he was a competitor, but now having a chance to see behind the scenes, how he works and how he prepares, there’s a reason he’s been in the league so long and has had so much success,” Judge said.
Stroman’s latest gem is another example of a trend this season for the Yankees. With a lineup that includes Judge and Soto, it was the starting rotation that contributed most to them having the best record in the AL.
Stroman’s six scoreless innings extended the Yankees starter’s streak to 25.1 innings. His game is also the 12th time a Yankees starter has gone six scoreless this season, the most in MLB. Yankees starters did this just 11 times last year.
“Just more tone setting, just great pitching from our starters, continuing to set the tone for us every day,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “It was Stro today, but I thought he was really smart.”
“I think the other starters were amazing,” Stroman said. “It just creates this flow of energy, where every guy moves on to the next guy, and we all hope everyone is great. We’re all doing this without having the best pitcher in baseball, [Gerrit] Cole, that we are all dying to go back. So it was a fun race.”
Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has yet to pitch in a game this season, but he threw a simulated game Saturday in Tampa. And now there is a “chance” he could be sent on a rehabilitation mission next week.
Until that happens, Stroman and the other starters are holding down the position and are confident they can continue to do so until Cole returns.
“We know what we are capable of. I think we’re all just a bunch of starters who know we can be elite in this game, and like I said, the flow of information, the pitching coaches, the staff, it’s all very tied together here. We all feel very confident when we go out there at each start.”
