First off - the link I am posting is awesome/very funny. It's a short clip they did to play off the Ottavino/Ruth stuff. Made me chuckle.
A few notes from yesterday...
- Bird's X-rays and scans were clean - so, he dodged one.
- Positive news on Sevy - threw 50 times from 60' with no pain. He will rest today.
- Both TWade and Frazier are fine
- CC threw a pair of innings in a minor league game yesterday - went fine. He's feeling good.
MLB.com did a "30 Breakout Prospects for 2019" piece.
For the Yanks, it's Dievi Garcia. Here's the writeup:
Deivi Garcia, RHP, Yankees' No. 4
Garcia is so polished that he finished his third professional season in Double-A at age 19. The Yankees love high spin rates, and he has them with his curveball and 91-96 mph fastball. He also shows promise with a fading changeup. |
Yanks play the Phils this evening @ 6:30 - will be televised on YES, I believe.
6 days...
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Sounds a little bit like Johnny Lasagna frame-wise. So, I could see the durability being a bit of a question. Other than that, looks like there's a lot to like there.
Will be a good prospect to keep an eye on this season.
Thanks for sharing this - he was basically not even on my radar at all before - totally missed him. Exciting kid.
Pumped for baseball. So close!
We don’t have Exit Velocity figures for spring training games, but as far as the eye test goes, it seems safe to say Bird is back and stronger than we’ve seen him in a long time. He came in to spring training 20 pounds heavier than he did last season, and while the “best shape of his life” cliche exists for a reason, it seems to be working for Bird. Aaron Boone recently told WFAN’s Sweeny Murti of WFAN, “Bird’s been a different guy this year. He’s been the guy we’ve been waiting on. He looks that part right now.”
These assessments ring true when you look at Bird’s game log. Of his six extra-base hits, he has only pulled two to right field. Bird isn’t weakly rolling over outside pitches but driving them up the middle or to the opposite field. He took a splitter on the outer half of the plate and drove it over the left-center field wall on Sunday.
20 pounds heavier and it's essentially all muscle? He could be really important as the left-handed contingent in the Yankees' power lineup, even if he uses the whole field.
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We've seen flashes, but the injuries have been maddening - for him, especially I'm sure.
Just never got it together in 2018.
He's looked outstanding this spring. Looks like a different guy. I think what Voit did last year lit a pretty big fire under his butt.
But Voit is still hitting! So, it's going to be very interesting to see how they decide to handle these guys. Is there even a realistic way to carry both guys and make it work when Hicks is off IL?
I know against Baltimore, we're probably going to mostly see Stanton in LF, Gardy in CF, Bird @ 1B and Voit in the DH spot - but if Hicks is good to go when we kick off with DET, I'm not sure how they'll work that. But, I guess we'll find out soon enough.
There's certainly an opportunity there to bolster the rotation or add a young piece somewhere if that's the case.
The Yanks may want to hedge a bit and protect themselves against Hicks' back flaring back up or Bird getting plunked again and missing 2 months.
Voit is a really interesting player at this point, though.
I know it's Spring Training and it doesn't matter much, but he really has picked up right where he left off.
I don't anticipate him maintaining these paces through the season - that would be way over-ambitious - but, it may have been less of a mirage or Specier-esque '98 flash than maybe we originally believed it to be last year.
Odds are, this stuff will find a way to work itself out as it often does!
Derp.
That's what we're hoping for, right? :)
Would be great if it all came together for him this year.
In other news - Frazier was just optioned down to SWB.
Not really a surprise, he's struggled this spring and needs more time to get his stroke. Not concerned, just needs the work. He'll be back.
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There's certainly an opportunity there to bolster the rotation or add a young piece somewhere if that's the case.
The Yanks may want to hedge a bit and protect themselves against Hicks' back flaring back up or Bird getting plunked again and missing 2 months.
Voit is a really interesting player at this point, though.
I know it's Spring Training and it doesn't matter much, but he really has picked up right where he left off.
I don't anticipate him maintaining these paces through the season - that would be way over-ambitious - but, it may have been less of a mirage or Specier-esque '98 flash than maybe we originally believed it to be last year.
Odds are, this stuff will find a way to work itself out as it often does!
Don't cut Voit short. He can hit. I do not think it is a mirage. I think what you have seen is what he will do.
fastball too straight.
Finally someone hits up Eickhoff. Judge does not not comfortable against this guy today.
Probably jacked up and over throwing. He has not looked sharp, so once he gets comfortable he'll be ok.