A Change In Pitching

The New York Yankees had a completely different pitching rotation every year since 2008. Every year its different and 2012 is the same story. On Friday the news broke that Andy Pettitte is coming out of retirement for a $2.5 million 1 year minor league deal. He will definitely make it to the major leagues and probably the rotation if he pitches effectively, but now the Yankees have seven starters again.

In 2008 The Yankees' rotation consisted of Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes/ Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, and Ian Kennedy. Pettitte would win 14 game with an ERA around 4.5, thanks to the Yankees' offense. Wang would suffer an injury in 2008 and wouldn't complete a full season, he would never be the dominant 19 game winner he was the previous two season and wouldn't be the same pitcher again. Chamberlain and Hughes would split time, Hughes didn't do very well, but Joba held a 2.60 ERA over 100 innings. Mike Mussina would win 20 games for the first time in his career and Ian Kennedy would just do terrible and pitch only 39 innings.

2009 was a significant change for The Yankees. CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett joined Andy Pettite, Chamberlain/Hughes, and Wang after Mussina retired. Sabathia won 19 games with a 3.37 ERA, Burnett won 13 games with a 4.04 ERA, Pettitte would win 14 with a 4.16 ERA, Chamberlain and Hughes would be ineffective. Wang would prove to be done with being a decent starter and be replaced by Aceves, Mitre, and Gaudin.  The Yankees would still win the World Series that year.

In 2010 CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes would take control of the first 4 spots. Sabthia would win 21 games and finish 3rd in Cy Young voting. Burnett would pitch to terrible 5.26 ERA. Pettitte would bounce back and have a 3.28 ERA although being injured for a portion of the year. Hughes would finally emerge and win 18 games for The Yankees.

2011 was when the abundance of pitching struck. Joba Chamberlain had officially become a reliever, but The Yankees still had their usual pitchers. CC Sabtahia, AJ Burnett, and Phil Hughes. Andy Pettite "retired" and didn't pitch in 2011. Hughes would be out most of the season due to an injury. The veterans Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon would come to the rescue along with rookie Ivan Nova. Sabathia would win 19 games again and pitch to a 3.00 ERA. AJ Burnett would prove he isn't as great as said to be and have a 5.15 ERA. Colon would have a 4.00 ERA, Garica would have a 3.62 ERA and Nova would have a 3.70 ERA.

Finally looking at the 2012 season The Yankees had 7 starting pitchers, then they traded AJ Burnett, so then they had 6. Now with the addition of Andy Pettitte they have 7 again. CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Phil Hughes, and Andy Pettite have to compete for 5 spots. It is pretty much a given that Sabathia, Kuroda and Pineda will have a spot in the rotation, but the remaining pitchers have to work hard to start ball games.

You can see how much the pitching rotation has changed since 2008. Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes/ Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, and Ian Kennedy has become CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Micheal Pineda, Andy Pettitte, and Hughes/Garcia/Nova. Pettitte can't pitch from the bullpen, because the Yankee Fans wouldn't be happy about that; so you can expect him to start the baseball games when he returns in mid-May.