Another Pirates reliever has been picked up by the Yankees, and his name is Junior Fernández, owner of 54 career innings pitched in the majors with St. Louis and Pittsburgh. This past season, he finished with a 5.79 FIP in 18.2 innings; his career FIP sits at 5.57, so he hasn’t had much success in the league so far. So what exactly do the Yankees see in him?

Like many relievers in the Yankees’ bullpen, Fernández throws high-velocity sinkers and boasts an above-average ground ball rate: 58.9%, a very similar clip as Jonathan Loáisiga. That all sounds very similar to another Yankees pickup from the Pirates: Clay Holmes. But Holmes’ sinker is of the turbo ilk that forces its way down with bowling ball action; this past season, the vertical movement on that pitch was 21% above league average. Fernández’s is much more vertical neutral. In fact, the comparison to Loáisiga is much more appropriate. The table below shows how Fernández’s sinker specs compare to Loáisiga’s:

The two pitchers have similar extension, release points, and movement profiles. The entry into the zone in terms of horizontal and vertical approach angles isn’t all that far off either. Overall, we’re looking at very similar pitches, and Fernández throws his even harder by about a tick. This alone is a good starting point to explain why the Yankees were interested enough to scoop him up off waivers. Read the rest of this entry »

While the top of the celebrated free agent shortstop market has yet to roll into motion, the end of last week saw a flurry of action a little lower on the positional power rankings. The Yankees agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, locking up his final season of team control. And as Friday afternoon progressed, four other teams linked up for an exchange of shortstops. A shortswap, if you will.

Gio Urshela went from the Twins to the Angels for 19-year-old pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo, Kyle Farmer went from the Reds to the Twins for minor league pitcher Casey Legumina, and Kevin Newman went from the Pirates to the Reds for reliever Dauri Moreta.
Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of my ongoing look at the candidates on the 2023 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. Originally written for the 2013 election at SI.com, it has been expanded and updated. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, use the tool above. An introduction to JAWS can be found here.

Don Mattingly was the golden child of the Great Yankees Dark Age. He debuted in September 1982, the year after the team finished a stretch of four World Series appearances in six seasons, and retired in 1995 after finally reaching the postseason — a year too early for the franchise’s run of six pennants and four titles in eight years under Joe Torre.

A lefty-swinging first baseman with a sweet stroke, “Donnie Baseball” was both an outstanding hitter and a slick fielder at his peak. He made six straight All-Star teams from 1984 to ’89 and won a batting title, an MVP award, and nine Gold Gloves. Along the way, he battled with owner George Steinbrenner even while becoming the standard bearer of the pinstripes, the team captain, and something of a cultural icon. Alas, a back injury sapped his power, not only shortening his peak but also bringing his career to a premature end at age 34. At its root, the problem was that Mattingly was so driven to succeed that he overworked himself in the batting cage.

“Donnie was one of the hardest workers I had ever seen and played with. He would go in the cage before batting practice and take batting practice. And after batting practice was over, he’d take batting practice,” former teammate Ron Guidry said for a 2022 MLB Network documentary, Donnie Baseball (for which this scribe was also interviewed).

“I should have learned quicker to not to beat my body up, and if I did less, I could perform better,” said Mattingly for the same documentary.

Mattingly debuted on the 2001 Hall of Fame ballot, the last one before I began my own annual reviews, but it was quickly clear that he didn’t have the raw numbers or the support of enough voters to gain entry to Cooperstown. After receiving 28.2% his first time around, he dipped to 20.3% in 2002, spent most of the remainder of his 15-year run in the teens, and was in single digits by the end. What’s more, in two appearances on the Modern Baseball Era Committee ballot in 2018 and ’20, he failed to reach the threshold to have his actual share reported; at most, he received three of 16 votes (18.8%) in his last appearance.

At this point, Mattingly’s best hope for a Hall of Fame berth involves building on his managerial success, though even in that department he has a long way to go. After winning three division titles in five seasons with the Dodgers, he spent seven years toiling for the Marlins and is currently out of a job after stepping down from that job last month. He seems unlikely to be elected this time around, but his candidacy is nonetheless a welcome palate cleanser when compared to the likes of Rafael Palmeiro and Albert Belle. Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday’s 40-man roster deadline led to the usual squall of transaction activity, with teams turning over portions of their rosters in an effort to make room for the incoming crop of young rookies. Often, teams with an overflow of viable big leaguers will try to get back what they can for some of those players via trade, but because we’re talking about guys straddling the line between major league viability and Triple-A, those trades tend not to be big enough to warrant an entire post. Over the next few days, I’ll endeavor to cover and analyze the moves made by each team, division by division. Readers can view this as the start of list season, as the players covered in this miniseries tend to be prospects who will get big league time in the next year. I’ll spend more time discussing players who I think need scouting updates or who I haven’t written about in the past. If you want additional detail on some of the more famous names you find below, pop over to The Board for a more thorough report. The Future Value grades littered throughout these posts may be different than those on the 2022 in-season prospect lists on The Board to reflect my updated opinions, and may be subject to change during the offseason.

Baltimore Orioles

Current 40-man Count: 39
Added Prospects: SP Grayson Rodriguez (60 FV), SS Joey Ortiz (50 FV), SP Seth Johnson (40+ FV), SP Drew Rom (40 FV), MIRP Noah Denoyer (35+ FV)
External Additions: CF Daz Cameron (waivers from Detroit), C Mark Kolozsvary (35+ FV, waivers from Reds)

In addition to free agent departures (Rougned Odor and Jesús Aguilar to name a few), the Orioles primed space on their 40-man roster by outrighting several fringe big leaguers, and opened Tuesday morning with just 34 players on their 40-man. They’ve had an especially high rate of turnover at catcher over the last few weeks, as they let Robinson Chirinos walk in free agency, outrighted Cam Gallagher and Anthony Bemboom off the roster, claimed both Aramis Garcia and Mark Kolozsvary off waivers from the Reds, and then outrighted Garcia. I have Kolozsvary, who is still prospect-eligible, evaluated as a third catcher on the 40-man.

Mike Elias also scooped up old buddy Daz Cameron, who replaces Yusniel Diaz on the 40-man. Daz has been in “prospect limbo” for about a year, as he graduated from rookie status in 2021 but still spent most of this season in the minors. The 40 FV (a fifth outfielder eval) and tool grades assigned to him at that time still hold (you can see those on his player page), making Daz a defensive upgrade to Diaz (who was outrighted off the roster) and a L/R fit with a couple other Orioles outfielders (Kyle Stowers, Cedric Mullins, maybe some Terrin Vavra). Cameron is out of options while Ryan McKenna (who I preferred to Cameron as a prospect by the time he graduated) is not, so barring further moves I assume Daz is more likely to break camp with the big club at this point. Read the rest of this entry »

While Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo both officially rejected their qualifying offers on Tuesday, the Yankees retained the latter nonetheless. The team agreed to terms with the 33-year-old first baseman — New York’s second-best hitter this season, after the big guy — on a two-year, $40 million contract that contains a club option for a third year.

This is the second offseason in a row in which Rizzo and the Yankees have agreed upon a two-year deal, but the bells and whistles have changed. Acquired in a 2021 deadline trade with the Cubs, he re-signed with the Yankees once the lockout ended in March via a two-year, $32 million deal that guaranteed him $16 million each year and contained an opt-out after 2022, which he exercised following a very solid performance. This time around, he’s guaranteed $40 million, via $17 million salaries for this year and next plus a $6 million buyout on a $17 million club option for 2025.

Though Rizzo would have gotten a raise by merely accepting the $19.65 million qualifying offer, it didn’t hurt his cause that earlier this week, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Astros had identified him as their top target at first base. Yuli Gurriel has manned the spot for Houston for the past three years but is now a 38-year-old free agent coming off a sub-replacement level season (85 wRC+, -0.9 WAR). The thought of the world champions upgrading by taking a piece from the team they swept out of the ALCS probably didn’t sit well in the Bronx, particularly given a market where the top remaining alternative would have been 36-year-old righty José Abreu, a less optimal fit for the Yankees’ lineup. More on that below. Read the rest of this entry »

Analyst, Advance Scouting

Location: Tampa · FL

Description:
The New York Yankees are looking for an Affiliate Advance Scouting Analyst to join the team. This person will be on staff and travelling with an affiliate team. They will be responsible for the day-to-day creation, education and implementation of high-quality advance reports and provide analysis to players and coaches. The Analyst will utilize their data driven skill set to collaborate in a cross-functional environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct day-to-day operations of the Advance Scouting processes at minor league affiliate. Serves as the point person for creation and implementation of all advance materials.
• Provide statistical analysis and quantitative research to support the affiliate coaching staff and players.
• Seek data-driven answers for strategic decision making. Pose questions for research and consult with Quantitative Analysis department.
• Educate and implement NYY Advance concepts and philosophy to the coaches, staff and players.
• Collaborate with Player Development, Quantitative Analysis, and Performance Science Departments to ensure that all affiliate initiatives are implemented and executed.
• Assist Player Development with creating and implementing individual player development and objective plans.
• Support on-field needs, including but not limited to operating NYY technologies.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Proficiency with SQL or other modern database technologies preferred.
• Experience with programming languages (i.e., R or Python) preferred.
• Ability to articulate complex information and filter it down to applicable levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate effectively and respectfully with both technical and non-technical personnel.
• Ability to multitask and work toward several milestones on various projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrate advanced baseball knowledge; maintains familiarity with sabermetric principles and advanced metrics.
• Demonstrate open mindedness, innovation, and progressive thinking. Open to new ideas and philosophies and is willing to challenge traditional baseball principles.
• Proficiency in Spanish is a plus

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee. The New York Yankees are an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

The New York Yankees require a Covid-19 vaccination and booster as a condition of employment, subject to exception under applicable law.

Job Questions:

1. Are you fully vaccinated (original series and booster) against COVID-19?

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Player Development Affiliate Video Manager

Location: Tampa · FL

Description:
The Affiliate Video Manager handles all video and travel needs for assigned affiliate during the regular season.

Responsibilities:

• Chart all games for assigned affiliate using BATS software. 
• Assist with Major League and Minor League video and data collection during Spring Training.
• Coordinate all aspects of break camp travel and itinerary for players and staff going to affiliates.
• Manage all aspects of affiliate travel including flights, hotel reservations and bus schedules.
• Serve as the point person for all administrative duties at your assigned affiliate.
• Work in conjunction with coaches and analysts to provide advance scouting video prior to home and road games.
• Capture and upload non-game video including bullpens, batting practice, drills, etc.
• Coordinate high-speed video capture and upload process during games and practices.
• Manage Trackman and HawkEye operations and workflow at assigned affiliate.
• Handle all technical troubleshooting at assigned affiliate.
• Assist Amateur, International, and Pro Scouting departments with miscellaneous video needs.
• Travel to Domestic amateur tournaments during the off season to assist with video and data collection.

Requirements:

• Minimum 1 year experience charting using BATS software.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.
• Prior experience in Minor League Baseball preferred.
• Experience using TrackMan/HawkEye/Edgertronics preferred.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of the employee. The New York Yankees are an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

The New York Yankees require a Covid-19 vaccination and booster as a condition of employment, subject to exception under applicable law.

Job Questions:

1. Are you fully vaccinated (original series and booster) against COVID-19?
2. Do you have experience charting with BATS software?

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Minor League Dietitian

Location: Tampa · FL

Description:
The New York Yankees MiLB Dietitian will assist the MiLB Nutrition Coordinator in optimizing nutrition support for all athletes in the New York Yankees organization. This role will serve to help with affiliate catering, nutrition education, and ensuring department and organizational standards are met.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist with all aspects of the nutritional program
• Assist in the development of personalized nutrition programs when needed
• Assist in the education of players’ nutritional standards
• Develop educational materials for distribution to players
• Develop meal plan templates for spring training and other instructional programs
• Arrange catering of pre- and post-game meals for affiliate teams, in conjunction with clubhouse personnel
• Ensure proper food safety and sanitation procedures are met at all minor league affiliate facilities
• Build and maintain relationships with players and staff to better execute objectives the organization and of nutrition department 
• Collaborate with different departments to achieve group objectives and give best quality service to players
• Maintain regular communication with Nutrition Coordinator

Requisite Education; Attitudes; Skills:

• Registered Dietitian-required
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition Science, or related field
• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), preferred
• Spanish-speaking preferred
• Ability to travel within the United States
• Willing to relocate. Position is based in Tampa, FL
• Passion and interest for baseball and communicating the importance of nutrition to peak performance
• Willingness to work long, flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee. The New York Yankees are an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

The New York Yankees require a Covid-19 vaccination and booster as a condition of employment, subject to exception under applicable law.

Job Questions:

1. Are you fully vaccinated (original series and booster) against COVID-19?

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Associate, Professional Scouting

Location: Bronx · NY
Department: Baseball Operations
Reports To: Director, Professional Scouting | Assistant Director, Professional Scouting

Description:
The Associate, Professional Scouting position is a rigorous 12-month program geared to prepare entry level candidates for a career within the Baseball Operations & Pro Scouting fields. This position is office-based at Yankee Stadium and works closely with all members of the Yankees front office, particularly Pro Scouting leadership and scouts.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Aid the Director and Assistant Director, Professional Scouting in the execution of many operational and administrative duties within the Professional Scouting department.
• Assist in ranking and composing write-ups of prospects from around professional baseball.
• Review and recommend available players to Front Office personnel for possible acquisition.
• Conduct research regarding Professional Scouting topics.
• Identify and recommend players to pro scouts who should be evaluated in person.
• Ensure that scouting reports are accurate and thorough at all levels.
• Monitor and distribute scout tickets to all scouts in attendance at NYY home games.
• Assist with Professional Scouting and Baseball Operations administrative tasks, including but not limited to supporting scouts with technological and logistical issues, organizing staff meetings, and automating office tasks.
• Is available to perform game duty at the direction of the Baseball Operations department.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Exhibits passionate leadership, high character and makeup, and strong commitment to high standards.
• High attention to detail with the ability to balance many different tasks simultaneously. 
• Strong time management skills.
• Interest and ability to evaluate players.
• Ability to work evening, weekend, and holiday hours.
• Completed or currently pursuing an undergraduate degree.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Preference to exposure to SQL Server, R, and/or Tableau.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of the employee. The New York Yankees are an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

The New York Yankees require a Covid-19 vaccination and booster as a condition of employment, subject to exception under applicable law.

The base annual salary for this position is $45,000 – $50,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package.

Job Questions:

1. In your opinion, identify one player who is undervalued and one player who is overvalued in the industry. Explain why in 500 words or fewer.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the New York Yankees.

Welcome to another installment of postseason managerial report cards. In this one, we’ll look at the Yankees, whose strong start to the season ended in playoff disappointment. From a purely results-oriented standpoint, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan giving this year’s team a passing grade.

In these report cards, I’m focusing on process instead of results as much as possible. I considered every pitching move that the team either made or chose not to make, as well as starting lineups and pinch hitting decisions. I suppose I considered batting order as well, but there’s so little value in batting order optimization that I pretty much gave every manager a perfect grade there.

Managers do far more than simply choosing who to put in the game and when to do so. Their role in helping players get prepared and keeping everyone on the same page with regards to team strategy is more important, particularly over the course of a full season, than anything I’m getting into here. I can’t see those decisions, though, and I can see these. What’s more, the postseason amplifies single-game decisions; with so few contests compared to the long haul of a full season, each squandered point of win expectancy feels like a catastrophe. With that lens in mind, let’s take a look at New York’s finest. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Part 2 of my new series, How Did Jose Altuve Hit in the Last 36 Innings? For those of you who missed Part 1, the answer last time was, well, badly enough to write a whole article about it!

Here in Part 2, I’m happy to report that Altuve’s performance over the most recent 36 innings has been upgraded to “still bad, but with reasons for optimism.”

Before we dig in, I should probably mention that Altuve is excellent. His playoff struggles are notable because he’s normally so fantastic at the plate. He posted a 164 wRC+ this year, fourth among qualified batters. He’s a great hitter. Now let’s talk about why he’s not hitting so great right now. Read the rest of this entry »

With a routine 73-mph comebacker off the bat of Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ season ended not with a bang but a whimper as the Astros completed their ALCS sweep to advance to the World Series for the second straight season, their third out of the last four, and their fourth out of six. Though two of this year’s ALCS games were decided by one run and another by two, the final result — the Yankees’ first time being swept out of a series since the 2012 ALCS — was a lopsided one, and it had an all-too-familiar feel.

Indeed, the Yankees have set a record by losing in five straight ALCS appearances (2010 by the Rangers, ’12 by the Tigers, ’17, ’19 and this year by the Astros). Including their 2015 AL Wild Card Game loss to the Astros, they’ve been bounced by Houston in four straight postseason meetings, an imbalance not unlike their own recent dominance of the A’s and Twins:

most consecutive times eliminating single opp in head-to-head playoff series:

2003-19 NYY over MIN: 6**
1923-62 NYY over NYG/SF: 5*
1941-53 NYY over BRO: 5
2015-22 HOU over NYY: 4**
1981-2018 NYY over OAK: 4**
1986-2008 BOS over LAA: 4

*=active
**= active + every PS H2H series

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 24, 2022

Back in July, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke of the need for his team to surmount the Astros, saying, “Ultimately, we may have to slay the dragon, right?… The narrative’s not to going to change until you beat them in the playoffs, if that day comes.” But with another series loss, their season has ended in disappointment. Even if it’s by way of a short series — one of just four (out of 10) in which the team with the better regular season record triumphed — it’s a blow that has sent the Yankees reeling. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball isn’t scripted or preordained. There’s no knowing who will win any given game; Jacob deGrom lost to the A’s this year and the Pirates swept the Dodgers. It’s a game of thin margins, and with huge volatility; some games a smashed line drive leaves the park, while others it finds a fielder’s glove. It’s a game defined by its uncertainty – but be honest, you knew the Astros were going to win on Sunday, right?

It sure didn’t feel that way at first. The Yankees shuffled their lineup yet again, and the new configuration paid early dividends. Leadoff hitter Harrison Bader looped a soft liner for a single. Two batters later, Anthony Rizzo flatly refused to get out of the way of a baseball headed in his general direction, as is his custom. He was rewarded with first base, and shortly with a run when Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres followed with singles. Rizzo added to the tally more conventionally in the second, doubling home a run to put the Yankees up 3-0.

Unfortunately for New York, the game moved inexorably forward, and so too did the Astros. Houston’s lineup is beatable, but it’ll take your best. Nestor Cortes didn’t have his in Game 4. He came out with his customary guile, changing speeds and mixing pitches through two scoreless innings. When he took the mound for the third, something changed.

His fastball, never blazing, lost another three ticks on average. He lost command over the pitch, too, throwing five straight outside the rulebook strike zone to Martín Maldonado to start the inning (one was called a strike). By the time he finished walking Jose Altuve, he’d given up on it altogether, looking to land sliders and cutters instead. Jeremy Peña made him pay; he didn’t respect the fastball at all, sitting on the cutter, and when Cortes hung one in an attempt to battle back into the count, Peña unloaded on it for a three-run homer. Read the rest of this entry »