Without much fanfare the Yanks called up a 23-year old reliever from the minors yesterday named Dave Robertson. He was not a high draft pick like Hughes, Kennedy, or Joba, but he's been producing in the minors.
Evidence: 51 2/3 innings between AA and AAA this year -- he has allowed 26 hits and struck out 74. Over the last two seasons he has pitched 136 innings without allowing a home run, to the tune of a 1.12 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. You read those numbers correctly. He is the anti-Kei Igawa.
Who knows how well this will translate to the big leagues, but those are the kind of eye-popping numbers that could lead to him becoming a prominent fixture at the back of the bullpen. The only red flag to me is 16 walks allowed in 33 innings at Scranton -- will need to improve on that as he matures.
Hopefully this guy pans out, and along with the emergence of Jose Veras could give Girardi some solid options in the 7th and 8th innings so that Cashman doesn't feel pressured to make a deal for someone. With Ohlendorf disappointing and Edwar Ramirez not consistent enough to pitch pressure-packed innings, Robertson could really play an important role down the stretch.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
And here I thought "young stud" was going to refer to outfielder Brett Gardner, who started tonight and played well in the field. Talk about the joys of stocking the farm system and paying top dollar for raw recruits (which means a few million) rather than top dollar for aging veterans. We keep calling up people who look promising and are fun to watch. I also like Girardi's tough comments about Kennedy and how he'll have to earn his way back up just like anyone else.
Looking forward to the Gardner era as well...and Austin Jackson, Jose Tabata, Humberto Sanchez, etc. etc. etc.
Don't forget Jesus Montero, the only Yankee farm hand in the Futures Game.
Post a Comment