2017 Yankees: Year in Review - Bullpen (Part 2)

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Matt Linder

To conclude the final installment of my look back at the 2017 New York Yankees season, here is part two of the bullpen review.  In addition to the relief pitchers who spent all of 2017 in pinstripes, there were also important contributors who were members of the team for only part of the season. 

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Let’s start with one of the two guys who was on the Yankees opening day roster, but did not make it to the end of the season with the team: Tyler Clippard.  Coming into 2017, he was expected to be the team’s seventh inning guy.  Like his fellow late inning relievers, he put together a productive April and May.  Through the first two months, he had an ERA of 1.64 with 29 strikeouts in 22 innings.  However, you could see signs that his early-season success might be fluky.  In May, he walked seven batters in only 12.1 innings.  As an extreme fly ball pitcher in hitter friendly Yankee Stadium, walks will eventually come back to hurt, and starting in June, that is exactly what happened.  Clippard walked seven batters in 9.1 innings and as the weather heated up, those early-season deep fly balls turned into home runs.  He gave up four dingers in June alone, resulting in a 11.17 ERA for the month.  He was a secondary piece in the trade deadline deal with the White Sox that brought David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle (both of whom I will talk about later) and Todd Frazier to the Bronx.  Clippard ended the season with the Astros and although he did not pitch in the postseason with the club, he will still receive a World Series ring.  That can be the one positive moment in what was otherwise a terrible season.

Grade: D

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Jonathan Holder is the other member of the Yankees 2017 opening day roster who did not spend the entire season on the team.  Continuing the trend of strong early season performances, he pitched pretty well in April and May.  In those months, he struck out 24 hitters in 22 innings with an ERA of 3.27.  Unfortunately, his effectiveness ran out in June and as a result was optioned to AAA on June 27th.  For the rest of the season, he would be sent back up and down between the MLB and the minors.  Additionally, while in Scranton, he spent a few weeks on the DL.  Overall, Holder had a 3.89 ERA in 39.1 innings for the Yankees in 2017.  The team usually carries seven or eight relievers and he figures to be one of the cheap, low leverage arms next season. 

Grade: C

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The final two important members of the bullpen who didn't pitch all season with the Yankees were acquired mid-season from the White Sox.  Let’s start with David Robertson and his second stint with the organization.  For the Yankees, he threw 35 dominant innings.  He struck out 51 batters, while only walking 12.  Robertson’s excellence continued for most of the playoffs.  He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in the Wildcard Game and only gave up one run in 4.2 innings against the Indians in the ALDS.  However, he ran out of gas in the ALCS.  David’s stuff was not sharp, resulting in five runs allowed over five innings of work.  Throughout the second half, Joe Girardi used Robertson in a variety of different roles: mid inning rally killer, multi-inning reliever and one inning late game stopper.  It was the first time in his career that he was pitching multiple innings per appearance and that may have caught up with him by the time the Yankees played the Astros.  David is expected to be one of the many trusted relievers in 2018 and fans should be excited to get a full season of nasty curveballs and Houdini escape acts.

Grade: A

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Similar to David Robertson, 2017 was a return to the organization for Tommy Kahnle.  The flame throwing righty was originally drafted by the Yankees in 2010, but did not reach the majors until he signed with the Rockies in 2014.  Kahnle always had a high-octane fastball, but he struggled to command it.  However, this past season something clicked.  Coming into 2017, his career BB/9 was 6.1.  This season it dropped to a meager 2.4.  With the Yankees, he struck out 36 batters in 26.2 innings and pitched to a 2.70 ERA, although he did have a rough August with an ERA of 5.23 in 10.1 innings.  Thankfully, he bounced back in September and October.  His rebound may have been thanks to cutting back on throwing his slider and increasing his changeup and fastball usage.  In the postseason, Tommy was lights out; through his first ten playoff innings he did not allow a run.  Unfortunately, like the other Yankee relievers, by Game 7 of the ALCS he was gassed.  Tommy surrendered three runs over 1.1 innings in the season ending loss.  Overall, Kahnle pitched well for the Yankees and hopefully his success in 2017 will continue.  He is under contract through the 2020 season and figures to be an important piece out of the bullpen for new manger, Aaron Boone. 

Grade: A-

So that wraps up our look back at 2017 Yankees.  With a new manager in place and the winter meetings less than two weeks away, it won’t be long before I take a look at what’s in store for the 2018 season.  Only 72 days until pitchers and catchers and I can’t wait!

If you have any questions, comments or criticisms feel free to reach out to me at mattlinder2@gmail.com