New York Yankees: Top 5 Players Thus Far In Spring Training

Mar 4, 2017; Lakeland, FL, USA; New York Yankees infielders along with head coach Joe Girardi (third from left) discus the last play while they wait for a new pitcher to arrive during the fifth inning of an MLB spring training baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

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New York Yankees: Top 5 Players Thus Far In Spring Training /

Luis Cessa

Cessa has bounced back and forth between the majors and minors his entire career, but he is making a good case to be a mainstay in New York this season.

Cessa has done good work for the Yankees through the first days of Spring Training, and his stats prove it. In six innings of work, he has five strikeouts, one save, and a 3.00 ERA to boot. Cessa has had some good outings for the Yankees in the past, but now he needs to show why he should be in the Bronx for the whole season.

It’s difficult for a middle reliever to find solid work anywhere around the league, and that especially holds true in New York. Joe Girardi has made a habit of overusing guys in the middle of games, and then just sending them down for a different arm to burn.

In order for Cessa to stay up, he has to give Girardi a reason to believe that he can be a spot starter consistently for the Yankees. Cessa’s track record shows that he is very prone to big innings, but when he is dealing, he is hard to handle.

If the Yankees are smart, they will make Cessa one of the highest used pitchers in the bullpen, but they can’t overwork him. His arm could be very valuable late in the season, and he has proven that he can be a go-to guy for the Yankees this spring.

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