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New York Yankees: What’s the problem with Tanaka?

By John Franklin

May 31, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) walks off the field after being removed from the game in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) walks off the field after being removed from the game in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka continues his struggles in 2017. Last night he got shelled by the Orioles. Is it too late for him to get back on track?

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka just looks terrible, and he shows no signs of getting better.

Tanaka had a strong outing against Athletics last week, but took a leap backwards last night against the Orioles. In just five innings of work, Tanaka gave up seven earned runs.

When an ace takes the bump, a team should be confident in the fact that he will put them in line for a win every time. At this point fans are afraid when Tanaka takes the ball for the Yankees.

That is exactly what fans don’t need from their “star” pitcher.

Tanaka just isn’t getting any downward movement on his splitter, and it leaves him so vulnerable. He doesn’t use power when he pitches, he uses movement and location. When neither of those things are working, it makes him prone to big innings.

The sad thing is, his 13 strikeout outing against the A’s is an outlier this season.

Tanaka is just very unreliable at this point, and he has to figure out a way to gain trust back. He doesn’t go deep into games, and he shows signs of wearing down.

These last few starts almost look like he’s on the downslope of his career. He has so much left in the tank, but it looks like he’s giving up.

I can’t say for sure that he is, but from the outside, it seems like he’s calling it a season very early. I’m no pitching coach, but it’s clear there’s something wrong with his mechanics.

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He’s not pitching over the ball, and that’s what is leaving his splitter up. It causes him to give up moonshots, and if it doesn’t get fixed, we could be watching the beginning of the end of Masahiro Tanaka.

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