New York Yankees vs. a comparable roster of players the same age
By Ed Stein
Pitchers
The New York Yankees should have a very strong rotation (even without Luis Severino) and solid bullpen this year. If the bats go silent for a little while, their pitchers should keep them in games. Comparing the current pitching staff led to some interesting results.
Starters
Gerrit Cole (28-years-old): Johan Santana – Last year’s American League Cy Young runner-up with the big prize in free agency this winter. By 29, Santana had a pair of Cy Young awards and finished in the top five two other times. The Mets signed 28-year-old Santana to a big extension, two days after trading for him in February 2008. It made “No-Han” one of the top paid pitchers at the time.
Masahiro Tanaka (30): Jake Arrieta – They are two pitchers who have led their teams in both the regular season and postseason. Maybe the biggest difference is Arrieta has a World Series ring from the 2016 Cubs.
James Paxton (30): Corey Kluber – The Big Maple hasn’t been as successful as his counterpart. Injuries have been the big reason why. Imagine who Paxton would compare to if he stayed healthy. Ironically through age 26, Paxton’s closest match was J.A. Happ.
J.A. Happ (36): Jamie Moyer – Old Soldiers never die; they mix in the changeup.
Jordan Montgomery (26): Sean Manaea – Not much to talk about here.
Relievers
Aroldis Chapman (31): Billy Wagner – A pair of hard-throwing lefties. Around this point in their respective careers, Wagner was able to maintain an elite level, while Chapman has been struggling more than he had just a few seasons prior.
Zack Britton (31): Dan Plesac – Both were top closers early in their careers. By 31, they were essential setup men. At this point, Britton has done a much better job stopping runs from scoring and keeping the ball in the park.
Chad Green (28): Justin Duchscherer – Their stats through age 28 are very close. Green’s are a little better, part of that has to do with the quality of team each played for. Injuries derailed Duchscherer’s career two years later.
Adam Ottavino (33): Jose Veras – I’ll take the 2019 version of Ottavino any day.
Tommy Kahnle (29): Adam Ottavino: There’s a surprise.