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This year's team has a weakness at starting pitching and maybe now in the bullpen with middle relief. I don't think you will really know if this team is actually good until the playoffs start in a few days. Joe Girardi has been running the last month of the season, like it was Spring training. He seemed to be determining, who would make the post-season roster and who would stand under the pressure of the post-season experience.
With the Yankees it is all about winning the World Series, whether they actually win the division or get in as the wild card is in-material. I have no idea, how many division titles they have; that sees to be badge of honor for the braves, who seem to win it every year and then get whacked in the playoffs. The Yankees are strong only in their first two starters; CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. Phil Hughes is a very weak third starter and AJ Burnett, who knows if Girardi will even let him pitch.
I still believe it or not have faith in Burnett. He has the stuff to compete with any of the top tier pitchers in the league as he demonstrated last year for the Yankees in the playoffs. That is it in the nutshell; Burnett has won in the playoffs and world series; something that Vazquez has never done or will never do. Time to shoot Vazquez thank him for putting up some innings, give him a pat on the head and cut him. He has no use in the playoffs and I would not give him the chance. The man that broke the curse of the Bambino, does not deserve a second chance. Ivan Nova on the other hand, does deserve to be included on the playoff roster. This kid has lights out stuff, although he was miserable in his lone relief appearance on Saturday in the Nightcap of the doubleheader, I saw it as a result of the unfamiliarity of the role and he was over-throwing trying to be more than he needs to be.
I see the Yankees fortunes resting on the shoulders of A.J. Burnett to repeat his playoff performances of last year. The Yankees have the lineup to beat anyone on any given day and they do have excellent, late in relievers in the trio of Wood, Chamberlain and Rivera, but the starting pitching. It always comes down to pitching come October.
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