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Mariano Rivera, RHP, closer
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For a pitcher that has had so much success, it's amazing that Rivera has thrown only one pitch over most of his career. 85-100% of the time, he'll throw his cutter, a nasty, high velocity pitch that consistently breaks bats.
Mariano will mix it up just enough, by throwing a few running fastballs, usually inside to right-handed hitters. These fastballs have a tendency to duck under the bats of hitters looking for the cutter.
Rivera was a shortstop as an amateur player in Panama, and didn't toe the rubber regularly until he was 20 years old. After signing with the Yankees, he steadily rose through their minor league system, and became a star when he was moved into the bullpen. 8/18/09 CSJ
*cutter(91-95), fastball(91-95)
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Andy Pettitte, LHP, starter
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Pettitte has always been known for his cutter, a pitch that actually resembles more of a slider nowadays. Pettitte often uses the cutter inside on RHs, and when going well the pitch is jamming hitters and breaking bats. Pettitte is not afraid to also backdoor the cutter to RHs or even use it away to LHs. Pettitte's fastball is a fairly straight pitch that he tries to work inside and outside to hitters, setting up his other offerings. Pettitte's curveball can be a very effective pitch, getting big sharp break sometimes. At other times, the curve can look like it's just floating towards home plate. Pettitte's straight changeup is fairly standard.
Pettitte was born in Louisiana and grew up in Texas, where he dominated at Deer Park High School. Andy then pitched one season of community college ball before signing with the Yankees. As a pro, Pettitte won four World Series titles with the Yankees, but his best statistical season came as a member of the Houston Astros in 2005.
Unfortunately, Pettitte is an admitted steroid user, and good buddies with Roger Clemens. 8/18/09 CSJ
*fastball(85-92), slider(83-87), curve(73-79), changeup(78-83)
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Joba Chamberlain, RHP, starter
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Chamberlain has ridiculously good stuff. His fastball is often in the mid-90s and overpowering. What makes him such a big prospect is the command he shows with that pitch. He has the ability to relax and hit his target at 95 MPH. In 2007, he coupled his fastball with a slider that was nearly unhittable out of the bullpen. In 2008, the Yankees made an embarrassing mid-season switch, moving Joba to starting pitcher, which Joba handled just fine. He started mixing in a big curveball and tinkered with a straight changeup. Finally, in 2009, Chamberlain has already lost some velocity and the Yankees will have to figure out if he's better suited as a starter or a reliever. 7/31/09 CSJ
*fastball(89-96), slider(83-87), curve(75-80), changeup(80-82)
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Brian Bruney, RHP, reliever
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Bruney is simply a fastball/slider guy. He has very good velocity on his fastball, and mixes in a hard, tight slider. He'll use the slider away to RHs and bust it inside on LHs, much like a cutter. If Bruney tries a changeup, it's exclusively away to LHs. His stuff looks great, but his career has been up and down and he never reached his scouts-eye projection of being a dominant closer. 8/18/09 CSJ
*fastball(92-98), slider(85-90), change(88-89)
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David Robertson, RHP, reliever
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Robertson is a young pitcher with a loose arm. He throws a naturally cutting 90 MPH fastball and breaks off a sharp 12-6 curveball. David has shown a straight changeup to LHs and has unveiled a new slider in 2009. Robertson was MVP of the 2006 Cape Cod League playoffs. 7/31/09 CSJ
*fastball(88-92), curve(75-81), changeup(82-85), slider(85)
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Chien-Ming Wang, RHP, starter
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Wang is a sinkerballer. He throws tons of 2-seamers that bore in on RHs and sink away from LHs. His slider is standard, getting good break when thrown well. When thrown poorly the slider stays up, floating out of the strikezone. When facing LHs, Wang likes to use his changeup away. In 2008, Wang began using his splitter more often. It's still only used as a strikeout pitch, but you'll see it a few more times per game. The splitter has more velocity than the changeup, and may get unpredictable movement. I have noticed Posada have a difficult time catching it because it will sometimes bite quickly away from his mitt as it knuckles towards home plate. Wang's stuff doesn't blow anyone away, but his sinker is good enough to throw lots of quality innings. 5/1/09 CSJ
*fastball(88-95), slider(80-85), changeup(79-84), split(81-87)
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Jonathan Albaladejo, RHP, reliever
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Albaladejo throws a moving fastball and two different breaking pitches. He's an imposing presence on the mound, pounding his boring fastball in on RHs bats around 90mph. He then mixes in a slow curveball in the low-70s that gets good downward drop. His slider is an average pitch, looking like it has a tendency to hang in the strikezone. 4/8/09 CSJ
*2-seam fastball(87-93), curveball(72-78), slider(80-85)
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Edwar Ramirez, RHP, reliever
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Edwar is basically a two-pitch pitcher. He throws a decent moving fastball and an excellent, strikeout inducing changeup. He came out of the independent leagues and is now producing at a high level for the Yanks. He'll mix in a tight slider to RHs occasionally. 4/8/09 CSJ
*fastball(88-92), changeup(76-82), slider(79-84)
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Kei Igawa, LHP, starter
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Japanese art model and professional pitcher, Kei Igawa throws three basic pitches. He has a fastball, changeup, and slider. None of these offerings are particularly effective because he lacks command. Igawa has also shown a very slow curveball. The Yankees cannot be pleased with the money they spent on this Japanese import. 3/24/09 CSJ
*fastball(85-91), changeup(74-78), slider(75-80), curve(64-69)
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Nick Swisher, LHP, reliever/outfielder
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Swisher made his first professional pitching appearance on 4/13/2009. The Swish threw all "fastballs", pumping them in around the upper-70s, touching 80 mph once. He finished his inning unscored upon. The funny thing was, that in the top half of the inning, Brian Shouse came in to pitch for the Rays. Shouse, who is an actual pitcher, topped out at 81 mph. 5/1/09 CSJ
*fastball(71-80)
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C.C. Sabathia, LHP, starter
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Sabathia keeps it simple. He throws a great fastball from the leftside, a slider, and a changeup. Cy Cy has developed excellent command of his mid 90s fastball, hitting either corner of the plate with it consistently. The slider is usually in the low 80s, moving like a hybrid slider/curve type pitch. Sabathia's changeup is fairly straight, but he can fool hitters with it due to his good arm action on the pitch. 9/11/09 CSJ
*fastball(90-97), slurve(77-83), changeup(82-87)
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A.J. Burnett, RHP, starter
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AJ Burnett is a power pitcher. He owns a rising fastball that sits at 94-95mph and can hit the upper 90s. His second pitch is a hard curveball, great for getting Ks. AJ has concentrated on improving his changeup over the last few years, and it's developed into a decent third pitch, getting good tail and sink. He also learned from Roy Halladay in Toronto and altered his pitching motion, creating a more relaxed and fluid delivery. Staying healthy has always been Burnett's biggest problem, maybe his new delivery is helping. His stuff can be dominant, but not from the DL. 5/4/09 CSJ
*fastball(92-96), curve(77-84), changeup(84-88)
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Phil Coke, LHP, reliever
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Phil Coke has shown very good velocity at times, and physically looks like a young Ron Villone. Coke deals a low to mid 90s fastball and a sharp slider. As a lefthander, this could be very effective major league stuff. He battled through what looked like a tired arm early in 2009, and has since put up some excellent numbers in the setup role. Coke was drafted out of San Joaquin Delta College in California. 8/18/09 CSJ
*fastball(88-94), slider(80-85), changeup(80-84)
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Phil Hughes, RHP, starter/reliever
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Hughes has a good arm and compact delivery. His fastball seems very straight, but he can spot it well, inside and outside, with good velocity. Hughes' curveball looks like his number two pitch; a hard, 12-6 breaking ball. Phil has worked on improving his cutter, a pitch he seems to be relying on often in 2009. It's a good, tight breaking pitch that moves just enough to break a bat or induce a weak groundball. A straight changeup rounds out Hughes' four-pitch repertoire.
Hughes has dominated at every stop in the minors, but hit a major bump with the Yankees in 2008. He has returned to pay huge dividends out of the bullpen in 2009, but is still considered a future starting pitcher. 8/18/09 CSJ
*fastball(89-95), curve(74-79), cutter(86-91), change(83-85)
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Alfredo Aceves, RHP, starter/reliever
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Although only 26 years old, Aceves is a Mexican League veteran, and looks like a polished pitcher. He moved through the Yankees' minor league system in just one season, and pitched well in a few starts at the end of '08. His stuff isn't overpowering, but he definitely knows what he's doing. His fastball in a low-90s pitch that gets a little sink. He'll follow that up with an effective cutter thrown to both LHs and away from RHs. Aceves has a straight changeup that looks hittable and a curveball that gets good bite. 7/31/09 CSJ
*fastball(90-93), cutter(87-90), changeup(82-85), curve(77-81)
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Chad Gaudin, RHP, starter/reliever
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Gaudin is known for his slider and sinker. Both pitches get plus movement, but Gaudin still has trouble commanding them at times. Chad's third pitch is a sinking changeup that he likes to throw when facing LHs. 7/31/09 CSJ
*fastball(89-93), slider(79-84), changeup(82-86)
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Damaso Marte, LHP, reliever
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Marte has always been a fastball/slider pitcher. He has decent velocity on the fastball and gets his slider to sweep across home plate. I have seen a changeup from Marte, but that pitch is extremely rare. He has posted some very good seasons as a setup man for the White Sox and Pirates. 5/5/09 CSJ
*fastball(90-94), slider(81-85), changeup(82)
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Ian Kennedy, RHP, starter
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Kennedy doesn't have overpowering stuff, but seems to have a complete repertoire. He'll throw 2-seam sinkers in the mid-80s and a 4-seamer in the upper-80s. Kennedy has a good, soft, sinking, vulcan changeup that is effective to LH and RH. His best breaking pitch is a big knuckle-curveball that gets lots of drop. He'll also mix in some short sliders, usually away to RH hitters. Kennedy physically resembles Mike Mussina, even using the same exaggerated ducking motion as he comes to his stretch position. 4/24/08 CSJ
*fastball(85-90), changeup(78-81), curve(71-73), slider(78-81)
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Humberto Sanchez, RHP, reliever
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Humberto was a decent prospect, having posted some high K totals in the minors after being drafted out of Rockland Community College (NY). Sanchez needed TJ surgery in 2006 and subsequently missed all of 2007. Sanchez is back now however, and getting some major league action with the Yankees. He's throwing a heavy, moving fastball in the low-90s and a 12-6 curveball. Sanchez has shown a changeup as his third pitch. 9/19/08 CSJ
*fastball(91-94), curveball(78-79), changeup(81)
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Mark Melancon, RHP, reliever
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Melancon has a chance to succeed with the Yankees. He has limited his walks in the professional career and owns two plus pitches. He starts with his hard fastball that touches the mid-90s regularly. He can follow the fastball with a curve that breaks late, although often seems to back up on him. Mark has shown an occasional straight changeup. Melancon is a former University of Arizona pitcher. 5/14/09 CSJ
*fastball(91-96), curve(80-84), changeup(85)
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