Newcomers Sabathia, Burnett, Teixeira lead Yankees in first half

On May 1st, after an April in which first baseman Mark Teixeira hit .200 with 3 homeruns and 10 RBI's, C.C. Sabathia went 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA, and A.J. Burnett went five starts with a 5.40 ERA, it would have been hard to imagine that Sabathia and Burnett would be the only staples in the Yankee rotation, and that Teixeira would be the Yankee MVP halfway through the season. But that is exactly the case, as the Yankees sit at 51-37 at the All-Star Break.

Teixeira turned it on in May (coincidently when A-Rod returned), hitting .330 with 13 homeruns and 34 RBI's. For the season, Tex is now hitting .275 with 21 homeruns and 63 RBI's, and was rewarded for his first half performance by being voted as the starting first baseman in the all-star game last night. He has also showed why he is a two time gold glove winner, flashing some brilliant leather at first base.

After a horrendous April, Sabathia validated the 7 year $161 million deal he signed in the offseason, going 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA. At the break, Sabathia sits at 8-6 with a 3.86 ERA. While that is above his 3.67 career ERA, Sabathia has proven to be a workhorse for the Yankees, as he has pitched 128.1 innings, just two behind the Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the league lead. Sabathia also has 95 strikeouts, which is second on the team.

First on the team in K's is the other big name pitcher the Yankees brought in during the offseason, A.J Burnett. After a 5.40 ERA in April, Burnett finally started worrying about pitching, rather than about who to hit in the face with a pie. Burnett went 5-2 combined in the months of June and July, with a 2.30 ERA. The former Blue Jay has shown some absolutely filthy offspeed stuff, and his ability to make hitters miss is a big reason why opponents are hitting just .199 against him with men on base.

Those three aren't the only ones having big years. Of course shortstop Derek Jeter is having another Jeter-esque season. Outfielders Johnny Damon and another newcomer, Nick Swisher carried this team in April. Even after missing more than a month, third baseman Alex Rodriguez still has 16 homeruns and 50 RBI's at the midway point. And at 39 years old, Mariano Rivera is still one of the best if not the best closers in baseball. Say what you want about his stuff not being as good as it once was, but with a 2.43 ERA and a 23/24 save record, he can close out for my team anyday. Rivera, along with Jeter and Teixeira, were American League all stars.

Enough about individuals. At 51-37, the Yankees have the second best record in the American League, and sit 3 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. As is usually the case, the Yankees are right at the top of the league in offensive production. The bombers are first in slugging, OBP, runs, and in the banbox that is Yankee Stadium, lead the league with 132 dingers.

The biggest problem in the first half was the back end of the starting rotation. The Yankees were just 11th in the league with a 4.54 ERA. Joba Chamberlain continues to flounder as a starting pitcher. The 4.25 ERA doesn't look bad, but the 1.56 whip does. So does the average of 5 innings a start. Andy Pettite is 8-5, but sports an untidy 4.85 ERA, and finished the first half with a 7.27 ERA in his last three outings. The biggest disaster in the rotation though has been Chien-Ming Wang. In between two stints on the DL, Wang has been a shell of his former self. He has a horrific ERA of 9.64, and has the Yankee brass scratching their heads.

One more problem the Yankees had in the first half - 0 and 8 against the Red Sox, 1-2 against the Phillies, and 2-4 against the Angels. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and so far the Yankees have unable to do so.

Second Half Outlook

At 51-37, and in a weak American League, the Yankees are probably making the playoffs, whether as the division winner or the wildcard. They will continue to slug their way through the dog days of summer, and Yankee fans shouldn't have any worries about the offense. Despite missing more than a month, Alex Rodriguez will still hit 30 homeruns and knock in 100 RBI's. Teixeira could very well win the MVP, as he is right in the mix with Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay, and Rays third basemen Evan Longoria.

The starting pitching needs to round into form. Sabathia and Burnett will be solid, but the back end of the rotation is the big Yankee question mark going forward. Joba needs to start pitching like the frontline starter the Yankee organization hopes he is. Pettite, who is usually a better second half pitcher anyway, also needs to start giving more consistent efforts. Anything you can get out of Wang is a bonus at this point.

I think the bullpen will continue to be very solid, as it has been since Phil Hughes joined. In 18 innings of relief, the 23-year old has a 0.98 ERA, and has struck out 19 batters compared to just five base on balls. With Hughes, Rivera, Phil Coke, and Alfredo Aceves, the Yankees have very dependable arms that skipper Joe Girardi can call upon in late inning situations.

Looking at the schedule, the Yankees only have 10 series against teams under .500, and of those 10, four are against the Blue Jays and three are against the Orioles. The Yankees dont' see Boston again until August 6th. They still have 10 games with the Red Sox, who they have failed to beat once this year. They also have another trip to the west coast in September, where they will see their old pals the Angels. The bombers do have the advantage of opening up the second half at home, beginning a 10 game homestand friday against the Tigers.

So if you're still reading, here is my Yankee prediction. The bombers are going to the playoffs, and will win somewhere in the neighborhood of 95 games. Will they win the division? Unfortunantely, no. That will once again go to the rival Red Sox. And the reward for winning the wildcard this year? A trip to Anaheim, where the Yankees just play oh so well.