MLB New York Yankees

Bryan Mitchell Figures to Play a Major Role for 2015 New York Yankees

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By @chriswgamble

Getty Images

Getty Images

When it comes to the 2015 New York Yankees everything is going to hinge upon health and that is especially true for their rotation. Every Yankees’ fan knows about C.C. Sabathia’s knees, Masahiro Tanaka’s elbow, Michael Pineda’s shoulder and back, and Ivan Nova’s return from Tommy John surgery. Throw in the unknown commodities that are Chris Capuano and Nathan Eovaldi and you have a real wild card. It is almost guaranteed that the Yankees will need to dip into their farm system for quite a few starts.

This is where Bryan Mitchell comes in. Mitchell, 23, made his Major League debut last season, throwing 11 innings across three appearances which included one start. He posted a respectable 1.18 WHIP, 2.45 ERA and 3.22 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) while striking out seven and walking three and surrendering 10 hits. It was a small sample size but an ice breaker for Mitchell.

Mitchell hasn’t had much success in the minor leagues, posting a 4.45 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and walking 229 in 475.2 innings. However, Mitchell has some good stuff when it comes to pitches. His fastball sits in the 93-95 MPH region and can touch 97 from time to time. His fastball is complimented by an excellent curve that features a 12-6 break which is his true bread and butter. He also features a solid two-seam fastball and a change-up that remains a work in progress which is the case with many young pitchers.

The Yankees love his stuff and have high hopes for Mitchell. He needs to be more consistent when it comes to control. His control has been a serious bugaboo for him as he has made his way through the minors. Mitchell reminds me of A.J. Burnett to a certain degree, a pitcher with a live fastball and outstanding curve who struggles with control.

The upside for Mitchell is probably as a number three starter but he should be a solid backend of the rotation arm for years to come. Entering 2015, the Yankees will most likely send Mitchell to AAA to start unless Spring Training features a couple of injuries to starters. However, given the age and injury history of the Yankees’ rotation, Mitchell figures to play a key role in the Yankees’ plans this season. It would shock no one if he made 20 or more starts in 2015 at the MLB level.

While a lot of the Yankees’ success in 2015 hinges upon health of key players like Sabathia, Tanaka and Pineda, just as much hinges on Mitchell’s ability to put it all together. It might be asking a lot but the Yankees are fairly confident that Mitchell can take that step this season. At least one has to make that conclusion from the lack of movement in the free agent market when it comes to adding depth.

It looks like Mitchell could very well play a major role with the Yanks this year. He should be the sixth starter depending on how Adam Warren handles the transition back to starting after being a reliever the past two seasons.

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