Starting Rotation Is New York Yankees' Biggest Disappointment So Far In 2016

Not a lot of things have gone right for the New York Yankees this season, but one of the team’s biggest disappointments and weaknesses in 2016 has been the starting rotation. Heading into the season, the Yankees had a promising group of starters, but more than most have underperformed, becoming a primary cause why New York is struggling to stay relevant in the AL East as we approach the midway point in the season.

Two starters have stood out for the right reasons and done their part to help the Yankees win games on a consistent basis. Masahiro Tanaka has remained healthy and pitched near the level of a true ace, looking more and more like the pitcher who won 13 games in 20 starts in 2014. Veteran CC Sabathia has also been a revelation this season. After a rough April, Sabathia has figured out how to pitch despite diminishing velocity and may actually be having his best season in pinstripes.

However, two competent starters have not been enough to carry the Yankees this season, even with one of the most intimidating bullpens in baseball. Michael Pineda has been an utter disaster all season, taking a huge step backwards from a mediocre 2015. Nathan Eovaldi has also taken a step back despite showing great promise with a 14-win season in 2015. The Yankees were expecting Eovaldi to finally grow into a front-of-the-rotation caliber starter, but he has failed on that front.

Luis Severino has been the most egregious example of New York’s rotation faltering. Before going to the DL in the middle of May, Severino was 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA in seven starts. It may have been unfair to expect the 22-year-old to pitch like an ace, despite 11 impressive starts last season, but the Yankees weren’t counting on him getting lit up the way he did. Ivan Nova hasn’t been much better as his replacement in the rotation, which isn’t all that unexpected, but obviously having to move Nova from the bullpen to the rotation didn’t help to upgrade New York’s contingent of starting pitchers.

If there’s a silver lining for the Yankees, it’s that their starters are capable of being better than they have been up to this point in the season. Severino has performed well in the minors and could come back to the majors and redeem himself later in the season. Eovaldi has proved in past years that he’s capable of much more than he’s shown the first half of this season. Even Pineda has the potential to turn things around considering his arm talent. However, until all that talent and potential comes to fruition, the Yankees’ rotation will remain their biggest weakness and prevent them from getting back in the playoff race.