May 3rd, 2022: Severino, Stanton, Injuries, Luetge, Andujar, Schmidt, Warren

Is it just me or have the Yankees played an inordinate number of games in windy conditions this year? I mean really windy games. Games where fly balls go sideways and infielders twist and turn to track pop ups. Maybe this is just the weather now. Anyway, here are today’s thoughts as the Yankees have their first 10-game winning streak since, well, last August.

1. Weekend observations. The Yankees have scored double-digit runs four times in their last eight games after doing six times all last season, and the ball is ostensibly dead this year. This is the good stuff (numbers going into Monday’s games):

Runs Scored per Game
1. Giants: 4.95
2. Dodgers: 4.86
3. Yankees: 4.82
4. Angels: 4.78
5. Padres: 4.74
(MLB average: 4.08)

Runs Allowed per Game
1. Dodgers: 2.62
2. Yankees: 2.95
3. Mets: 3.09
4. Twins: 3.23
5. Brewers: 3.26

It’s a long season and eventually the Yankees will hit a bump in the road. Right now though, they are good at everything and great at more than a few things, and they aren’t severely deficient in any area. A year ago the defense was a liability (particularly on the infield) and the offense was reliant on two guys. The 2022 Yankees aren’t perfect, but they’re the most complete Yankees team in quite a while. A few thoughts on the last few games.

Severino has to grind

Only twice in the first 23 games has a Yankees starting pitcher allowed as many as four runs, the fewest such starts in baseball. The pitch limits early in the season contributed to that, sure, but every team dealt with those. Luis Severino is responsible for both of the four-run starts, though in one of them he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before things unraveled.

The other was this past weekend in Kansas City: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K on 93 pitches. Bad starts happen (that’s not even a bad start). I mostly did not like Severino staying in there for that long third inning (30 pitches) and then a slightly less long fourth inning (21 pitches). It was a lot of high stress pitches early in the season for a guy who missed most of the last three years with arm injuries.

“That’s a game that could easily get away from you,” Aaron Boone told Dan Martin. “Credit to (Severino). He battled for five innings and we made it tough on them and grinded our way back in that game.”

The Yankees are still building up their starters and they’re not going to get built up by not pitching, but Severino is not the typical case. He’s a prized arm, someone the Yankees will need to have a chance at the World Series, and he needs to be handled carefully given his history. The goal is to win a championship, not just win May 1st. I thought pushing Severino like that was unnecessary, especially when Clarke Schmidt was available for multiple innings in long relief.

Severino will make his next two starts with extra rest thanks to off-days this Thursday and next Monday, and I’m certain that factored into the decision to let him grind through Sunday’s start. Also, the Yankees have way more information than me. Information about Severino’s health, real-time biometric data on his mechanics thanks to Statcast, the works. They are nothing if not informed.

Hopefully Sunday proves to be nothing more than a character-building start and Severino stays on the field. Just seems to me that, when a guy is three weeks into the season and has already thrown nearly as many innings this year (24) as in the past three years combined (27.1), being overly cautious is okay. Severino is too important and too fragile to be anything but careful.

Stanton in the outfield

Giancarlo Stanton starts in the outfield (all in right field): 11. Giancarlo Stanton starts at DH: 10. Stanton’s started five of the last seven games in the outfield too. He was the DH the other two games, so it’s not like the Yankees started him in the outfield a bunch and then gave him a full day off. The reins are being loosened. Stanton’s more outfielder than DH (and making great catches!).

The 50/50 outfield/DH split started in the second half last season. Stanton started 26 of the final 60 games in the outfield last year and he said he thinks playing the outfield helps him at the plate. The numbers backed that up: .302/.374/.635 (171 wRC+) in 107 plate appearances as an outfielder and .267/.351/.491 (130 wRC+) in 467 plate appearances as a DH in 2021.

“I think (playing the outfield) has helped kind of just not focusing on hitting,” he told Martin last August. “You always want to be your best in the box, and feel like you’re in the best mind frame. But that also means turning it off for a second and using that focus somewhere else. So yeah, it helps in some way.”

The sample size this year is tiny but it follows the pattern: .342/.341/.579 (164 wRC+) as an outfielder and .239/.279/.518 (48 wRC+) as a DH (gotta love AVG > OBP slash lines). The numbers at this point are whatever. Mostly, I’m just interested in this shift from not playing Stanton in the outfield at all to playing him out there roughly half the time.

Does this tie into the team’s improved injury prevention (more on that in a bit)? Did Stanton go to the Yankees and say he wants to play the outfield more? I’m not sure. Whatever happened, this is a pretty dramatic shift. Stanton did not play his first game in the outfield until July 20th last year, in the team’s 102nd game. Since that point he’s played there half the time. The Yankees skipped right over the “play the outfield once or twice a week to ease him in” step.

Stanton being able to play the outfield as often as he has opens up so much for the Yankees. It makes it easier to, say, sit an unproductive Joey Gallo, or get 36-year-old Josh Donaldson off his feet (Donaldson still has not started more than two consecutive days in the field). I don’t know what spurred this on, but I’m glad it happened. Stanton in the outfield is nothing but a plus.

“I think a few times a week and whenever I can make it work to fit the best lineup to put out there, and be ready to go,” Stanton told Ryan Chichester about the outfield plan back in Spring Training.

The remarkable run of health

It is truly remarkable how healthy the Yankees have been this season. Gallo is day to day with a tight groin and it is the first new injury the Yankees have suffered since the start of Spring Training. I don’t believe in jinxes, so I’m fine pointing this out, but you are free to curse my name if the Yankees get hit with a deluge of injuries in the coming days.

The Yankees have four players on the Major League injured list and all four were hurt before they even got to Spring Training. To recap:

• Zack Britton: Had Tommy John surgery last September.
• Domingo German: Hurt his shoulder during offseason workouts.
• Stephen Ridings: Hurt his shoulder during offseason workouts.
• Ben Rortvedt: Hurt his oblique before the trade.

The Yankees didn’t place a single player on the Major League injured list in April after Opening Day. It was their first month without using the injured list since Sept. 2018*. The last month before that was June 2014. The start of this season was pushed back a week because of the lockout, so they only played three weeks of regular season games last month, but still.

* Teams often didn’t bother to use the 10-day injured list for minor injuries in September under the old roster expansion rules because they didn’t need the roster spot. The Yankees kept some banged up players on the active roster in Sept. 2018 (Aaron Hicks had a hamstring issue and Gleyber Torres had a hip issue, most notably).

Three years ago the Yankees placed an MLB record 30 different players on the injured list (an average of five per month!) and after the season they overhauled their training staff, and put industry guru Eric Cressey in charge. The Yankees still lost the 11th most days to non-COVID injuries last season, though that was much better than 2019, plus Aaron Judge and Stanton stayed healthy. That right there pushed the Yankees into the postseason.

This is Year 3 under Cressey (Year 1 was the bizarre pandemic season) and is it possible the Yankees have cracked the injury code? The team’s number of lower body soft tissue injuries in particular has decreased considerably. Those really did the Yankees in the last few years. It felt like they lost someone to a hamstring or calf issue every other series for a while there.

Depth is important, it takes more than 26 players to get through a season, but the best depth is depth you don’t need because your players are healthy. Eventually the Yankees will get hit with an injury. A pitcher will feel something in his elbow or a hitter will take a pitch to the hand. That’s baseball. But going back to Spring Training, they’ve limited the nagging aches and pulls, and it’s played a big role in their great start to 2022. Has the injury tide really turned? Would be cool.

(By the way, German has started throwing bullpen sessions and Rortvedt is hitting on the field and going through full defensive drills, according to Brendan Kuty. They’re making progress with their rehab. Sounds like Ridings is still shut down though.)

Luetge’s tough luck

Not a great start to the season for Lucas Luetge, who’s been charged with four runs on nine hits and four walks in 7.2 innings. The 10 strikeouts are good. The rest is not. Right now, I think Luetge’s fallen victim to the ebbs and flows of the game more than anything else. He’s running a .429 BABIP in the early going and all the underlying stuff checks out okay:

Here’s video of the nine hits Luetge’s allowed. Not much hard contact, and it’s not like he’s getting outs on rockets either. Luetge’s average exit velocity allowed is 87.7 mph and Statcast says he was expected to allow a .210 AVG based on the quality of the contact. The real number is .290. The expected stats aren’t the be-all, end-all, though they match the eye test.

If anything, the four walks* are more worrisome than the hits, because last year Luetge managed a 5.0% walk rate. This year he’s walked four of the 36 batters he faced (11.1%). Last year he issued his fourth walk to his 111th batter. Given how much his pitches move, last season’s walk rate is pretty crazy. Wouldn’t surprise me if 2022 Luetge is the real Luetge with regard to control.

* One of the four walks this year was intentional. Remove that batter and Luetge has an 8.6% walk rate. So is this really something to worry about, or small sample noise?

Given his history as an out of nowhere guy, any little stumble is going to lead to questions about whether the other shoe is dropping. I don’t think that’s the case with Luetge. Not yet. He’s getting dinked and dunked a bunch, and while the high walk rate is troublesome, it’s not unmanageable. Long story short, I’m willing to give Luetge more than 7.2 innings before fretting.

Andujar and Schmidt demoted

As expected, Schmidt and Miguel Andujar were sent to Triple-A Scranton after Sunday’s game to get the roster down to 26 players. The 26-man roster period has begun, though teams can carry up to 14 pitchers until May 29th. The 13-pitcher/13-position player period doesn’t begin for another few weeks. The Yankees are at 13 and 13 right now.

“It’s a real tough pill to swallow. I’m throwing well, doing my job, and getting guys out. It’s just part of the game. It’s a business also. I hope to get back up here soon,” Schmidt told Martin after being sent down. “... I feel like a different player than in previous years. I don’t think the moment was too big for me at all. I’ll take what I did this month and roll with it.”

I have no trouble whatsoever with Schmidt calling the demotion a “tough pill to swallow.” No one should be happy to be sent down. Schmidt pitched well (8.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 8 K), but the fact is he didn’t pitch often (four appearances in 22 games), and he needs to pitch. The Yankees have a 20 games in 20 days stretch coming soon. I bet he gets a spot start at some point during those 20 days. For now, Schmidt will get some actual work with the RailRiders.

As for Andujar, he spent six days on the roster and finally got a start on the sixth day, and had two hits. Then he was sent down. Rough. “He’s in such a better place. I know not it’s not easy for him right now, but his mindset is good,” Boone told Martin. I look forward to the days when such comments are unnecessary, and Andujar just sticks on the roster and plays (I assume that will have to happen with another team).

I hope Schmidt’s demotion means the Yankees will continue to use Mike King as a multi-inning guy. His appearances have gotten progressively shorter …

• April 22nd: 3 IP and 42 pitches
• April 27th: 2.1 IP and 34 pitches
• May 1st: 1.2 IP and 16 pitches

… and Boone did the same thing with Severino last September. He was throwing fire for two innings at a time when he first came back, then suddenly it was one inning at a time. I do not want King to become a one-inning reliever. He’s too good and high quality multi-inning relievers are insanely valuable. Let’s keep him in that role, mmmkay?

Also, the Yankees sent Andujar and Schmidt down. Look at the players other teams cut from their rosters to get down to 26 players. Lots of journeymen and fringe prospect types. You're living the good life organizationally when dudes as talented as Andujar and Schmidt legitimately don't have a spot on your roster.  Everything's coming up Yankees right now. 

(Andujar is on the tax squad and with the Yankees in Toronto, by the way. The team says that’s because of the uncertainty with Gallo’s groin. Schmidt is heading to Scranton, which surprises me a bit. I thought they’d take him to Toronto. Easier to have him travel with the team than have to call someone else up from Scranton and go through the international travel protocol.)

Miscellany

I take back what I said about Carlos Beltran as a broadcaster last week. He's not good. Rough, rough weekend in Kansas City. He sounds like he’s broadcasting because he wants to manage, and this keeps him in the game. More Cameron Maybin, less Beltran please … The Apple TV+ broadcast was fine. A little sterile given the Apple style, and the probabilities in the bottom corner are confusing more than helpful. Does this pass the sniff test?

A lot goes into calculating those probabilities, but I dunno man. The pitcher, Dylan Coleman, has a career 32.6% ground ball rate above Double-A and Tim Locastro has hit into three double plays in 81 opportunities (i.e. runner on first with less than two outs) in his big league career, or 3.7%. The MLB average is 10.2%. The probabilities are geared toward micro-betting (surprise!), so they aren’t going anywhere. As a non-better with some level of baseball savvy, I felt like they took away from the broadcast more than they added to it. Well, whatever. PS5 comes with a free six-month trial of Apple TV+ and that’s how I’ll watch these games this year. Starting next year, I think I’m just going to skip them and watch the condensed game the next day. I don’t need yet another streaming subscription … Since last year’s All-Star break Torres is hitting .272/.318/.440 (109 wRC+) in just under 300 plate appearances. Not amazing, but certainly better than 2020 and first half 2021 Gleyber. His average exit velocity is up a healthy 4 mph in the super early going too. Torres hit his third homer of the season last night (he hit his third homer on June 5th last season) and then had the game-winning single. He hasn’t been 2018-29 good, but he’s not someone who should be buried on the bench either … Miguel Castro feels like a “four runs and zero outs” appearance waiting to happen. His first pitch strike and overall zone rate are down around 40%, and his swinging strike rate has dipped below the league average. The sinker/slider combo is similar to Jonathan Loaisiga and Clay Holmes but Castro doesn’t execute as well or as consistently. I’m getting 2017 Tyler Clippard vibes, where the shiny ERA hides the potential for very bad things … What more is there to say about Judge that hasn’t been said already? He’s amazing. Judge is 13-for-37 (.351) with seven home runs in his last nine games, and hard-hit singles feel like a disappointing end to an at-bat right now. The guy is incredible. There's still a lot – A LOT – of season to play, but it would be something to see Judge turn down that massive extension, then go out and earn himself even more money.

2. Warren breaking out. Righty Will Warren, last year’s eighth round pick out of Southeastern Louisiana, is turning heads early this minor league season. I mentioned him as a guy to watch when the minor league Opening Day rosters were announced because he was drawing rave reviews in Spring Training, and now he’s lighting up the regular season.

Warren, 22, has allowed five runs in four starts and 17 innings with High-A Hudson Valley, and that’s after a rough season debut (3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K). He’s struck out 22 and walked five. More importantly, Warren is living in the mid-90s and touching 97-98 mph after being more of a low-90s guy in college, and he picked up the sweeper quickly.

Here’s some video of Warren’s most recent start and here are a few sweepers (GIF via Lucas Apostoleris):

Corey Kluber won two Cy Youngs with a sweepy breaking ball that looked exactly like that. Now everyone has one, it seems. Pitching, man. These guys are too good. Anyway, Warren is a big enough deal now that he popped up in a recent Peter Gammons column (subs. req’d) about the state of pitching development. From Gammons:

With the evolution of the six-to-20-out pitchers comes one of the most fascinating parts of this era: namely how pitchers learn and develop new pitches, deliveries and approaches. In some instances, they are starters, like Corbin Burnes and Kevin Gausman, who re-invent themselves into stardom. Sometimes it’s a reliever, like Clay Holmes or Mike King. Or, once in a while, it’s a junior at Southeast Louisiana like Will Warren last spring, who was throwing 91-92, changed his diet and body, got to 95-96, was drafted in the (eighth) round by the Yankees, learned one of the sweeper sliders in the Yanks’ Tampa pitching lab and now is one of the prizes of the Yankee system.

“Put it this way — if he were in this year’s draft, he might be the first pitcher taken,” says one Yankee scouting official.

There are a few ways to take the line that Warren “might be the first pitcher taken” if he were eligible for this year’s draft. It could just be someone with the Yankees pumping up their guy. That happens all the time, though I had someone tell me Anthony Volpe was Alex Bregman 2.0 soon after the 2019 draft. I didn’t buy it and now it looks dead on.

The official also could have been talking in the context of the 2022 draft class, which is cursed and has seen many of the top pitchers get hurt this spring (more have gotten hurt since I wrote that). Because of injuries, there is not a single college pitcher ranked among MLB.com’s top 18 draft prospects right now. That’s unheard of. In that case, yeah, maybe Warren really would be the first pitcher taken seeing how teams are starting to avoid high school pitchers.

Whatever. I’ve already spent too much time on that one throwaway line. The point I want to make is last year’s eighth round pick is breaking out. I don’t know what the numbers and the pitch data says, but visually, Warren’s stuff looks like Randy Vasquez’s (video). And also Hayden Wesneski’s (video). Beck Way’s too (video). And even Clarke Schmidt’s (video).

That’s not a coincidence. The Yankees seek out this profile. They teach running two-seamers and the sweeper, and crank out prospect arms to fill out the big league staff and use in trades. There’s definitely something to be said for variety and different styles, but when you have a strength, don’t ignore it, especially with pitchers. You need waves of these dudes.

Ken Waldichuk was more dominant with Hudson Valley last year (30.2 IP, 12 H, 0 R, 13 BB, 55 K) than Warren has been this year, and the Yankees bumped Waldichuk up after seven starts. I think Warren’s on a similar schedule. He’s made four starts already, so as long as things go well the next few times out, he could be with Double-A Somerset before the end of May.

Every season there seem to be a few of these breakout pitchers, guys who were barely on the radar a year or two ago and now suddenly throw harder and have the nastiest breaking ball of their life. We already know Warren is one this year. It looks like the Yankees got a steal in the eighth round and with a $150,000 bonus only four starts into Warren’s career.

3. 2022 draft prospect: Arkansas RHP Peyton Pallette. The 2022 MLB Draft will take place during the All-Star break and the Yankees hold the No. 25 pick. Here are the draft prospects we’ve already profiled. Some will be players the Yankees are reported to have interest in, some are players who fit the team’s M.O., and some are players I happen to like.

This draft class is cursed and Pallette is one of the many projected first round pitchers to have Tommy John surgery in recent weeks. He made four relief appearances as a freshman during the shortened pandemic season two years ago, and last season he threw 56 innings (11 starts and four relief appearances) with a 4.02 ERA and 67 strikeouts against 20 walks.

Pallette was shut down with elbow trouble last May, and when he started to ramp up for this season in fall ball, his elbow acted up again. He had his Tommy John surgery in late January or early February, putting him on track to return to game action sometime in the middle of next year. Here are Pallette’s current draft rankings:

• Baseball America (subs. req’d): No. 33
• FanGraphs: No. 36
• Keith Law (subs. req’d): Not in top 30
• MLB.com: No. 30

Injured pitchers get drafted in the first round all the time and the Yankees themselves have done it with Andrew Brackman (2007) and Clarke Schmidt (2017). Tommy John surgery isn’t foolproof but elbows are generally fixable. Teams are willing to roll the dice on these players. Here’s video and here’s a snippet of MLB.com’s free scouting report:

His quick arm produces fastballs that sit at 93-95 mph and climb as high as 99 with riding action, though they generated a surprisingly low 19 percent swing-and-miss rate last spring. His best pitch is a hammer 78-83 mph curveball with high spin rates and depth that confound both left-handers and right-handers.

Pallette also uses a changeup against lefties, and it's a bit firm in the upper 80s but he keeps it off barrels with some fade and sink … he'll need to repeat his mechanics more consistently to develop better than average control. He could profile as a No. 2 starter if he proves he can handle the workload.

I also want to note FanGraphs describes Pallette as “perhaps the best on-mound athlete among the 2022 college arms,” with “elite proclivity for spin, with his curveball bending in at a whopping 3,000 rpm.” Baseball America (subs. req’d) adds Pallette has “one of the more interesting pitch data profiles in the 2022 class with a three-pitch mix that excites many analysts.”

Pallette is frequently compared to Walker Buehler because they’re built similarly (6-foot-1ish and wiry) and very athletic, they came out of college with explosive analytics-friendly stuff, and they also had elbow trouble leading into the draft. Buehler didn’t have Tommy John surgery until after the draft, so Pallette is ahead of the curve there. He’s already a few weeks into his rehab.

Coming into the spring Pallette was in the conversation for the best college pitcher in the draft (just about everyone else in that conversation also had Tommy John surgery in recent weeks) and a projected top 10 pick. If you’re going to take an injured pitcher, you have to really like the kid, and Pallette might hit the sweet spot for the Yankees the same way Schmidt did a few years ago because his stuff checks all the boxes analytically.

4. Remembering a random Yankee: Anthony Claggett. By request, this week’s random Yankee is a pitcher with a) one of the highest ERAs in baseball history, and b) a 2009 World Series ring. Here’s the random Yankee archive. You can find links back to everyone we've covered there.

Claggett is a Southern California guy who went to UC Riverside and was drafted by the Tigers in the 11th round in 2005. He pitched very well as a reliever in 2006, throwing 60.1 innings with a 0.90 ERA in Low-A. After the season Detroit sent him to the Yankees with Kevin Whelan and random Yankee Humberto Sanchez in the Gary Sheffield trade.

“This trade allows us to add three quality arms to our system,” Brian Cashman told Jack Curry following the deal. “I wish Gary Sheffield and his family all the best as they move forward.”

The Yankees made Claggett a starter in 2007 and he had some success in that role, throwing 112.1 innings with a 3.69 ERA for High-A Tampa. The numbers were good, but Claggett’s stuff backed up a bit, so the Yankees put him back in the bullpen in 2008. That year he posted a 2.19 ERA in 61.2 innings split between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton.

Claggett, then 24, impressed enough to earn a 40-man roster spot in Nov. 2008, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. Baseball America (subs. req’d) ranked him the No. 26 prospect in the farm system heading into 2009. Here’s a chunk of their scouting report:

Claggett's fastball lacks the pure velocity desired of a closer, but he sinks the ball effectively while still sitting at 91-92 mph, and he can reach back for more when he needs to. Better fastball command is essential for him to be more than just a middle reliever. He also needs to pitch inside to set up his calling card--a plus 84-85 mph slider with good depth. He added a changeup when he was starting and it has some fade to it, grading out as average. His starting experience also primed him for longer relief outings, and just five of his 30 outings in 2008 went for one inning or less.

Sheffield hit his 500th career home run on April 17th, 2009 (video). The next day Claggett was called up to the big leagues for the first time because the Yankees needed a fresh arm. They gave up 15 runs to the Rays on April 13th and 10 runs to Cleveland on April 16th, in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium. The bullpen was wearing it early that season.

“It’s kind of weird. He hits a milestone and I become a rookie," Claggett told Tyler Kepner about getting called up following Sheffield’s 500th homer. He added the token “this is as good as it gets” when asked about being a big leaguer.

April 18th was the final day of the Cleveland series and it was a disaster. Chien-Ming Wang and his messed up shoulder started and allowed eight runs in 1.1 innings. He faced 12 batters, retired four, and exited with a runner on first and one out in the second inning. The Yankees were down 7-2. Joe Girardi brought in Claggett for his MLB debut, hoping he’d chew up some innings.

Instead, Claggett turned in one of the worst relief performances in team history. Here’s how the rest of the second inning played out once Claggett entered the game:

• Travis Hafner double.
• Jhonny Peralta double (two runs score).
• Shin-Soo Choo walk.
• Ryan Garko single to load the bases.
• Ben Francisco strikeout.
• Asdrubal Cabrera grand slam.
• Grady Sizemore home run.
• Mark DeRosa strikeout.

Claggett allowed the runner he inherited from Wang to score, and then six runs of his own. He wasn’t done yet either. Claggett went out for the third inning and allowed another run on a single (Peralta), a walk (Choo), and a single (Garko), all with two outs. Girardi then sent Claggett out to start the fourth inning. A Cabrera single and a Sizemore double later, he was out of the game.

Random Yankee Edwar Ramirez entered the game and allowed Cabrera to score but stranded Sizemore, closing the book on Claggett. The line on his MLB debut: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR. He needed 60 pitches to get five outs and he contributed to a 14-run (!) second inning (video). The Yankees eventually lost the game 22-4. It was the fourth time in franchise history the Yankees allowed 20 runs in a game (they haven’t done it since).

“I hit the home run (earlier in the second inning against Wang) and then we had a grand slam,” Choo told Howie Kussoy after the game. “Everybody just got hit, hit, hit. I sat on the bench and had a second at-bat. It was just a good time.”

Claggett was returned to Triple-A after the game and he stayed there most of the rest of the season (3.07 ERA in 82 innings). He did briefly rejoin the Yankees in August, allowing two runs in an inning against the Red Sox on Aug. 6th. Claggett was not given a Sept. call up, and in fact he was designated for assignment on Sept. 14th to clear a 40-man roster spot for postseason pinch-runner Freddy Guzman. The Pirates claimed Claggett on waivers soon thereafter.

So, all told, Claggett allowed 10 runs in 2.2 innings across two appearances as a Yankee. Here are the highest ERAs in Yankees history (min. one out recorded):

1. Art Goodwin, 1905: 81.00 ERA (3 ER in 0.1 IP)
2. Danny Burawa, 2015: 54.00 ERA (4 ER in 0.2 IP)
3. Jim Lewis, 1982: 54.00 ERA (4 ER in 0.2 IP)
4. Random Yankee Tim Redding, 2005: 54.00 ERA (6 ER in 1 IP)
5. Random Yankee Mike Zagurski, 2013: 54.00 ERA (2 ER in 0.1 IP)
6. Tony Fossas, 1999: 36.00 ERA (4 ER in 1 IP)
7. Anthony Claggett, 2009: 33.75 ERA (10 ER in 2.2 IP)

Claggett also has the seventh highest WHIP in franchise history (5.625). He faced 23 batters as a Yankee and retired only eight, and opponents hit .579/.652/.1.053 against him. Claggett joined the Pirates in time to make an appearance before the end of 2009, and he allowed a run in one inning. That proved to be his final MLB appearance.

To date 10,253 men have thrown at least three innings in the big leagues. Only six have a higher career ERA than Claggett:

1. Lewis, 1890: 60.00 ERA (20 ER in 3 IP)
2. Dave Davidson, 2007-09: 30.00 ERA (10 ER in 3 IP)
3. Donald Reeves, 1938-41: 29.70 ERA (11 ER in 3.1 IP)
4. Steve Dixon, 1993-94: 28.80 ERA (16 ER in 5 IP)
5. Jim Brady, 1956: 28.42 ERA (20 ER in 6.1 IP)
6. Anthony Claggett, 2009: 27.00 ERA (11 ER in 3.2 IP)

Lewis is a bit of an urban legend. He definitely existed and he played for the 1890 Buffalo Bisons in the old Players League, but not much is known about him (not even his full name). Supposedly the Bisons were short on arms during a series in Brooklyn, a fan named Lewis told manager Jack Rowe he could pitch, so Rowe pulled him out of the stands and put him on the mound. The Sporting Life called Lewis a “much disgusted ball tosser.”

Anyway, Claggett spent 2010-11 in Double-A and Triple-A with the Pirates before suiting up for five different independent teams from 2012-15. These days Claggett is a successful college pitching coach who has worked his way up from the junior college level to Division I. He spent two seasons with New Mexico State and has been with Washington State since 2020.

5. Rapid fire thoughts. Jim Callis has the 2022 draft bonus pools. The Yankees have the fifth smallest pool at $6,425,100. Such is life when you pick near the end of the first round and don’t have any extra picks. Slot for the No. 25 pick, their first rounder, is $2,879,300. I’ve added the individual slot values to the master 2022 draft post. I link to that in the intro of every 2022 draft prospect blurb, if you’re ever looking for it … The Yankees signed Derek Dietrich to a minor league deal a few weeks ago and he is with Double-A Somerset, not Triple-A Scranton. He is 11-for-35 (.314) with three homers in nine games. A big league veteran like him could have gone to Double-A and sulked (in which case the Yankees would have released him, no need to deal with that negative energy). Instead, Dietrich has taken on a leadership role. Matt Kardos has a good story on that. Anthony Volpe celebrated his 21st birthday last week and had a party at his parent’s house, and Dietrich showed up. “I was teasing the guys that I had to clear it with HR to go to Volpe’s 21st birthday. We had a good time. We had some cake and dessert. It’s fun because I remember the really good veterans and older guys that played the game when I was coming up and I remember how they treated me. Guys showed me how to go about my business the right way and I was always grateful for that so I am enjoying having that opportunity, even if it is for a few weeks or however long it is,” Dietrich told Kardos. Neat story … And finally, the Mets designated Robbie Cano for assignment yesterday as part of their moves to get their roster down to 26 players. I don’t think any team will sign him, but I thought the same about Albert Pujols last season, and he wound up with the Dodgers of all teams. Any chance for a Cano reunion? I would bet heavily against it. The Yankees already have too many DHs and second basemen. The galaxy brain plan would be sending Gleyber Torres to Triple-A and platooning Cano with Josh Donaldson (who’s hit righties much better than lefties in the early going), with DJ LeMahieu moving between positions as necessary. I just can’t see it. Cano looks cooked and the Yankees want nothing to do with the circus that would follow. If he is done, Cano will retire as a .302/.352/.490 (125 wRC+) hitter with 2,632 hits, 335 homers, and +69.1 WAR. That’s a first ballot Hall of Fame resume at second base, but Cano has basically zero shot at Cooperstown after two performance-enhancing drug suspensions. Does Robbie get an invite to Old Timers’ Day somewhere down the line? I’d like to think so. I’ll miss the heck out of that sweet swing.

(Send your requests for Tuesday's random Yankee series and questions for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com.)