August 9th, 2019: Orioles, Torres, Panik, Catchers, Outfielders, Paxton, Iowa, AzFL, Mailbag

For the 12th time in franchise history (and only the second time in the last 58 years), the Yankees have won 76 of their first 115 games. They are on a rampage right now. What a fun season this has been. Anyway, here are today's thoughts as we all race to the bat rack to get some swings in against the Orioles.

1. Orioles dominance. The Yankees' dominance of the Orioles this season is absolutely comical. They are 12-2 against the O's and have outscored them 104-60. They've outscored them by 3.1 runs per game, on average. As a team, the Yankees have hit .301/.386/.642 (164 wRC+) against Baltimore, which is more or less what Nelson Cruz is hitting right now (.294/.384/.650 and 164 wRC+). The Yankees have had nine Nelson Cruzes in the lineup whenever they've played the Orioles this year. The home runs too. My gosh. More Yankees players have hit home runs against the Orioles this season (17) than Orioles players have hit home runs period (15). Also, the Yankees have hit more homers against the O's this season than any team has hit against any other team in a single season in baseball history. The top five:

1. 2019 Yankees vs. Orioles: 52 homers
2. 1956 Yankees vs. Athletics: 49 homers
3. 2017 Yankees vs. Orioles: 46 homers
4. 1956 Reds vs. Dodgers: 44 homers
5. 2012 Yankees vs. Red Sox and 1958 Giants vs. Dodgers: 43 homers

Two years ago the Yankees scored 154 runs against the Orioles, the most runs any team has scored against any other team in a single season in baseball history. Now the Yankees hold the runs scored and home run records, with both coming against the O's. Wild. And remember, the Yankees and Orioles still have four -- four! -- games remaining this year. They'll play four games in three days at Yankee Stadium starting Monday (doubleheader Monday). There's a very real chance the Yankees will hit 60+ homers against the Orioles this season. Sixty homers against one team is *insane*. That it is even a possibility blows my mind. The Yankees swept the season series at Camden Yards and have won 15 straight games in Baltimore dating back to last year. Remember that weird narrative last year that the Yankees couldn't beat the Orioles? They dropped three of four to the O's in early April last season, then went 11-4 against them the rest of the way, and are now 12-2 against them this year, including 15 straight wins at Camden Yards. Good teams are supposed to beat bad teams, and the Yankees have taken that to the extreme against the Orioles this season. What a blast. Hard to believe there's a team out there with a worse record than the O's (38-76), isn't it? (The Tigers are 34-78.)

2. Gleyber's injury. Is injury even the right word at this point? Gleyber Torres left Sunday night's game with a feeling he told Pete Caldera was "something different, something weird" to the right of his belly button. An ultrasound revealed nothing, so Torres played Monday (at DH) and again Tuesday (at second base). He left Tuesday's game with what I assume was a similar feeling in his abdomen, and additional tests revealed nothing, so he remains on the active roster. He's fine, but he's not fine at the same time. It's very weird. "This is a day-to-day thing, a couple of days where you keep him out. Once we put him back in, like last time, he is not restricted. Once we feel like he is ready to go back, we’ll look at him as a regular," Aaron Boone told George King following Wednesday's game. If you've read RAB long enough, you know I tend to be ultra-conservative with injuries, so I wish the Yankees would give Gleyber a quick little ten-day break on the injured list just to make sure this doesn't pop up again and he doesn't turn it into something more serious by playing. The Yankees have a huge AL East lead, so in that sense they can afford to play without Torres for a few days. On the other hand, they are neck-and-neck with the Dodgers and Astros for the best record in baseball (the Yankees have the best record by percentage points at the moment), and I really want the Yankees to secure homefield advantage throughout the postseason, or at the very least through the ALCS. It's a tough balance. Play shorthanded for a few days and get Torres back, or send him to the injured list with the big picture in mind? Maybe this would be an easier decision if so many other key position players (Edwin Encarnacion, Gary Sanchez, Giancarlo Stanton, Luke Voit) weren't on the injured list and the lineup were better able to withstand ten days without Gleyber. Well, whatever. The Yankees are keeping him on the active roster, so hopefully Torres comes through whatever this weird injury -- "injury" -- is, and is able to continue crushing it the rest of the season. Gleyber's an important part of the Yankees and I'd hate to see them lose him longer term because they took the day-to-day approach with a seemingly minor issue in early August.

3. Panik move. The Giants designated second baseman Joe Panik for assignment earlier this week and he will clear release waivers later today. (No team is claiming him given his $3.8M salary.) Back in the day the Yankees wanted Panik in an Andrew Miller trade, but San Francisco said no. Now he'll be available for the pro-rated league minimum and the Yankees kinda sorta have an injured infielder given Gleyber Torres' weird abdominal feeling. You can connect the dots and see a possible fit. Panik hit .235/.310/.317 (69 wRC+) in 103 games before the Giants cut him loose, and, dating back to 2016, he has a .256/.322/.369 (86 wRC+) line in nearly 1,900 plate appearances. The underlying numbers are awful ...

... and Panik's dealt with a bunch of injuries over the years too. The Yankees wanted Panik back in 2016, when he still looked like a good up-and-coming young player. Now he's two months away from his 29th birthday and it's been three years since he was even league average. On one hand, Breyvic Valera is a perfectly cromulent utility guy, and the Yankees have Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade stashed in Triple-A. On the other hand, August trade waivers no longer exist, so any additions have to come through free agency (or minor league trades). Looking for infield depth? Panik is probably as good as it gets this month. The Yankees could sign him and send Valera back to Triple-A, and add that extra piece of infield depth in case injuries continue to pile up. (What if the Torres thing gets worse?) Not the most exciting idea, I know, but the Yankees have an open 40-man roster spot and Panik will cost nothing. It's worth considering. Of course, Panik has a say in this too, and he'll probably sign with a team willing to put him in the lineup as much as possible. The Mets just lost Robinson Cano to a torn hamstring, so there's a natural fit there. Panik needs to play to have any shot at rebuilding his stock and getting his career on track, and I don't see much playing time for him with the Yankees barring another injury. The Yankees had interest in Panik three years ago and they could make it work with their roster now. The Yankees probably are not a good fit for Panik though. He needs to play. (With the way things are going this year, Panik would probably hit like Jose Altuve as soon as he puts on the pinstripes.)

4. Catchers raking. Austin Romine turning into Gary Sanchez whenever Gary Sanchez goes on the injured list will never not be weird. Every time Sanchez goes down, Romine starts raking. It is uncanny. Kyle Higashioka has been crushing the ball lately too. It's like the Yankees are immune to having bad starting catchers. Here's how the Romine and Higashioka tandem compare to the catching units for the other 29 teams since Gary went on the shelf:

• AVG: .339 (second -- Reds are first at .340)
• OBP: .367 (sixth)
• SLG: .804 (first -- Dodgers are second at .688)
• wRC+: 194 (first -- Diamondbacks are second at 168)
• HR: 7 (first)

Sanchez going on the injured list and the Yankees still having the best hitting catcher(s) in baseball is an extremely 2019 Yankees thing. Gary played his second rehab game with Triple-A Scranton last night and he's scheduled to rejoin the Yankees this weekend -- today will be a travel/rest day and he's expected back in the lineup tomorrow -- and as good as Romine and Higashioka have been, thank goodness Sanchez is coming back soon. There's no reason to believe Romine and Higashioka will keep this up, and the sooner Gary gets back in the lineup, the sooner he gets locked in, and the more he helps the Yankees. Major props to Romine and Higashioka for holding things down these last two weeks. They were awesome. I'm ready for Sanchez -- and all the other injured dudes -- to come back so the Yankees can start getting closer to full strength.

5. Outfielders raking. On a similar note, holy cow the replacement outfielders have been out of this world good this season. The Yankees picked up Mike Tauchman at the end of Spring Training because Aaron Hicks was hurt and they needed a true fourth outfielder. Clint Frazier was called up because Giancarlo Stanton got hurt and he stuck around because Aaron Judge got hurt too. Cameron Maybin came over in what was essentially an emergency trade after Frazier joined Hicks, Stanton, and Judge on the injured list. Look at what those three have done this year:

That is roughly a full season's worth of plate appearances, and that trio has collectively performed like an All-Star. Nolan Arenado is hitting .306/.366/.542 with +3.5 fWAR this year. The Yankees have received Nolan Arenado caliber production from their three injury replacement outfielders, two of whom were not in the organization as recently as mid-March. At least on the position player side, everything the Yankees touch this season turns to gold. The replacements have been incredible, whether it's the outfielders or Gio Urshela at third base or the catchers while Gary Sanchez is down. This has been such a special season and, truth be told, injury replacements playing this well is one of those things that happens to World Series winning teams. When you win a championship, it's usually because the best case scenario plays out all over the roster, and it is certainly happening with the replacement players, particularly in the outfield. "They have been impact players for us and do it on both sides of the  ball. It has come in a lot of big situations. I don’t know how many more ways we can describe it," Aaron Boone told George King following last night's win.

6. Paxton's adjustment. Once again, James Paxton emphasized his cutter and curveball while scaling back on his four-seamer during Wednesday's start. Paxton made the adjustment after getting blasted in Boston two weeks ago. (I mentioned the adjustment as something he should probably do.) Here are the pitch usage numbers quick:

Paxton has thrown nearly as many changeups in his last two starts (five) as in his first 18 starts combined (six), so maybe he's trying to work that pitch in a little more as well. Point is, the fastball usage is down and the cutter and curveball usage is up. Paxton is messing with the hitter's timing now, something he wasn't doing previously. Here's what he told Lindsey Adler (subs. req'd) about the decision to throw more curveballs:

“Guys can kind of cover both those pitches with the same bat speed,” Paxton said of his fastball and cutter combination. “They can kinda take my fastball and hit it away, or they can catch it a bit more out front with the cutter. Throwing a curveball that comes in at 80 to 83 just makes them respect a different pitch speed so they have the thought in the back of their mind that, ‘Oh, this might be slow,’ which can make them late on my fastball.” 

Following that start in Fenway Park, opponents were hitting .313 with a .259 ISO against Paxton's four-seamer. That just wasn't going to work. Something had to be done and something has been done, and the results have followed. Now that he's done it two starts in a row, it seems Paxton will stick with what amounts to a 50/50 fastball/non-fastball split for the time being. Eventually the book will get out and hitters will start expecting more curveballs, and, when that happens, he can go back to leaning on the mid-to-upper-90s fastball. Worry about that when the time comes. Paxton has been a disappointment this year overall -- even after these last two starts, he's sitting on a 4.61 ERA (4.32 FIP) -- but at least now we can see signs of progress. An adjustment has been made and the early returns are promising. Given the team's decision to not add pitching help at the trade deadline, the Yankees need Paxton to be more than back of the rotation fodder. For the first time since the knee injury, it looks like he can be more than that.

7. Iowa trip. In case you missed it yesterday, MLB announced the Yankees and White Sox will play a game in Iowa next season (August 13th to be exact). Anthony Castrovince says a temporary 8,000-seat ballpark will be built in the Dyersville corn field where "Field of Dreams" was filmed (ballpark rendering). Here's more from Castrovince:

Played on a Thursday, the game will be considered a White Sox home date, followed by a Friday off-day before the two clubs resume their three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on that Saturday.

...

The design of the ballpark in Dyersville, including the shape of the outfield and the bullpens beyond the center-field fence, will pay homage to Comiskey Park, which was home of the White Sox from 1910-90. The right-field wall will include windows to show the cornfields beyond the ballpark, which will overlook the movie set. 

MLB did something similar three years ago, when they built a 12,500-seat ballpark for a Braves vs. Marlins game at Fort Bragg. That park was converted into a multi-use facility following the game. I guess they're just going to tear down the Iowa ballpark? Not sure. Iowa is sorta no man's land for a baseball fan. Six teams -- six! -- are blacked out on MLB.tv in Iowa (Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Royals, Twins, White Sox) because it is centrally located and considered part of so many markets. The Cubs have their Triple-A club in Des Moines, so I guess that makes them the No. 1 team in the state. MLB is sending the White Sox to Iowa because Shoeless Joe Jackson was featured so prominently in "Field of Dreams," apparently. Kinda weird considering he was banned from baseball because he took money to throw the World Series, but whatever. Anyway, I enjoy MLB's barnstorming tour and these alternate site games -- I loved the London Series even though it was over the top offensively -- and I think it's a great thing overall that MLB is bringing the game to places where fans don't have access to big league baseball. If you live in Dubuque, Iowa, where the game will be played next year, you're nearly 200 miles away from the closest MLB park. The more people who can experience and enjoy baseball, the better. I think the Iowa trip will be pretty fun and it'll break up the monotony of the dog days of August.

8. AzFL assignments. Sometime soon the 2019 Arizona Fall League rosters will be announced. They are usually announced in late September, but MLB moved the AzFL season up this year, so I imagine the rosters will be announced earlier. The AzFL season runs from September 17th to October 27th this year. Previously the season started in mid October and ran through late November. Moving the season up means players don't have to sit around a few weeks between the end of the minor league regular season and the start of the AzFL season. Also, MLB removed player eligibility restrictions for the AzFL this year. Under the old rules each organization could only send one player who spent the regular season below Double-A to the AzFL. Everyone else had to play at Double-A or Triple-A. Now anyone can go. Sensible changes, I think. With all that in mind, here are a few Yankees prospects who stand out as AzFL candidate this year:

• C Josh Breaux: Hasn't played since May due to an elbow injury. Not sure if he'll be healthy in time for the AzFL, but, if he is, he's an obvious candidate.
• OF Estevan Florial: He missed the first two months of the season with a broken wrist and needs to make up for those lost at-bats.
• SS Kyle Holder: Slick-fielding shortstop is having a solid Double-A season and I think the Yankees may give him a chance to build on it.
• RHP Mike King: No-brainer. He returned from the stress reaction in his elbow last month and needs to get innings under his belt.
• RHP Brooks Kriske: The AzFL gives the Yankees more time to evaluate the breakout bullpen prospect before the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline.
• RHP Glenn Otto: Missed almost all of last year (blood clot surgery) plus another two months this year (unknown injury). He needs innings.
• RHP Clarke Schmidt: Missed time with an unknown injury and needs innings. He's at 68.2 innings now and I bet the Yankees want to get him to 100-120.

Yankees prospects will suit up for the Surprise Saguaros with Orioles, Nationals, Rangers, and Royals prospects this season. One organization sending multiple starting pitchers to the AzFL is pretty rare (it's usually one per organization), so King and Schmidt is unlikely, unless the Yankees are comfortable letting one pitch out of the bullpen. That is possible. Back in 2016, James Kaprielian started while Dillon Tate pitched in relief in the AzFL. Top pitching prospects like Deivi Garcia and Luis Gil aren't AzFL candidates because they're on track to hit their workload limits (whatever they may be) during the regular season. Kids like Antonio Cabello, Jasson Dominguez, Ryder Green, Everson Pereira, and Anthony Volpe are too young for the AzFL. Even with the roster restrictions lifted, I don't think the AzFL is an appropriate place for them at this point in their careers. They're better off spending September in Instructional League. Inevitably, a few AzFL assignments go to roster filler types each season -- who had Jordan Foley and Hobie Harris going last year? -- but, among actual prospects, the players listed above stand out as AzFL candidates.

Mailbag Question of the Week

Ben asks (short version): Is there a reason why the team seems to hesitant to bring up Thairo Estrada? Is this a service time manipulation move, or is there some negative part of his game that I’m missing?

Estrada was very good in his limited time with the Yankees earlier this year. He hit .280/.321/.520 (117 wRC+) with three homers in 54 plate appearances and handled himself well defensively, even when thrown into the outfield on an emergency basis. It was a strong first impression.

My guess -- and this is just a guess -- is the Yankees want Thairo playing everyday after what was essentially a season lost to injury last year. The big league infield was stacked (Edwin Encarnacion, Didi Gregorius, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Luke Voit, Gio Urshela) most of the summer and there was no reasonable way to get Estrada into the lineup.

Now thought? Encarnacion and Voit are on the injured list, and Torres is dealing with that mystery abdominal injury. The Yankees could put LeMahieu at first and give Torres some time at DH to get him off his feet, or simply rotate Estrada all around the infield as part of a grand "rest everyone for October" plan. It's doable. The playing time is there.

Estrada has been fine with Triple-A Scranton this year, hitting .276/.326/.462 (97 wRC+) in 55 games, though I don't think the performance matters much. I think the decision to keep him in Triple-A is about regular playing time. With Torres seemingly okay, the Encarnacion and Voit injuries aren't enough to get Thairo into the lineup. Don't love it, but it is what it is.

Bonus Mailbag Question of the Week

Bill asks: Is German eligible for the ROY? If so does he have any kind of shot? Thanks!

Domingo German is not Rookie of the Year eligible this season. He exceeded both the innings pitched (50) and service time (45 days outside September) rookie thresholds last year. German threw 85.2 innings last season and he came into this season with one year and 17 days (1.017) of service time. Alas, he is not Rookie of the Year eligible. 

Also, Mike Tauchman is not Rookie of the Year eligible either. The YES Network included Tauchman in a rookie leaderboard graphic during last night's broadcast, but he exceeded the rookie service time limit with the Rockies last year. The Yankees' best Rookie of the Year candidate is, uh, Nestor Cortes? Yeah, probably Cortes. This will be the first time since 2015 the Yankees don't have a top-two finisher in the Rookie of the Year voting.

• 2016: Gary Sanchez was the runner-up to Michael Fulmer.
• 2017: Aaron Judge won the award unanimously.
• 2018: Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres finished second and third behind Shohei Ohtani, respectively.

Pretty good chance no Yankee will receive Rookie of the Year votes this season. (The last time that happened was 2015.) Hopefully Deivi Garcia can get the Yankees back in the mix next year.

(Send your mailbag questions to RABmailbag at gmail dot com.)