And We're Underway!

Well, almost. Unless you are a Yankees fan, chances are your team has already played at least one game. This is my final post before the Yankees begin the 2012 season. With this post, I would like to break down the Yankees starting rotation and predict how they will perform in the upcoming season.

The Yankees starting five are established, professional, and ready to bring home a twenty-eighth championship. Tomorrow, C.C. Sabathia will square off against James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays to begin the Yankees 2012 campaign. Match-ups like the one tomorrow is why I watch baseball. Last year, the two matched up against one-another and it was C.C. who prevailed in a 1-0 shutout complete game win at the stadium. I'm hoping that a slimmer C.C. outperforms Shields once more on what is perhaps, the most pressured game of the regular season.

With that, I will make my win-loss prediction for the Yankees starting rotation.

C.C. Sabathia: 20-7, 2.95 ERA
Sabathia is poised for another Cy Young caliber season with a full season of keeping excess weight off. He is the easiest to predict because he has been so consistent throughout his career.

Hiroki Kuroda: 14-8, 3.45 ERA
The transition from the National League to the American League East is never easy, especially for a pitcher. However, Kuroda's stuff can be nasty and the American League has not seen him outside inter-league play.

Phil Hughes: 17-10, 3.80 ERA
After a down season in 2011, Hughes is determined to prove that he still has it. With a better physique and improved conditioning, expect Hughes to come back in a big way, with a career low in ERA.

Ivan Nova: 13-10, 4.15 ERA
Nova had a terrible spring, leaving people wondering whether his rookie campaign was a bust. He will struggle at times, but I believe that he still has the competitive edge to make it through struggles that he may encounter along the way. I love Nova's stuff. He has a nasty slider and a great curveball, and I love his confidence.

Michael Pineda: 11-9, 4.10 ERA
After suffering a minor shoulder injury that will keep Pineda out of the rotation for his first couple of turns, I expect him to come back with a higher fastball velocity. However, I expect him to face some growing pains in his second full season in the majors. Coming from the AL West to the AL East is not an easy transition. That's why I only expect him to win about 11 games with a slightly elevated ERA.

Beginning tomorrow before game time, I will post the lineups. I will try to do this before every game, as well as writing a commentary for postgames.

This concludes my Hot Stove season. I hope you've enjoyed reading my outlooks and predictions. Let's hope for a successful 2012 season for the Bronx Bombers!