After years of disappointing young pitchers, Nova gives Yankees a bright spot
The New York Yankees have never been a franchise that has gone the youth movement route. They have desired to win, with a ‘win now’ and ‘championship or bust’ mindset. Amidst this, they did look to their farm system for help a few years ago, a rarity for a franchise that has mainly relied on high-priced veterans. Among the young players were pitchers Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, and Joba Chamberlain.
Kennedy struggled in 2008, his only full season with New York. He allowed 36 runs and 26 walks in 37 innings as a starter. He was just 23, but the Yankees had him on a short leash and decided to trade the right-hander to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a 2009 three-team deal that brought multi-faceted outfielder Curtis Granderson in from Detroit.
Granderson is having a tremendous 2011, and is in the conversation for MVP. Kennedy, meanwhile, leads the National League with 17 wins and is a Cy Young candidate. It has turned out to be an excellent deal for the Yankees, but New York certainly wasn’t patient enough with the now 26-year-old ace.
Hughes, once a prized prospect like Kennedy, hasn’t had his success. He, along with Kennedy, was a believed to be a piece to the future puzzle. He was so highly thought of that they wouldn’t give him up in a deal for available Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana in 2007. He is still with New York and won 18 games in 2009, but overall it has been a struggle, losing velocity gradually since that superb season while displaying a great deal of inconsistency on the mound. The 25-year-old has a mediocre 4.49 ERA in almost five seasons of work.
Chamberlain, another highly regarded pitcher they were reluctant to include, has pitched fairly well in his career, most notably out of the bullpen, but had to undergo the dreaded Tommy John Surgery in June and hasn’t pitched since.
With one pitcher gone and the other two listed as question marks going forward, New York put stock in another young pitcher, Ivan Nova. The 24-year-old Dominican right-hander hasn’t disappointed, equipped with a fastball full of life and surprisingly polished offspeed pitches. Finally, after years of hoping for youthful success on the mound, New York has a baby-faced bright spot shutting down the opposition and climbing up the rotation’s ladder.
He has had a few slip-ups in this his rookie season, but all in all he has been the Yankees second-best pitcher, trailing only CC Sabathia–and not by much. New York need a win the worst way Sunday night, having lost the series’ previous two to Baltimore, and he delivered with an excellent pitching performance, striking out seven Orioles in seven innings for his 14th win.
He has just four losses to his name, and New York has won his past 11 starts and 15 of his last 18 dating back to May 1st. He has gone 12-2 over that span, and has drawn praise from his battery mate, Russell Martin, among other teammates, along the way.
“He always had a good curveball, but the pitch that has gotten better as we went along is the slider,” Martin said, as documented by Metro. “I don’t know why it’s better. I don’t know if it’s the way it’s coming out of his hand or if he’s generating more arm speed. I’m not the pitching coach, but it’s coming out sharp and hitters are having a hard time recognizing it and that’s why they’re swinging and missing at it.”
Nova’s repertoire impresses, as does his demeanor. He hasn’t seemed fazed by tight situations.
“A lot of pitchers get frustrated and a lot of guys will show emotion a little bit and then be able to overcome it,” Martin said after Nova tossed seven shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins. “He didn’t even look like it [the fifth-inning jam] bothered him, he just got the ball. I think his teammates appreciate that and it shows what kind of person he is.”
Nova has been able to calmly go about his business despite being under a constant spotlight and amidst high expectations in baseball’s biggest market. Not many can say that. Randy Johnson struggled in his stint with New York. Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano did, too. And A.J. Burnett continues to. There was a problem all four of these pitchers faced even before toeing the rubber in pinstripes: the pressure to live up to very lucrative contracts.
Nova is making only $432,000, a mere pittance in baseball, and it shows. He is free and easy, just trying to showcase his talent, collect victories, and help his team ultimately win. He has been a pleasant surprise, which can’t be said about many others on the pitching staff. He is good friends with Burnett, but he couldn’t be more different. He isn’t bothered by much. Errors may be committed behind him, walks may be issued, and his control may be off, but he remains composed. He knows he has a job to do and often does it superbly. His mindset is uncanny for someone so young, in such a market, and with the title of Number Two Starter.
“I think I’m a big part of this team and if we win the game, that’s all that matters,” he said.
He has the winner’s mentality necessary to keep succeeding, but a couple of big tests lie ahead: September and beyond. The Yankees need him to be at his best this coming month, in which he struggled to a 5.96 ERA over five starts last season. And, with only Sabathia ahead of him in the rotation, he will have to pitch well in his first postseason for New York to play deep into October–that is, if the Yankees make the playoffs.
Considering his inexperience, it is difficult to count on him under such circumstances, but considering his talent and persona, the 6’4″, 225-pounder certainly has the demeanor, mound presence, and repertoire to continue to be a bright spot and, after many disappointing attempts, give the franchise what its been after: a young ace.
