Although it took all 162 games, the Yankees made it to the postseason on the final day of the regular season. That’s not what they expected, but this was still an accomplishment and a ticket to the big dance for the fifth year in a row. And so, there was a lot of champagne spraying outside the Yankee Stadium home clubhouse last Sunday.
After everyone was drenched, the players crowded together for a team picture cheesing it up while proudly wearing their new T-shirt.
The “Built for October” jerseys told a lie.
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It takes a good team to win 92 games and get in the playoffs, but it was obvious watching the Yankees that they were a flawed team. They often were shut down by good pitching, and that’s what happened Tuesday night when their postseason ride was just 8 ½ innings of misery at Fenway Park. The Red Sox knocked the Yankees into the offseason with a convincing 6-2 win in the American League Wild Card Game.
This early exit was not surprising because the Yankees were hot and cold all season long. They were in danger of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1992 after starting the season 5-10 and sporting a 41-41 record after 82 games. On the flip side, they looked like the team to beat winning 22 of 31 games from April 22 to May 23 and 13 straight in August. In the end, like all roller coaster rides, the Yankees dipped down the final hill and came to a complete halt.
Now that it’s over, it’s time to hand out final report card grades.
If it was up to Aaron Judge, he’d probably pull out a red marker and give everyone an F. Judge sees things the way a lot of Yankees fans see things: Any season that doesn’t end with a World Series win is a failure.
That’s true, but there were some Yankees who deserve recognition for a job well done. A lot of others, stars included, didn’t pull their weight and must be called out.
Here are our grades:
MANAGER
AARON BOONE
Regular-season record: 92-70, 3rd in American League East; Won 2nd Wild Card
Postseason record: 0-1; Lost AL Wild Card Game to Red Sox.
The skinny: Boone’s contract is up and there will be speculation that he’s not returning until GM Brian Cashman addresses this issue publicly. Look for Boone to return with changes to his coaching staff. He deserves to return. In four seasons, Boone has been to the playoffs every year, and he’s the only one who can say that. Also, his .602 winning percentage is ninth-best all-time. This year, the Yankees won 92 games and a Wild Card berth with 34 players going on the injured list for a total of 48 stints. It’s on Boone that Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres don’t always hustle, but he doesn’t have the authority to get on players the way Joe Girardi did much less Billy Martin. And soak this in: All of Boone’s lineup and pitching decisions are very, very heavily influenced by analytics, so a manager change wouldn’t affect that unless Cashman’s philosophy changes.
Grade: B
* * *
POSITION PLAYERS
AARON JUDGE, RF
2021 stats: .287 average, 550 AB, 89 runs, 158 hits, 24 doubles, 39 HR, 98 RBI, 75 BB, 158 K, .916 OPS, 148 games.
The skinny: Judge finally avoided a major injury, and the result was a tremendous all-around season that is deserving of a top-5 finish in the AL MVP vote. Will it get Judge a $200 million extension? $300 million? Would the Yankees dare make like the Red Sox with Mookie Betts and trade the face of their franchise? Stay tuned.
Grade: A+
* * *
GIANCARLO STANTON, DH
2021 stats: .273 average, 510 AB, 64 runs, 139 hits, 19 doubles, 35 HR, 97 RBI, 63 BB, 157 K, .870 OPS, 139 games.
The skinny: Due to aging plus wear and tear, Stanton probably never will be what he was in Miami, but the 2021 version was very good and fun to watch because he hits the ball so hard. He’s still very streaky and often looks awful when he’s striking out in bunches, but most of his home runs were very clutch.
Grade: A
* * *
TYLER WADE, INF
2021 stats: .268 average, 127 AB, 31 runs, 34 hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple; 0 HR, 5 RBI, 17 SB, 6 CS, 16 BB, 37 K, .677 OPS, 26 games.
The skinny: This by far was Wade’s best season. Although starting just 35 games (at six positions), Wade led the Yankees in steals (with many coming in a pinch-running role) and he finally hit for a decent average, which isn’t easy to do without regular at-bats.
Grade: B
* * *
KYLE HIGASHIOKA, C
2021 stats: .181 average, 193 AB, 20 runs, 35 hits, 10 doubles, 20 HR, 29 RBI, 17 BB, 59 K, .635 OPS, 67 games.
The skinny: Don’t judge Higashioka on his low batting average. He hits for power, hits in the clutch and is one of the best No. 2 catchers in baseball. Gerrit Cole wants Higashioka as his personal catcher because his receiving skills are elite, not just better than Gary Sanchez’s.
Grade: B
* * *
DJ LEMAHIEU, INF
2021 stats: .268 average, 597 AB, 84 runs, 160 hits, 24 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 4 SB, 73 BB, 94 K, .711 OPS, 150 games.
The skinny: Everyone was on board last winter that the Yankees absolutely had to re-sign LeMahieu at any cost. The Yankees wound up paying more than they wanted giving LeMahieu $90 million over six years to ensure the 2020 batting champ wouldn’t sign with the upstart Blue Jays, who hit the jackpot settling for Marcus Semien. LeMahieu didn’t have a bad season and his September was affected by a sports hernia, but his numbers across the board were way down. The LeMahieu deal already doesn’t look great for the Yankees, and it could get a lot worse in years to come because he’ll be 34 next summer.
Grade: B-
* * *
GIO URSHELA, 3B/SS
2021 stats: .267 average, 420 AB, 42 runs, 112 hits, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 1 SB, 20 BB, 109 K, .720 OPS, 116 games.
The skinny: Urshela’s infield play was as stellar as ever, even in September when he played shortstop (and made a Jeter-like catch that people will be talking about for years). At the plate, his numbers dropped for the second year in a row. A reason for the decline was his .254 average against right-handed pitching compared to .293 versus lefties.
Grade: C+
* * *
LUKE VOIT, 1B
2021 stats: .239 average, 213 AB, 26 runs, 51 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 21 BB, 74 K, .764 OPS, 68 games.
The skinny: Who knew that the spring training knee soreness that supposedly was no big deal would lead to a knee surgery, three more injured list stints plus the 2020 home run champ losing his starting job in when Anthony Rizzo was acquired? Voit was productive when he played, but he may not be a starter next season even if Rizzo isn’t re-signed. Voit still has three years of team control, but the Yankees fear more injury problems and would prefer a better defensive first baseman. Voit being traded this winter wouldn’t be a big surprise.
Grade: C+
* * *
ANDREW VELAZQUEZ, SS
2021 stats: .224 average, 67 AB, 11 runs, 15 hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 SB, 1 BB. 23 K, .594 OPS, 26 games.
The skinny: Velazquez was the Yankees’ feel-good story of the season because he’s a Bronx native who came up from Triple-A to play some very good shortstop and make offensive contributions as a 10-year pro with limited big-league time. The Yankees showed how much they like Velazquez by starting him in the Wild Card Game.
Grade: C+
* * *
ANTHONY RIZZO 1B
2021 stats: .249 average, 173 AB, 32 runs, 43 hits, 7 doubles, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 2 SB, 16 BB, 109 K, .720 OPS, 21 games.
The skinny: Rizzo made a big splash for the Yankees right after joining them in a July 29 trade batting .400 with three homers and six RBI in his first six games, but after that he hit .229 with five homers and 15 RBI in 43 games. His defense at first base was consistently elite. It’s believed the Yankees would like to re-sign Rizzo, who is headed for free agency, but the money and term may scare them off. The Yanks probably wouldn’t come close to matching, let alone beating, the five years for $70 million that Rizzo reportedly rejected from the Cubs last March.
Grade: C
* * *
BRETT GARDNER, CF
2021 stats: .222 average, 387 AB, 47 runs, 86 hits, 16 doubles, 4 triples, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 60 BB, 200 K, .689 OPS, 140 games.
The skinny: Gardner was signed to be a fourth outfielder and wound up starting 113 games, 92 of them in center as a fill-in for Aaron Hicks. Gardner, 38, looked old and about done batting .195 through July, but he was one of the Yankees’ best players in the final two months when he hit .261 in 53 games with six homers, 22 RBI and a .351 on-base percentage. Gardner’s finish was so strong that wants to return next season, and the ball’s in his court because he has a $2.3 million player option for 2022 in his contract.
Grade: C-
* * *
MIGUEL ANDUJAR, 3B/LF
2021 stats: .253 average, 154 AB, 19 runs, 39 hits, 2 doubles, 6 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 28 K, .667 OPS, 49 games.
The skinny: Andujar did OK when he was healthy and playing some left field for the Yankees, but he’s never been the hitter that he was as a rookie star in 2018. A change of scenery is probably best for Andujar and the Yankees.
Grade: C-
* * *
GLEYBER TORRES, 2B/SS
2021 stats: .259 average, 459 AB, 50 runs, 119 hits, 22 doubles, 9 HR, 51 RBI, 14 SB, 6 CS, 50 BB, 104 K, .697 OPS, 127 games.
The skinny: Torres hit .306 over his final 35 games and was better defensively after his September move from shortstop to second base, but he still was a huge disappointment in so many areas. Torres no longer hits for power, he gets sloppy in the field and he doesn’t always run hard, which is inexcusable. These problems definitely could but probably won’t lead to an offseason trade.
Grade: D
* * *
GARY SANCHEZ, C
2021 stats: .204 average, 383 AB, 54 runs, 78 hits, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 23 HR, 54 RBI, 52 BB, 121 K, .730 OPS, 117 games.
The skinny: Sanchez was better in 2021 than he was in 2020, but that’s nothing to brag about because he barely hit .200 and his catching, despite what the Yankees keep saying, still fluctuates from below average to terrible. There’s no way the Yankees are going to sign Sanchez to a long-term contract before he can become a free agent following the 2022 season, so they might as well trade him this winter. The Yankees’ pitching would be better with Sanchez replaced by a good receiver to share the duties with Kyle Higashioka.
Grade: D
* * *
ROUGNED ODOR, 2B
2021 stats: .202 average, 322 AB, 42 runs, 65 hits, 12 doubles, 15 HR, 39 RBI, 27 BB, 100 K, .665 OPS, 102 games.
The skinny: Odor is popular with teammates and coaches because of his outgoing personality, but he’s as much as an all-or-nothing hitter as Joey Gallo. He hits a lot of home runs while batting for a low average, striking out a lot and his fielding at second and third is subpar.
Grade: D
* * *
JOEY GALLO, LF
2021 stats: .160 average, 188 AB, 33 runs, 30 hits, 7 doubles, 13 HR, 22 RBI, 37 BB, 88 K, .707 OPS, 58 games.
The skinny: The Yankees got the lineup balance that they wanted adding Gallo’s left-handed power at the trade deadline, but the last thing they needed was another low-average, high-strikeout guy. Actually, the Yankees wound up with a very low-average, very high-strikeout guy. In left field, Gallo flashed his 2020 Gold Glove skills making some diving catches, but he also made a couple of very costly defensive blunders. Overall, Gallo was such a disappointment that it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s traded this winter even though he’s controllable for another year and coming off a 38-homer season (counting 25 with Texas).
Grade: F
* * *
CLINT FRAZIER, LF
2021 stats: .186 average, 183 AB, 20 runs, 34 hits, 9 doubles, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 32 BB, 65 K, .633 OPS, 66 games.
The skinny: Frazier spent the first three months of the season making the Yankees look bad for handing him a starting job, then he was on the injured list for the final three months due to dizziness. This opportunity to play regular could be Frazier’s first and last for the Yankees. An offseason trade would be a strong possibility if Frazier was healthy.
Grade: F
* * *
AARON HICKS, CF
2021 stats: .194 average, 108 AB, 13 runs, 21 hits, 3 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 14 BB, 30 K, .627 OPS, 32 games.
The skinny: Hicks still has four seasons remaining on a seven-year, $70-million contract. In the first three years, Hicks had 22 homers and 71 RBI playing 145 of 385 games. Hicks was not good at all this season before being shut down by May due to season-ending wrist surgery.
Grade: F
* * *
CHRIS GITTENS, 1B
2021 stats: .111 average, 36 AB, 1 run, 4 hits, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 7 BB, 13 K, .444 OPS, 27 games.
The skinny: Gittens earned his first big-league opportunities by batting .301 with 14 homers in 45 Triple-A games, but the slugger was overmatched in most of his big-league at-bats, all but three of them coming in his 10 starts.
Grade: Incomplete
* * *
ESTEVAN FLORIAL, OF
2021 stats: 300 average, 20 AB, 3 runs, 6 hits, 2 doubles, 0 triple; 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 0 CS, 5 BB, 6 K, .990 OPS, 11 games.
The skinny: Florial made the most of his limited opportunities, which included seven starts in center, but the five-tool prospect often was passed over for a call-up for lesser talents such as Ryan LaMarre and Tim Locastro. Florial hit 17 homers in 87 Double-A and Triple-A games, but batted just .219 with 121 strikeouts in 347 at-bats. Florial, 23, is another guy who could be packaged in an offseason trade.
Grade: Incomplete.
* * *
GREG ALLEN, OF
2021 stats: .270 average, 37 AB, 9 runs, 10 hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple; 0 HR, 2 RBI, 5 SB, 0 CS, 5 BB, 5 K, .849 OPS, 22 games.
The skinny: The Yankees were 8-3 when Allen was up from Triple-A and starting 11 games from mid-July to early August during one of the team’s COVID outbreak. Allen was impressive during his stay. He runs well, plays a good outfield whether he’s in right, center or left, and he’ll use the whole field to slap hits.
Grade: Incomplete
* * *
RYAN LAMARRE, CF
2021 stats: .190 average, 21 AB, 3 runs, 4 hits, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 2 BB, 6 K, .768 OPS, 9 games.
The skinny: The highlight of LaMarre’s two call-ups from Triple-A was the walk-off hit that beat the Phillies in July.
Grade: Incomplete.
* * *
TIM LOCASTRO, OF
2021 stats: .217 average, 21 AB, 4 runs, 4 hits, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, .546 OPS, 9 games.
The skinny: Locastro brought some energy to the Yankees during his eight starts before his season ended abruptly on July 17 when he tore an ACL catching a flyball.
Grade: Incomplete.
* * *
STARTING PITCHERS
NESTOR CORTES, LHP
2021 stats: 2-3, 2.90 ERA, 22 games, 14 starts, 93 IP, 75 hits, 32 runs, 30 ER, 14 HR, 25 BB, 130 K.
The skinny: Cortes was the Yankees’ unsung hero this season. Nobody expected much from the lefty when he came up from Triple-A on May 30, and he ended up having a tremendous season, first as a long reliever and then from the Fourth of July on as a reliable starter. Cortes allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 11 of his 14 starts. Cortes continuously got quick hooks when he was in the midst of great outings. Blame that on analytics.
Grade: A
* * *
GERRIT COLE, RHP
2021 stats: 16-8, 3.23 ERA, 30 starts, 181.1 IP, 151 hits, 69 runs, 65 ER, 24 HR, 41 BB, 243 K.
The skinny: It was a tale of two seasons for Cole, who was 8-3 with a 2.33 ERA in his first 15 starts, then 8-5 with a 4.25 ERA in his last 15 (not counting his Wild Card Game disaster). The policing of pitchers adding sticky stuff to baseballs starting in June surely played a part in Cole’s second-half inconsistencies because his spin rate dropped significantly. No matter, Cole still is a co-favorite to win the AL Cy Young along with Blue Jays left-hander Robbie Ray.
Grade: B+
* * *
LUIS GIL, RHP
2021 stats: 1-1, 3.07 ERA, 6 starts, 29.1 IP, 20 hits, 11 runs, 10 ER, 4 HR, 19 BB, 38 K.
The skinny: Gil went from starting the season in Double-A to Triple-A to beginning his Major League career by working 15 2/3 scoreless innings, by most by a Yankees pitcher since 1961. Gil eventually went back to pitching in Triple-A because he had control problems in half of his Yankees’ starts.
Grade: B
* * *
JORDAN MONTGOMERY, LHP
2021 stats: 6-7, 3.83 ERA, 30 starts, 157.1 IP, 150 hits, 73 runs, 67 ER, 19 HR, 51 BB, 162 K.
The skinny: Aside from a few bad starts, including a 2 2/3-inning, seven-run start against the Rays on Oct. 2, Montgomery consistently shut down opponents. He allowed one-or-fewer earned runs in 14 of his 30 starts, three-or-fewer in 24 of 30.
Grade: B
* * *
JAMESON TAILLON, RHP
2021 stats: 8-6, 4.30 ERA, 29 starts, 144.1 IP, 130 hits, 73 runs, 69 ER, 24 HR, 44 BB, 140 K.
The skinny: Taillon had a poor first half in his return season from Tommy John surgery pitching to a 5.43 ERA in 15 starts through June 30, then he pitched to a 3.25 ERA in his next 14.
Grade: C+
* * *
COREY KLUBER, RHP
2021 stats: 5-3, 3.83 ERA, 16 starts, 80 IP, 74 hits, 37 runs, 34 ER, 8 HR, 33 BB, 82 K.
The skinny: The Yankees lost their $11-million gamble that Kluber would stay healthy after missing almost two full seasons. Kluber’s May 19 no-hitter at Texas was the best part of the Yankees’ season, but he left his next start with a shoulder injury that put him on the IL for two months. He returned to make six starts beginning Aug. 30, but only one was good, one was OK and the rest didn’t go well.
Grade: C
* * *
DOMINGO GERMAN, RHP
2021 stats: 4-5, 4.58 ERA, 22 games, 18 starts, 98.1 IP, 89 hits, 52 runs, 50 ER, 17 HR, 27 BB, 98 K.
The skinny: German never got on a consistent roll like he did in 2019 when he won 18 games before leaving the team in September due to a domestic violence incident that had him suspended for all of 2020. He pitched his way to a short Triple-A demotion at one point this season, plus he spent six weeks on the IL due to shoulder inflammation and finished the year as a seldom-used reliever.
Grade: C-
* * *
ANDREW HEANEY, LHP
2021 stats: 2-2, 7.32 ERA, 12 games, 5 starts, 35.2 IP, 38 hits, 29 runs, 29 ER, 13 HR, 10 BB, 37 K.
The skinny: Pitching for the Angels against the Yankees on June 29, Heaney was bombed for seven runs over three innings. That didn’t stop the Yanks from trading for Heaney on July 30. Bad move. Heaney was terrible with the Yankees except for his Aug. 18 win over Boston when he allowed one run over seven innings.
Grade: F
* * *
DEIVI GARCIA, RHP
2021 stats: 0-2, 6.48 ERA, 2 starts, 8.1 IP, 8 hits, 7 runs, 6 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 7 K.
The skinny: Garcia’s one bad and one mediocre start during early season call-ups to the Yankees was nothing compared to all the struggles that he had pitching to a 6.85 ERA in Triple-A. This lousy season has nosedived Garcia in the prospect rankings;
Grade: Incomplete
* * *
BULLPEN
JONATHAN LOAISIGA, RHP
2021 stats: 9-4, 2.17 ERA, 57 games, 70.2 IP, 56 hits, 19 runs, 17 ER, 3 HR, 16 BB, 69 K.
The skinny: Loaisiga emerged as one of the best relievers in the majors this season. He had 48 scoreless outings and 24 in which he recorded four-or-more outs, which ranked second in the majors behind the Red Sox’s Garrett Whitlock.
Grade: A+
* * *
CLAY HOLMES, RHP
2021 stats: 5-2, 1.61 ERA, 25 games, 28 IP, 18 hits, 8 runs, 5 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 34 K.
The skinny: The Yankees hit the jackpot trading on July 30 for Holmes, who had a 4.93 ERA and 25 walks in 42 innings with Pittsburgh. With much better control, Holmes became the dominating righty-on-righty reliever that the Yankees envisioned.
Grade: A
* * *
AROLDIS CHAPMAN, LHP
2021 stats: 6-4, 3.36 ERA, 30 saves, 61 games, 56.1 IP, 36 hits, 23 runs, 21 ER, 9 HR, 38 BB, 97 K.
The skinny: Chapman survived the worst slump of his career to finish strong, as he pitched to a 1.88 ERA with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 14 1/3 innings over 15 outings from Aug. 26 on.
Grade: B
* * *
CHAD GREEN, RHP
2021 stats: 10-7, 3.12 ERA, 67 games, 6 saves, 83.2 IP, 57 hits, 32 runs, 29 ER, 14 HR, 17 BB, 99 K.
The skinny: Green blew a few games, two to the Astros with villain Jose Altuve taking him deep in both, but his full resume reveals a workhorse who had another standout campaign.
Grade: B
* * *
LUCAS LUETGE, LHP
2021 stats: 4-2, 2.74 ERA, 57 games, 1 start, 72.1 IP, 67 hits, 30 runs, 22 ER, 6 HR, 15 BB, 78 K.
The skinny: Luetge went to spring training as a non-roster player who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2015, then won a spot on the Opening Day roster and went on to have a solid season allowing no runs in 42 of his 57 outings.
Grade: B
* * *
MICHAEL KING, RHP
2021 stats: 2-4, 3.55 ERA, 22 games, 6 starts, 63.1 IP, 57 hits, 29 runs, 25 ER, 6 HR, 24 BB, 52 K.
The skinny: King was a valuable multi-inning relief option before and after he spent two months on the injured list with a finger issue. He recorded at least four outs in his first 15 appearances, a first by a Yankee reliever since Ron Davis in 1980.
Grade: B
* * *
WANDY PERALTA, LHP
2021 stats: 3-3, 2.95 ERA, 46 games, 1 start, 42.2 IP, 38 hits, 19 runs, 14 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 35 K.
The skinny: The Yankees picked up a quality reliever giving up spare outfielder Mike Tauchman to get Peralta from the Giants on April 27. Only six of Peralta’s 33 inherited runners scored and 32 of his 45 outings were scoreless.
Grade: B
* * *
JOELY RODRIGUEZ, LHP
2021 stats: 1-0, 2.84 ERA, 21 games, 19 IP, 21 hits, 8 runs, 6 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 17 K.
The skinny: All but five of Rodriguez’s appearances with the Yankees were scoreless. He’s at his best in lefty-on-lefty situations, as he held them to a .203 average in 2021.
Grade: B
* * *
ALBERT ABREU, RHP
2021 stats: 2-0, 5.15 ERA, 28 games, 1 save, 36.2 IP, 27 hits, 21 runs, 21 ER, 8 HR, 19 BB, 35 K.
The skinny: Up and down from Triple-A 11 times, Abreu pitched a lot better for the Yankees than his stats suggest. He allowed 11 runs over 0.2 innings in his worst two outings and pitched to a 2.50 ERA in his other 26 appearances.
Grade: B-
* * *
DARREN O’DAY, RHP
2021 stats: 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 12 games, 10.2 IP, 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 11 K.
The skinny: O’Day mostly was effective in April before two injuries ruined his year, the last a hamstring tear that led to season-ending surgery in July. He turns 39 on Oct. 22, but may return to the Yankees next year on the $1.4 million player option that’s in his contract.
Grade: C+
* * *
ZACK BRITTON, LHP
2021 stats: 0-1, 5.89 ERA, 22 games, 18.1 IP, 17 hits, 14 runs, 12 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 16 K.
The skinny: Britton was on and off the injured list all season, pitched terrible when he was with the Yankees, then finished this nightmare year having Tommy John surgery, which will sideline him for most or all of 2022.
Grade: F
* * *
NICK NELSON, RHP
2021 stats: 0-2, 8.79 ERA, 11 games, 2 starts, 14.1 IP, 15 hits, 16 runs, 14 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 22 K.
The skinny: The Yankees pivoted to other bullpen options due to Nelson spending most of the season in Triple-A working on control problems.
Grade: F
* * *
LUIS SEVERINO, RHP
2021 stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 games, 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
The skinny: Setbacks delayed Severino’s return from Tommy John surgery twice, but he sure looked good once he finally was back in late September. In four outings as a reliever, he retired 18 of 22 batters. Based off this small but dominating sample size, Severino could be part of a lethal 1-2 rotation punch next season with Gerrit Cole.
Grade: Incomplete.
* * *
CLARKE SCHMIDT, RHP
2021 stats: 0-0, 5.68 ERA, 2 games, 1 start, 6.1 IP, 11 hits, 8 runs, 4 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 6 K.
The skinny: The Yankees’ top pitching prospect didn’t pitch this season until July 28 due to an elbow injury that occurred in spring training. Schmidt was impressive pitching to a 2.10 ERA over six Triple-A games, but ineffective in both of his Yankees’ outings. He’ll likely get a first shot to be in the Yankees’ rotation at some point next year.
Grade: Incomplete
‘* * *
STEPHEN RIDINGS, RHP
2021 stats: 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 games, 5 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
The skinny: Ridings’ first big-league opportunity was a two-week stretch in August in which he had four good outings in five. He might have returned for a second stint if not for an undisclosed injury that put him on the Triple-A injured list.
Grade: Incomplete
* * *
SAL ROMANO, RHP
2021 stats: 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 4 games, 3.1 IP, 7 hits 2 runs, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
The skinny: Romano pitched in the majors for three clubs this season, including Milwaukee between his two Yankees stints.
Grade: Incomplete.
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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