Yankees Need More Sorianos On Their Roster

If not for Rafael and Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees would not have been in the ALCS in 2012 or in any playoff race this season. Before opting out of his contract to get a big money closer deal in Washington, Rafael Soriano saved the Yankees 2012 season after Mariano Rivera blew out his knee in May.

The acquisition of Alfonso Soriano at the 2013 Major League non-waiver trade deadline has been one of the best moves in baseball this season. Soriano showed his value again on Wednesday night when he hit a solo home run and then added a 2-run shot in the game deciding 4-run 8th inning. The Yankees 7-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles moved them back to within two games of the Tampa Bay Rays, the current holder of the number two wild card spot.

Soriano joined Manny Ramirez, Carlos Beltran David Justice, Mark McGwire, and Fred McGriff as the only players to hit 15 or more home runs with two teams in the same season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Soriano also joined McGwire as the only players to have three or more mulit-home run games with two different teams in the same year.

Soriano hit 17 home runs, drove in 51 runs, and had a .754 OPS with the Cubs prior to the trade that brought him to New York on July 26. In just 43 games in his second turn in pinstripes, Soriano has 15 home runs, 47 RBI and an .846 OPS.

The Yankees have had a better lineup than the Cubs, but the numbers are still phenomenal for the 37-year old. Whether or not the Yankees make the playoffs, Soriano could garner some American League Most Valuable Player votes despite playing just a half season in the junior circuit.

It's not unprecedented for a player to be in the running or win a regular season award despite not spending the entire season in one league. In June, 1984 the Cleveland Indians dealt pitcher Rick Sutcliffe to the Chicago Cubs. Sutcliffe had an extra month and a half over Soriano, but his number of starts were not that uneven. Sutcliffe captured the NL Cy Young Award when he went 16-1, 2.69 in 20 starts for the Cubbies. He had started the season just 4-5, 5.15 in 15 starts with the Tribe.

Soriano's teammate CC Sabathia finished 5th in the NL Cy Young voting when he went 11-2, 1.65 with 7 complete games for Milwaukee in 2008.  With free agency pending, the Indians dealt Sabathia on July 7 after he had compiled a 6-8 record with a 3.83 ERA.

Ramirez finished 4th in the National League MVP Award despite playing in just 53 games for the LA Dodgers in 2008. Ramirez put up good numbers for Boston with a .926 OPS, 20 HR and 68 RBI in 100 games prior to being run out of town on July 31. He was unconscious for LA though - a 1.232 OPS, 17 HR and 53 RBI.

Carlos Beltran could certainly have finished higher than 12th in the NL MVP voting in 2004. After his acquisition from Kansas City, Beltran had a .926 OPS, 23 HR and 53 RBI in 90 games for the Houston Astros. He also stole 28 bases without being caught. With more emphasis on batting average nearly 10 years ago, perhaps Beltran's .258 mark hurt him in the voting.

Whether Soriano gets recognition during awards season or not, the Yankees know they would be nowhere without the Dominican native.

There are three other Sorianos in minor league baseball today, though none are in the Yankees organization...yet.

Ariel Soriano, 22-year old utility player in the Rays organization
Francisco Soriano, 26-year old pitchers in the Nats organization
Wilson Soriano, 21-year old utility player in the Rockies organization

Kuroda Throws His Cap Into the Cy Young Ring

If you look at the won/lost record of Detroit Tigers starter Max Scherzer, it's difficult not to imagine that he's the shoe-in for the American League Cy Young Award. It's difficult not to think that way when you see a gaudy 17-1 record.

Times have changed however, and there is a new way of looking at numbers in addition to a pitcher's won/lost record. Felix Hernandez won the award three years ago with a very ordinary 13-12 mark. He also led the league in ERA (2.27), games started, least hits per nine innings pitched, and struck out more than 200 hitters.

It takes nothing away to say that Hernandez had the benefit of pitching in a "pitcher's ballpark". He limited hitters to a .533 OPS at Safeco Field. Then again the Mariners inept offense hurt him as much as the home field advantage helped him. Seattle score two or less runs in 15 of Hernandez's 34 starts and 3-5 runs in 13 starts. Hernandez lost 10 of his 12 games when the M's scored two runs or less.

It also takes nothing away from Scherzer, but he also pitches in a "pitcher's ballpark". The difference between his season and Hernandez's is that, led by Miguel Cabrera, he has a devastating offense behind him as well. The Tigers have scored 3-5 runs in 10 of Scherzer's starts and 6 or more in 11 of them. Detroit has scored two or less runs in just two of Scherzer's start- a loss and a no decision.

To his credit Scherzer's been even better on the road (.500 OPS vs. .622 at home), but that was the wind up. Here comes the pitch.

Right-hander Hiroki Kuroda does his home pitching in a field made for left-handed hitters. Batters routinely deposit baseballs over the fence from right-center field over to the right field foul pole. Powerful right-handed hitters have no problem poking a long ball the opposite way either.

Kuroda is also in the AL East, a league chock full of big time hitting teams. That would normally include his team, the New York Yankees, but not this year. Due to injuries, age, and ineffectiveness, the Yankees look like a combination of the Bad News Bears (think of Rudi Stein in the original movie with Walter Matthau) and coach-pitch Little League.

It's led to an 11-7 record for Kuroda despite a 2.33 ERA and a league best 174 ERA+ (100 * (league ERA / ERA)). The Yankees have scored two or less runs in 11 of Kuroda's 24 starts (3-5 W/L) and 3-5 runs in 10 of them. (5-2 W/L). Just three times the Yankees went  wild and scored six or more runs with Kuroda on the mound. He's won all three of those starts.

The native of Osaka, Japan has pitched into the 7th inning or later 17 times. He's gone less than five innings just twice and once was because he tried to snare a Shane Victorino comebacker with his bare hand.

Quality starts is a nonsense statistic - 3 runs allowed in 6 innings is not anything of quality - but Kuroda has thrown 16 games where has allowed two runs or less and allowed three runs in a seven inning start to boot. He's 9-2 in those 17 starts with six no decisions . He's also pitched into the 7th inning or greater 18 times and left with the lead three times only to see the Yankees bullpen blow it. (The Yankees are 14-10 when Kuroda starts.)

Since Mother Nature cranked up the heat, Kuroda has been phenomenal. In five starts since the calendar turned to July 1, the 38-year old has allowed five earned runs in 48 innings pitched. (He's 4-1 with three no decisions.) That calculates out to a 0.94 ERA, which also matches his WHIP during that period. He’s walked just eight hitters and struck out 35, and has not allowed a home run.

Kuroda is not only the Yankees ace, he's their MVP as well. Without him, there is no way the Yankees could even see the AL wild card on the horizon. So, if he continues to pitch this way through the end of the regular season, will he have a legitimate shot at the AL Cy Young Award? That remains to be seen, because no matter how good Kuroda's year is, Scherzer's won/loss record could still distract voters like the neon lights along the Las Vegas strip pulls in gamblers.