LOS ANGELES—There is nothing like the spotlight of New York, especially when you’re a showman like Marcus Stroman.
The Stro Show is off to a sizzling launch in 2024. He’s started three games, including the Yankees home opener, and has a 2.12 ERA. His first two starts were simply dominant: He gave up zero earned runs and seven hits on 12 combined innings, with 10 total strikeouts.
“He’s been terrific, I mean, he’s right in line with how he’s been [building up] the last couple of months, execution’s been excellent,” manager Aaron Boone said about Stroman’s buildup from spring training to his first two starts. “Command, excellent—where he wants to be, the misses he wants. Staying off the barrel, big pitches in some spots where he’s had to make one, but really sharp.”
Stroman’s third start on April 10 was not as terrific: He gave up four earned runs in the top of the third inning, after allowing a one-out single to score one, and a three-run homerun to cap off the inning. He went five innings that day, and even with that tough third inning, he only gave up one combined hit through the other four innings.
“I thought the stuff was good. He had good swing and miss going, but just not as sharp, especially with how sharp he was in the first two,” said Boone after Stroman picked up his first loss of the season.
Stroman signed a two-year contract worth $37 million in the offseason with the Yankees. He earned his payday with the Yanks after having arguably his best season in 2023 with the Cubs, which included his second career All-Star appearance, a 3.58 ERA, and the best day on the mound he’s ever had: a one-hit shutout against the Rays on May 29, which included one walk and eight strikeouts.
The Yankees were 12-5, the best record in Major League Baseball, when they took on the Toronto Blue Jays on the road on Tuesday night. Stroman was scheduled to start yesterday afternoon in the final game of the Yankees three-game set against the Blue Jays. They’re doing this without Gerrit Cole, who’s expected to be out until late May to early June with a right elbow injury. With their star pitcher out at least the first third of the season, someone had to step up and fill that hole. So far, Stroman has been that guy.
He went into yesterday with the second-most strikeouts of anyone on the team with 17, and is tied with the lowest WHIP of the starting rotation at 1.06.
Even with Stroman being the Yankees best pitcher, the team was 1-2 before yesterday’s game when he’s been on the bump. The offense had only scored one run in the 17 innings that Stroman pitched.
The season is still very young, so the Yankees’ offense is bound to pick up when Stroman gets the nod. Yankees fans and management shouldn’t have to worry about their pitcher too much when he’s on the mound, because he’s set a standard for himself these past few seasons where excellence is expected.
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