SSTN Not The Weekly Mailbag: Thoughts And Musings

This is the first week in a very long time that the SSTN Mailbag is nearly empty, which is okay. Holiday weeks tend to be slow for the Mailbag, and this week is no different. We have some big wins against lesser competition to feel at least marginally good about, but I think we've discussed that elsewhere here on the blog enough.

It's actually not a bad time for me to do a bullet-point thoughts list, as I've had a number of article ideas, and some of these bullet-points might be a good primer for those articles. Next week, the SSTN Mailbag will return, so please send in your questions to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. Without any further ado, let's get at it:

• I have been one of the lone voices around here since we opened up shop as Start Spreading The News to consistently defend Giancarlo Stanton. I have been fairly steadfast that he is both a useful piece (though not as impactful as expected in his early Yankee years) and hardly the albatross that many would lead you to believe, regardless of how the Yankees have treated his contract. I have also often disagreed with the idea of trading or releasing Stanton, as he continues to have utility as a significant source of right-handed power. On an emotional, fan-level, I have always felt terrible for Stanton. The guy clearly works his tail off, and it's sad to watch athletes whose bodies completely fall apart all at once through no fault of their own. For at least a short time, it feels really good to be vindicated, because without Stanton, the Yankees would be out of the playoff picture. It is a reminder that at his best, Stanton is capable of putting the whole team on his back in a way just a handful of hitters in baseball can. His numbers this season are Judge-ian; he has clearly made a tweak to get the ball in the air more than at any time in recent memory; and there are some other interesting underlying numbers in his profile that I haven't seen written about anywhere. I have an article almost ready to post, so I don't want to spoil the surprises in there, but wow has it been fun to watch Stanton this season. Let's hope he holds it together and keeps on rolling through October.

• I am also going to toot my own horn on another call: I wrote at length about Cam Schlittler in the offseason, noting that he was the Yankee pitching prospect most likely to help the team this season and next. I wrote him up as a high-probability starter, likely to settle in as a # 4, but possibly more with some growth in command and secondary stuff. Wow, has Schlittler developed fast, and his pitch mix doesn't remotely resemble the offerings that he came up to the Show with a month-plus ago. He came up throwing a fastball, slider, and sweeper, and little other than the fastball was getting swings and misses. Fast forward to today, and he's throwing a pitch that Statcast is classifying as a cutter (though some of those are very clearly old-school short sliders, both in movement and placement), a true cutter, and a curveball. At first, Schlittler was only using the curve to steal first-pitch strikes, but as his confidence and command with the pitch have grown, he is using it in all sorts of counts, particularly to lefties. This new pitch mix and emerging command has given Schlittler a new ceiling that even the most bullish among those who scouted him (myself included) could have imagined. I now firmly believe that a # 4 starter is Schlittler's floor. That's an impressive prospect. I think his upside is that of a soft-ace. That's an incredible jump in such a short period of time. Schlittler remains a short-strider, but his stuff is good enough that it doesn't even matter anymore. Schlittler is clearly the Yankees' 4th best starter, at worst, right now. I would even say there's an argument that he's in the top-3. I can't wait to watch him the rest of the year.

• Now, to blast my own predictions: I can't believe how far both Volpe and Wells have fallen this year. I have maintained that both Wells and Volpe are nursing injuries, but the bigger issue with both is approach. Wells has completely lost almost all sense of plate discipline as he presses to make something happen at the plate, though he was even less patient to begin the season. Volpe's approach changes seemingly by the week, and he has no consistency in anything he does, even as the final numbers for each of the last three years will look remarkably similar in terms of total offensive value. I do not agree with any of the assertions that Volpe should be sent down; AAA has become so watered down by MLB's short-sighted decision to contract the minor leagues that AAA has become something more akin to purgatory than development. I don't think Volpe's issue is confidence, nor do I think he needs to get sent down for more mechanical tweaks. Volpe needs to change his approach; go back to pulling the ball. It's the only thing he's ever done successfully at any level. Volpe's best stretches in the Majors occurred when he pulled the ball consistently. He'll run low batting averages with plenty of pop, and have utility on the basepaths. He needs to make it happen. I am sure we'll find out how banged up both Wells and Volpe are after the season, but both need to dig deep to change their approaches at the plate next season.

• The bullpen remains a source of worry. That's not on Cashman; it's a reality that relievers tend to be far more volatile than any other player. As shaky as they are as a group, it wouldn't shock me at all if it all clicks into place by playoff time. The bullpen remains capable of October dominance.

• I hated Jose Caballero when he played for the Rays. I love watching him as a Yankee. That idea is far more prevalent in sports like hockey, but it happens in baseball too. Caballero gets under guys' skin, and it's fun to watch when he plays for your team. I said last week that he should be stealing 20ish percent of Volpe's starts; I think we need to up that percentage.

• I am so thankful that the Yankees didn't have to give up Ben Rice at the deadline to make roster improvements (they followed something very similar to my trade deadline blueprint, but gave up a lot less to get there). I think he starts at 1B next year and moonlights at catcher. I still think he's a fringe catcher in the big leagues defensively, but his bat is so good, that he has to play nearly every day. We'll see if he develops against left-handed pitching.

• Right now, I think I'd give a qualifying offer to both Bellinger (not sure if he's eligible, but if he is, my point stands) and Grisham, but if either gets more than 3-4 year offers, I'd let both go. It's never a good idea to sign anyone but the most elite free agents to 7+ year deals.

• If the Yankees can get Fried, Rodon, and Schlittler all pitching to their peak capability at the same time in October, this team can make a run.

• I've written a lot of "Ifs" in the last few bullets...

• The reality remains; as bad as things feel, this team really could make a run with the talent on the roster.

• Unfortunately, Aaron Boone is still the manager. There is no accountability, and the team's fundamentals wilt under any pressure. The Dodgers told the league that their gameplan was to let the Yankees beat themselves. It worked brilliantly, and more good teams have employed that strategy this season with success, even though much of the team has been turned over. It's coaching, and it holds the Yankees back from maximizing the talent any of its recent rosters show inherently.