New York Yankees 2013 Recap: Ivan Nova

Sep 5, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher

(47) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Of all the New York Yankees starting pitchers, there’s a possibility one may be entering his prime and blossoming as we speak. Or it’s just another example of inconsistency. 2013 didn’t get off to the greatest of starts for Ivan Nova, but he certainly finished with a flourish, as he was the Yankees best pitcher down the stretch of the season, and became one of the reasons why the Yankees stayed in the race for the Wild Card as long as they did. Let’s relive Ivan Nova’s 2013 campaign.

2013 Stats: 9-6 3.10 ERA 139.1 innings 125 hits 119 strikeouts 1.28 WHIP 3.5 WAR

2013 Game Of The Year: I’m going with his performance against the Baltimore Orioles on August 31st. He pitched three complete games this year, two of them against Baltimore. In this shutout, he gave up only three hits, walked two and struck out five in the Yankees 2-0 win.

2014 Outlook: Nova has earned a spot in the rotation next season. He could be as high as number two behind CC Sabathia depending on what happens this off-season. Nova has to decide what pitcher he is as he enters his age 27 season. Is the guy who went 4-2 in August and September, and the guy who won 16 games back in 2011? Or is he the guy who struggled and got demoted to the minor leagues for a month? If he’s the former, the Yankees will have a spot settled in the rotation. If he’s not, just add one more question to the many the Yankees will be faced with coming into the 2014 season.