Yankees James Kaprielian Is Not Pitching And That is Great News

The Yankees James Kaprielian has been the invisible man so far in spring training. He hasn’t pitched in a game and absolutely cannot start the season in pinstripes. And that is great news to Yankees fans.

Note: This article was written before the Yankees announced that Kaprielian would be pitching in a Spring Training game. Nevertheless, it is newsworthy because it contains a number of salient points about the impact of the Yankees decision. (Steve Contursi, Editor)

The Yankees have made their plan for James Kaprielian clear by keeping him under wraps and only now letting him pitch. You see, you can learn as much from what you don’t see as from what you do see. That is why it is evident that the Yankees see Kaprielian as a starter in 2017 and, more importantly, as someone to count on in August and September.

And that is great news for Yankees fans hungry for a home-grown ace pitching in pinstripes for years to come.

But if Kaprielian is a big-time Bronx bound player, why is he not pitching right now? The answer lies in Washington DC.

That might be counting too much on a player who has never pitched in the majors. But Kaprielian is not just another pitcher. First, he has a tremendous resume. In three seasons at UCLA he never pitched above a 2.29 ERA, and his last year there (2015) he threw to a 2.02. James gave up 20 fewer hits per inning that year as well as striking out almost ten men every nine innings.

Plus, his fastball has vastly improved since then. It used to come in at 91-92 mph and is now regularly 95-97.

And he had proven that he can compete against the best amateur international talent when he threw perhaps his best game, for Team USA, in 2014. He threw six shut-out innings that day against Chinese Taipei, including retiring 15 straight at one point.

And 12 of those were by strikeout.

He pitched that day under the most difficult circumstances. What he did showed more than his pitch control. Kaprielian demonstrated the kind of focus and character that every team wants in their players but rarely finds. In both body and mind, James Kaprielian is ready to be a starter for the 2017 New York Yankees.

Far be it from me, however, to speak for the Yankees; Brian Cashman has already done that, telling WFAN in February:

“He’s kind of a wild card. He’s a guy that can pitch in the big leagues this year if he stays healthy, but it’s just a matter of where does he start the year.”

Baseball is All About History

But if Kaprielian is a big-time Bronx-bound player, why is he not pitching right now? The answer lies in Washington DC.

Back in 2012, the Washington Nationals were on their way to the playoffs, and possibly the World Series. They were led by their young stud, Stephen Strasburg. He won 15 games for the Nats that year while pitching to a 3.16 ERA. Strikeouts were common (197), and hits were rare (136 in 159 innings pitched).

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Strasburg could have led his team to a championship. The problem, for him and the Nats, was that Stephen was on an innings limit of roughly 160. Unfortunately, he started spring training with everyone else and hit his limit in September; when he did, the Nationals shut him down for the season. That decision cost them a chance to seriously compete for the championship in 2012 and, perhaps, in 2013 as John Feinstein wrote in this article 

And now it can be said, with almost no doubt, that the decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg last September didn’t cost Washington one chance to win a World Series, it cost the team and the city two chances.

The decision haunted the team in 2013, and it still haunts them today since they still have not won the WS. I don’t know if the Nationals learned from the experience, but I know Joe Girardi and the Yankees knew the moral of the story. He made that clear back in 2015:

“If there’s going to be an innings limitation, I would sit them out the month of April. So you don’t get in a tough spot in the month of September and if October rolls around.”

On a Clear Day, You Can See the Canyon of Heroes

Now, with James Kaprielian, they are once again practicing what they have preached. The Yankees are treating him like an ace with an innings limit. And they want those innings to be available late in the season. That says a lot about just how talented the Yankees think he is and where they see him in the rotation.

Every other pitcher has to audition this spring and try to impress Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and Hal Steinbrenner. Not Mr. Kaprielian. Barring injury, he will be in the Bronx this year pitching important innings.

Which Yankees Prospects will Wear Pinstripes in April?

Yankees spring training is loaded with potential and any of the young Yankees prospects could play his way on to the team.

Based on his track record, tools and evaluation by the Yankees brass, the 2017 Yankees might very well be adding an ace in August without ever making a trade.