Yankees hitters vs. Baltimore Orioles’ starting rotation

Now is where the Baltimore starting rotation gets shaky. The next three rotation spots will be finalized after Spring Training, but if the Orioles do not add any arms in what is left of this very slow offseason, the jobs seem to be in the hands of Gabriel Ynoa, Alec Asher and Miguel Castro.

Mike Wright would likely take the task of the sixth starter to fill in here and there.

Miguel Castro and Gabriel Ynoa

Castro and Ynoa have almost identical pitch types and pitch characteristics. Both throw a fastball, changeup, and a slider, but rely excessively on their fastballs. Both of these pitchers’ sliders have less than average movement to them as well.

Both of these two pitchers’ changeups are thrown least often but move more than the slider and climb much higher than the average MLB changeup.

Their sliders, nonetheless, still result in low amounts of hits, low walk totals and account for the majority of their strikeouts. If used enough without the Yanks adjusting to the higher number of sliders, trouble could arise for the Bombers’ offense.

What these two pitchers also have in common is their smaller pitch repertoire. Since both Ynoa and Castro only throw three different pitches within a game, and the third pitch (the changeup being thrown less than 15 percent of the time for each), this could be beneficial to the Yankees who repeatedly see the same pitches.

Since both Ynoa and Castro only throw three different pitches within a game, and the third pitch (the changeup being thrown less than 15 percent of the time for each), this could be beneficial to the Yankees who repeatedly see the same pitches.

The other problem with these two potential starters is their lack of experience. Castro more so than Ynoa has only started one game in the majors; 35 in the minors. Ynoa, having yet to be fully installed into the Oriole rotation, has only seen spot starts.