Yankees: Predicting which players will make the AL All-Star team

As I said earlier, there’s a handful of players in the Yankees bullpen who are deserving of a spot on the AL All-Star team. They’ve been that dominant and nobody over the past two months has been more untouchable than Dellin Betances. Back in May, not many would have believed Betances would find his way back to his fifth straight All-Star game. However, he has completely turned his season around after his slow start and is pitching as well as we’ve ever seen him pitch.

Once again he is among the leaders in K’s in the AL (2nd) and is on pace for another 100 strikeout campaign. Since 2014, nobody has struck out more hitters out of the bullpen than Betances so even though his 2.63 ERA is only fifth best among Yankee relievers he gets the nod for another All-Star game because of his otherworldly strikeout totals.

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Betances is striking out 15.8 batters per 9 innings which would be a career high. Since May 6th he’s only given up two earned runs in 23.2 innings and his season ERA has dropped from 5.79 to 2.63 entering play Friday. His control issues that lingered from the end of last season have disappeared, specifically with his fastball which has been the best of his career.

Fastball control and throwing it a lot more than in the past has been the difference for Dellin because when he can pair 98 mph plus with his wipeout breaking ball hitters just won’t touch him.

A lot of fans might have given up on him after his very poor April, but Dellin has clearly put the work in to reinvent himself to a degree. For that, he deserves to go to D.C for his fifth All-Star game.