New York Yankees 2020 Projections: Zack Britton

Zack Britton gives the Yankees a lethal bullpen

Britton has been a valuable asset to the Yankees bullpen, and one main reason why that group has been one of the best in MLB.

Zack Britton was considered to be the very best closer in Major League Baseball. When the New York Yankees acquired him from their AL East rivals, Baltimore Orioles, their bullpen would be solidified as the best in baseball.

Last year, Britton had some rocky moments throughout the season, but overall he had one of his better seasons for the Yankees. One of his most significant issues was his command and how inconsistent he was at times. There were times during the season that he had a tough time finding the strike zone. As a result of the lack of command on his pitches, Britton walked a total of 32 batters. That is a lot of batters to walk for a reliever. Britton averaged about two batters per inning that he walked and because he was the setup man for Aroldis Chapman, this was not good for the team.

On the other hand, when Britton is on his game, then the bullpen of the Yankees is a dangerous group of pitchers.

During his 66 games in 2019, Britton went 3-1, a 1.91 ERA, three saves, and he gave up three home runs. He pitched well enough in 2019 for the bullpen to continue its dominance over the rest of baseball.

Britton must have impressed GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees front office because the club rewarded him with a new contract in January of 2019. The details of the agreement are a three-year deal worth approximately $40 million.

During the offseason, the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a record-setting deal, and his addition to the roster will have many lasting effects for a lot of the players. The starting rotation behind him will not have as much pressure to go out and pitch well because Cole can aid the rest of the pitchers after him in having a good game. As for the bullpen, they know that they will pretty much have one day off every five days when Cole is on the mound. That means that they won’t be burnt out quickly when the playoffs roll around. It was evident that the bullpen was gassed when they made it to the postseason.

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Britton has the potential to channel his 2016 campaign when his ERA was 0.54. A shortened season for Britton and the addition of Cole will undoubtedly help him have a strong season. His biggest issue will be his command, and if he can work on that, then it will help him have a great 2020.

His innings will go down and as well as his appearances because he probably won’t be pitching once every five days. But, I think this will be his best season in pinstripes.