New York Yankees 2020 Projections: Luis Cessa

Luis Cessa has been a reliable piece in the New York Yankees bullpen despite displaying some inconsistencies throughout his career.

During his four year stint with the New York Yankees, Luis Cessa has had his ups and downs in the bullpen. He has been inconsistent in his career, which is why he hasn’t been among the best options to go in and pitch. Cessa also spent time in the minors as well to help work on his mechanics and improve as a pitcher.

I haven’t been a fan of Cessa over the last few seasons, and there were many times I questioned why Aaron Boone would put him in the game. He would always find a way to mess up the game and lose all in one relief appearance.

However, the Yankees decided to hang on to Cessa, hoping he would improve and help out when he can. Luckily, they were right because last season was his most successful season in a Yankee uniform.

Cessa appeared in 43 games last year for the Yankees. In those 43 games, he went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA. In 81 innings of work, Cessa gave up 75 hits, 31 walks, and 75 strikeouts. Those are some decent numbers for Cessa, who I considered to be one of the worst relief pitchers the Yankees had on their roster.

Cessa impressed me the most in the postseason in 2019. His performance in October proved a lot to me as a fan because if he can pitch well in the playoffs, then he can pitch well in any situation the Yankees ask of him. He didn’t make an appearance against the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, but the Yankees needed him to pitch well against the Houston Astros in the ALCS. Cessa made two appearances, and in those appearances, he pitched a total of four innings, gave up two hits, striking out four with no walks or giving up any runs.

Cessa, in my opinion, has earned a spot in the bullpen for the 2020 season. It is more than likely that he’ll have plenty of rest because the starting rotation is very talented and will be pitching deep into games. However, he is a long reliever so he can eat up some innings when need be. I am expecting Cessa to continue his success from last season into 2020.