Yankees: Top 10 Starting Pitchers NYY Will Face This Season

4. Mike Soroka, ATL

vs NYY: N/A

The second pitcher on this list that the Yankees have not seen is Atlanta Braves phenom Mike Soroka. The 23-year-old right-hander caught the eyes of some following a couple call-ups in 2018, but in his true rookie season last year, he took a huge step forward.

Following a late promotion in April, Soroka had a 2.68 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 174.2 IP across 29 starts. In those 29 starts, he pitched at least six innings in 20 of them. Among those 20, he threw less than 90 pitches in eight of them, and only threw 100+ pitches in three of them. Overall, he averaged 88 pitches per start, and managed to finish sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

What’s scariest about Soroka is how he dominates righties. In 401 PA against Soroka last season, right-handed batters slashed .203/.256/.281 with just five HR and 10 doubles. He might not be as nasty as most of the guys on this list, but he’s undeniably one of the most effective.

Games vs ATL: Aug 11-12, Aug 25-26

3. Stephen Strasburg, WAS

vs NYY: N/A

Despite being in the league for a decade now, the Yankees have managed to miss Stephen Strasburg in each of their series with the Nationals. However, that is bound to change as the Yankees open up the season in D.C.

Strasburg has had a very nice career to this point, having just won World Series MVP in the franchise’s first title win. The only knock on his career has been his inability to stay healthy. In his 10 years, the 32-year-old has only made 30+ starts three times in his career, but if 2019 showed us anything, it’s that the best of Strasburg is yet to come.

In 33 starts, Strasburg led the league with 209 IP, and tallied 251 K with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He went on to go 5-0 in the playoffs with a 1.98 ERA and 47 K over 36.1 IP. All together, he had 298 K over 245.1 IP and a 3.12 ERA.

Games vs WAS: July 23, 25-26