Ex-Marlins president has most wrong take possible on Yankees rotation

What’s the *worst* thing you could realistically say about the Yankees‘ rotation in 2022? That it could reasonably go deeper, and the first line of defense against a rash of injuries isn’t terribly impressive? That it’s performing so well that some regression has to be anticipated? That Luis Severino hasn’t held up in recent years, and his performance is worth ensuring?

Sure. Go ahead and say all those things. You can say all those things. But imagine having the take that the Yankees’ rotation is their most glaring issue, and Brian Cashman has to “bring in an ace” to cover for Gerrit Cole “being a two-three” rather than a No. 1?

And imagine having that take with the Yankees rotation’s statistics hanging on the screen right alongside you, so every viewer can see they rank atop the class, currently in the top two of any statistic you could imagine?

In that case, you might just be former Marlins president David Samson, busy parroting talking points from 2017-19 without adjusting your expectations.

Remember, there was a time before Matt Blake when dinosaurs like Larry Rothschild roamed the earth, minimizing the talent at hand while also dealing with such “elite” arms as JA Happ and Jaime Garcia. That time is not now.

Samson’s Yankees rotation take is wildly off base, and you can watch it here if you drank heavily on Memorial Day and want to clear out the ol’ pipes. Shockingly, his defense of his objective wrongness was even more obtuse.

Marlins president David Samson has never watched the Yankees rotation

Tell us you don’t watch the 2022 Yankees without telling us you don’t watch the 2022 Yankees.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all be able to see into the future to determine how this rotation will hold up in October. Perhaps the rotation will need a patch by then. Perhaps the worst will happen and this corps won’t deliver when the pressure’s on. But, at the moment, there are zero statistical indicators that will happen. And even if you think the rotation needs another member, how can you possibly believe it needs an ace?

How can you look at Joey Gallo, Aaron Hicks, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kyle Higashioka and think, “Let’s throw all our chips in for Frankie Montas”? No wonder this guy was the first eliminated player on “Survivor.” No social game.

The worst part about this take? The second the Yankees have a tough start or a less-than-stellar trip through the rotation — a very normal thing! — Samson’s going to gloat. If somebody stumbles in October, he’s going to act like he was right.

He will not be right.

The Yankees’ rotation has been either the best or second-best in the game against both poor and excellent competition thus far this season (and it was also really good last season!). They’re coming off four games in Tampa against the Rays featuring starts of 1, 0, 1, and 4 (hard-luck) earned runs. The metrics are off the charts. The team’s pitchers have controlled the narrative thus far through only two months.

Samson’s either blinded by the Mets’ roster on paper, but forgot to note both Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are currently long-term inactive, or he simply wants to be a contrarian based on a hunch. Something tells us that’s it.

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