Yankees organizational depth: left-handed starting pitchers
By Greg Corcoran
Starting from the top, the Yankees have a talented group of left-handed pitchers in their organization. Effective left-handed starting pitchers have a ton of value, as they make it much harder for opposing teams to plan their lineups. The Bombers’ front office has recently made a strong effort to build that depth.
The major league rotation has two talented lefties, Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes. Both are coming off injury filled, ineffective seasons, but both seem determined to put that in the past. Rodon has been vocal about his desire to get back to the 2021-2022 version of himself. He showed up to camp in great shape and ready to compete as a result. Nestor Cortes has been quietly angry about his performance in 2023, and there have been reports that the Yankees are pleased with his offseason work.
I am expecting rebound seasons from both of these guys in 2024. It is uncertain if they will reach their previous levels of success, but it’s hard to envision anything but improvement from last year’s performances.
Beyond Nestor and Carlos, the Yankees won’t start the season with much left-handed starting pitcher depth in Triple-A. They have Tanner Tully, but he is more of a “break glass in case of emergency” option. He is a guy who could eat innings for them if injuries rear their ugly head. You need guys like that to get through a major league season.
This is where it gets exciting. There are several players climbing through the minor leagues with big potential. The closest to the major leagues is Brock Selvidge. Selvidge took a huge leap forward in 2023, with career-bests in multiple different statistical categories. More importantly, his velocity and stuff improved at the same time as his command and control. That’s the ideal situation.
Exciting news just broke about Selvidge as well. He has reported to camp looking significantly better. The coaching staff and development team are drooling at the thought of what he could do this season. It is likely that he will spend significant time in Double-A in 2024, getting enticingly close to the major leagues.
Behind Selvidge is another potential star, Henry Lalane. Lalane has a longer way to go to the major leagues, but his stuff and command have scouts making some lofty comparisons of this left-handed giant. I don’t like to make major league comparisons because they are inherently unfair. At 6-foot-7 with a fastball that regularly hits the upper-90’s, I’ll let the reader ponder who Lalane may have some similarities with. They have more in common than the “big units” of measurement of their height too.
Needless to say, if Lalane hits his ceiling the Yankees will have a star on their hands. He’s got a long way to go, but the Yankees are happy to have Henry. Believe me when I say other teams wish they could have him too.
Next up is Kyle Carr. The Yankees drafted Carr in the third round of the 2023 draft. Carr spent the 2023 season at Palomar junior college, where he dominated. He has a 92-95 mph fastball with has touched 97. His slider is filthy, and he’s working hard on improving the changeup. Kyle should start in Low-A and has the potential to be another top prospect in the Yankees’ system.
The Yankees have several more lefties making their way through the system with potential. Brady Rose and Ben Shields are both lefties with size who are already in the mid-90’s with their fastballs. Will Brian was poised for a breakout in 2023 when he got injured and missed the rest of the season. He could be back in 2024 and ready to give it another go.
Deeper in the minors, Allen Facundo has been a steady force in the DSL and was effective in the FCL in 2023.
Left-handed pitchers have always had an advantage in Yankees’ stadium. They are better able to neutralize lefties in a ballpark that is known to be advantageous to them. It’s encouraging to see that there are several high-end lefties in development on their way to help the Bronx Bombers in the years to come.