The Under Appreciated David Robertson
When it comes to the bullpen, the 2010 Yankees have plenty of options. With Joba seeming to have a firm hold on the 5th spot in the rotation, guys like Hughes, Park and Mitre will have very loosely defined roles in the pen. While Hughes may start the season as setup, he will be the first to enter the rotation if anyone gets injured. Although we’ve seen mediocre starters dominate out of the pen in the past, I’m not comfortable seeing Park or Mitre enter the game in a high leverage situation. Instead, I think that David Robertson will be a valuable piece of the 2010 bridge to Mo based on his high strikeout rate and increasing average velocity.
The main thing that gives me confidence about Robertson is his K rate. He has posted a 12.0 career k/9 in his major league career (99 Ks, 74 IP), and these numbers get even better when you increase the sample by adding in his minor leagues stats (215 Ks, 152.2 IP). While his 1.35 WHIP is higher than you’d like from a back end reliever, Robertson suffered from some bad luck seeing a .328 BAbip against, ten percent higher than the AL average.
From a scouting perspective, Robertson looks like a good candidate to improve his numbers in 2010. He posted a 91.8 Avg velocity on his fastball last year, rising from 90.8 the year before. After the all star break last year we saw several games in which Robertson’s fastball reached 95 MPH. Although he was back in the 92 range after his elbow injury, this does not mean he can’t hit 95 again.
Of course Robertson’s high walk rate is not ideal for a back end reliever, but when he gets ahead of hitters he becomes a marvel to watch. This will be the year that Robertson will have to prove himself as a trustworthy reliever worthy of a permanent major league roster spot. I think we will see him do just that.
What are your thoughts on David Robertson? Do you think he will have a breakout year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com
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