NEW YORK -- In an offseason that is more notable for who they passed on (Bryce Harper and Manny Machado) rather than who they acquired, the Yankees did make a significant addition this winter, adding left-hander James Paxton in a November four-player trade with the Mariners. Top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield and two others went the other way.
"I think he came in and really fit in really well right away. I think he's very comfortable in that room," manager Aaron Boone said prior to Paxton's season debut Saturday. "We just want him to come and be himself. I don't look at him as that 'big fish' or whatever. We want him to post, and we feel like if we can keep him healthy and taking his regular turn, the results will be there. This is a really talented pitcher that I think is capable of even more."
Although his offense and bullpen gave him no support in the loss (BAL 5, NYY 3), Paxton looked very much like a "big fish" addition against an admittedly weak Orioles lineup Saturday, allowing just two runs -- a Gary Sanchez throwing error meant one of those runs were unearned -- in 5 2/3 innings while being held to a fairly strict pitch limit. It'll be a few weeks before the Yankees allow Paxton or any of their starters to throw 100 pitches in a game.
"Yeah, absolutely. I felt (butterflies) going out there in the first inning. I was pretty excited and nervous, all that stuff. I felt pretty good about it. I just let it energize me. I felt like I handled it pretty well," Paxton said. "It was great to get that acknowledgement from the crowd (walking off the field). I tipped my cap to them. It as great to here them out there."
"I thought he was really good. Probably even could've gotten through the sixth," Boone said following Saturday's game. "I thought he was strong. I thought he was efficient. His command overall was good. He did all the things he wanted to do."
Paxton is not big into sabermetrics but he told James Wagner of the New York Times he does keep track of what he calls A3P -- After Three Pitches. Those are plate appearances that are either over after three pitches, or plate appearances in which Paxton gets ahead in the count 1-2. On Saturday, he went in 20 for 21 in A3P, and only three of the 21 batters he faced hit the ball out of the infield.
Paxton's game revolves around his fastball. He has a great one and he uses it often. Last season he threw his heater 81.5 percent of the time, second most in baseball behind Lance Lynn (88.5 percent). On Saturday, he threw a fastball 67 of his 82 pitches, or 81.7 percent. The results were quite good:
Average velocity: 95.1 mph (MLB average: 93.2 mph)Strikes: 53 (79.1 percent -- MLB average: 65.1 percent)Swings and misses: 10 on 38 swings (26.3 percent -- MLB average:19.7 percent)When you've got a great fastball, you might as well throw it a lot. One start is only one start, of course, but the results were consistent with Paxton's results in prior years, so the Yankees saw the guy they were expecting Saturday. He pitches off his fastball, he missed bats, and up until the Orioles found some holes and his defense betrayed him in the sixth inning, he was in control of he game.
Paxton was as advertised in his Yankees debut and, with Luis Severino sidelined until May with a sore shoulder, he takes over as his club's de facto ace. Eventually the Yankees will face some non-rebuilding teams -- Paxton will soon make back-to-back starts against the Astros and Red Sox -- and he will be really tested. After the Sonny Gray fiasco, the Yankees wanted to see the same Paxton they scouted in Seattle, and that's who they saw Saturday.
"I felt good about how I threw the ball today," Paxton said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to build off this outing going forward."
