After splitting the first two games of their four games series with the Astros, the Yanks look to start another winning streak today in the Bronx. The Yanks “Top Gun” Gerrit Cole, will be on the hill for the home team while Houston will send 25-year-old righty, Cristian Javier to the mound.
Here’s what you need to know about Cristian Javier: He’s no Verlander or Valdez, but he’s pitched very well for Houston in 2022.
The most interesting* about Javier is that he throws a four-seam fastball or a slider close to 90 percent of the time – and his fastball is great. He only averages 93 mph on the gun but with great command at the top of the zone and elite movement, his four-seamer has been one of the hardest pitches against which to do damage in MLB this season. Literally, his four-seamer has been the fourth hardest pitch to hit in baseball in 2022 (minimum 150 batters) according to Statcast’s Run-Value.
(*Interesting because Hunter Greene’s four-seamer, which regularly hits triple digits on the gun, has had more damage done to it than any other pitcher’s pitch in MLB this season. Movement and location friends, movement and location…)
On the season as a whole, Javier’s 19.4 K-BB% is 17th best out of 114 qualified pitchers while his 3.67 SIERA ranks 36th in that group. And when he’s not fanning batters, his xBA sits at the 92nd percentile in MLB, so batters have had a tough time squaring him up. He’s also pitched well of late as over his last six starts, Javier has thrown 30.1 IP, and allowed only 23 hits and 10 runs while posting a 38/14 K/BB ratio, with an average Game Score of 57.
This is the Yankees lineup who’ll take their cuts against Javier:
Judge CF
Rizzo 1B
Donaldson 3B
Stanton DH
Torres 2B
Hicks LF
Trevino C
Gonzalez SS
Gallo RF
Gerrit Cole’s first pitch will be at 1:05 PM. You can watch the game on YES and the MLB Network and it can be streamed on MLB.tv. John and Suzyn will have the radio call on WFAN 101.9/660 and as always, follow along with my boyish charm @mybasbeallpage1 on Twitter and on the “My Baseball Page” on Facebook.
Let’s start a new winning streak today boys.
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