How the Yankees have brought back the sinker

When Matt Blake was hired as pitching coach, there was a buzz of excitement around the fanbase, and justifiably so. He was instrumental in the Cleveland pitching factory that produced the likes of Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and Zach Plesac. It was easy to dream of him having a similar impact with the Yankees, and now in year two, we are seeing the ways in which he has begun to stamp his authority on the pitching department.

The Yankees pitchers are not afraid to experiment. In May, I investigated the rise in changeup usage across the staff. Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, and others have made a conscious effort to feature the off-speed more, and this expansion of repertoire…