These free agent pitchers check the Yankees’ boxes

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty ImagesOn Friday, I took a closer look at the current Yankees pitching philosophy. To sum it up, the Bombers don’t throw a lot of fastballs compared to other teams, and in 2019 fastballs were their worst pitch. Interestingly, last offseason the Yankees ended up with James Paxton and J.A. Happ, who are both fastball-dependent. The acquisition of these two pitchers shows what the team is trying to create and what they wish to avoid.

When Paxton began to struggle, the organization had him decrease his fourseam usage and throw more curveballs. Paxton won ten starts in a row and went undefeated in 11 consecutive games to end the season as his…