Game of the Week: April 2: NYY @ TB

[Commissioner Erick]

New York Yankees (0-0) @ Tampa Bay Rays (0-0)

NYY: Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 0.00)
TB: Chris Archer (0-0, 0.00)


After a tumultuous offseason, a historic Opening Day will lift off, with the New York Yankees facing the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees were the best franchise under the MLB, with countless championships and historic players decorating the team's past. With the advent of the PBA, the Yankees will have to create a new history—and there are certainly many paths they can take.

With quality veteran arms in Masahiro Tanaka, Julio Teheran Dellin Betances, and Aroldis Chapman joining solid bats in Matt Holliday and Brett Gardner, the Yankees have the kind of veterans needed to compete for a title. Those veterans are supplemented by prodigious youngsters in Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, and Luis Severino who should be on top of their games for a long time. Also, with players like Gleyber Torres, Blake Rutherford, and James Kaprielian, the Yankees have the prospects to build a young pipeline, or perhaps be traded for veteran help.

Needless to say, the Yankees have a lot of options with how they can approach this collection of talent.

Tanaka will get the opening day start. He'll likely keep Tampa Bay guessing with his varied collection of pitches. While he doesn't throw hard, only in the low 90's, he features a devastating splitter and strong cutter that play off his fastball. He also throws a slider with earlier, bigger break ,often to righties, and a curveball he can snap off with good sink. He gets too many popups with his fastball and cutter to be a true ground ball guy, but his impeccable command and sharp movement usually prevent big damage.

Tampa Bay will have their hands full with Tanaka, as well as the new league structure. The Rays used to get a step up on their opponents with in-game tactical adjustments that were sound and backed with research. However, in the new PBL, robots will be implementing GM Alex Agrawal's ideas, and who knows how sharp software-based decision-making can compare to the human brainpower.

There's no brainpower needed in determining who will start opening day for the Rays as Chris Archer is one of baseball's best. With a mid-90's fastball, an elite changeup, and a wipeout slider, he's one of the best arms in the game, and Tampa Bay's success will be on his back. However, the Rays have bit of a patchwork offense with some question marks as to how it will hold up.

Logan Morrison, Starlin Castro, Steven Souza Jr., Colby Rasmus, and Brad Miller are known more for missed potential over consistent excellence. They'll need affirmative answers to at least three of those question marks if the team plans on reliably passing opposing pitching tests.

In Khris Davis, Wilson Ramos, and franchise icon Evan Longoria, the team has some power in the middle of their order, but can the team hit enough in order to consistently drive in runs with micromanaging now a trickier equation? It's possible the team can slug enough home runs for the offense to be a consistent producer, but for all the sluggers, there's a relative lack of dynamism. Still, that was often said of Tampa lineups in the MLB. They may continue to overperform in the PBA.


Questions for the GMs:

For Nnana August, there are a lot of options in play for the Yankees with a complicated board. What is your timeframe for the Yankees as World Series contenders?

You recently traded away Starlin Castro, who will be facing off against you for Tampa Bay. Why did you send him away to a division rival?

Archer is a terrific pitcher you'll be facing off against. What do you want to see from your team against him?

For Alex Agrawal, you took on a big chunk of salary to bring Starlin Castro into the fold. What does he bring you that Daniel Robertson didn't?

You have the Norrisaures Rex on your team. However, after Wilson Ramos recovered enough to be ready for opening day, will he see enough at bats to be happy?

Who on the Yankees do you feel is the key player to limit in order to hold their offense at bay?

[alextb]

1. The reason we brought in Starlin is because we feel he is going to bring that energy and unpredictability that he possesses. He has playoff experience from his time with the cubs. Adding him allows us to use a more versatile Matt Duffy at multiple positions which makes us deeper overall. I see us using him as a super sub at the beginning and seeing how he progresses.

2. Wilson Ramos will be our primary catcher. We have talked to Norris and he is all for doing what he can to help the team win. If that means coming in as a pinch hitter late in the game against a lefty arm or DH-ing he will do the job and stay positive. That being said we will be giving Ramos scheduled days off early on because of his recent injury which will allow Norris to get into a groove and confident.

3. Without question, Gary Sanchez. He can make teams pay in more ways than one, we witnessed that first hand last season. We really trust Archer's ability to keep him off balance. Also, we need to keep Gardner off the base paths.

[Brewersgm]

We see no reason why we can't be world series contenders this year. If we can make it to the playoffs anything can happen and we trust that our rotation can take us there.

Moving Starlin Castro gave us added flexibility. We felt this was a great time for Ronald Torreyes to step into the starting role and show the world that his feistiness is for real. We have the utmost confidence that he can replace Castro's production.

We need to put the ball in play today. We've got hitters that have the potential to go yard but we have to try to remain focused and simply put the ball in play. Archer is headed towards stardom in the show. His fastball really shows great life late and soon enough his breaking pitches will fall. If we can put the ball in play, I'll like our chances of staying in this game.

[Commissioner Erick]

Rays 10 - Yankees 1

WP: C. Archer
LP: M. Tanaka


The Yankees made a number of high-profile additions this offseason in attempt to showcase themselves as the PBA's jewel franchise. Little did they know, it was a subtraction that did them in, and the opposing pitcher who was the real gem.

Chris Archer pitched 8.2 masterful innings, Starlin Castro had three hits and a pair of RBI against the team that traded him, and the Rays made a statement that they mean business in the AL East.

The Inaugural PBA game wasn't close from the start. Masahiro Tanaka wasn't fooling anybody early on, giving up four extra base hits to the first five batters of the game. By the time Steven Souza Jr. was retired on a sacrifice fly, it was 4-0 Tampa Bay with two outs in the first.

Tanaka settled down in the second, using his fastball as an out pitch and recording three strikeouts around a hit and a walk. However, after a two-out hit in the third and a catcher's interference, Starlin Castro dumped a pitch into left field for an RBI ending Tanaka's day. Despite six strikeouts in 2.2 innings, Tanaka allowed five runs and took the loss.

His counterpart, meanwhile, was electric. Featuring a disappearing changeup and an electric slider, Chris Archer struck out nine batters on the day. Early on, a number of those strikeouts cam on mid 90's gas blown by opposing hitters, as he simply overpowered New York's lineup. And when the Yankees were able to threaten, Archer got them to go 0-4 with runners in scoring position.

Virtually everybody on the Rays was successful at the plate, and in the field. Wilson Ramos and Kevin Kiermaier both had doubles and home runs, Evan Longoria knocked in two, and Steven Souza Jr. scored two runs with two hits.

However, Starlin Castro relished his day the most. After robbing Jacoby Ellsbury of a bloop hit, Castro had three hits at the plate, scoring once, knocking in two, and making the Yankees look foolish for trading him. He's tied for the AL lead in average at .750 after his standout day.

Greg Bird had three hits and a run for the Yankees. New York pitching struck out 13 Rays, including Khris Davis four times.


Questions for the GMs:

For Nnana August, it obviously has to be rough losing opening day the way you did. Is it worse seeing how Castro played against you?

You mentioned putting the ball in play as a key to getting to Archer. I take it you weren't too thrilled with your execution there.

You added Dee Gordon to bolster your lineup. What do you want to see from him at the top of your lineup?

For Alex Agrawal, you talked up Starlin Castro's unpredictability. Is that part of what you saw from him today?

You were concerned about Gary Sanchez coming in. How do you feel Archer did against him?

You exclaimed after the game that Tampa Bay is a darkhorse contender that way. Of course it's easy to get excited after a huge opening day win, but what makes you think your guys have staying power?

[Brewersgm]

You never want to get off to a bad start. We were challenged by the Rays on opening day but thankfully this is a long season and one game won't define it. Gotta come back stronger next game.

Of course not but again it's a long season. We have plenty of time to figure things out.

Dee brings an element of speed that New York hasn't seen before. We are hopeful that he can help us tack on a few extra runs a game as a result.

[alextb]

Starlin has always had the talent to do great things. He showed that once again today. Let's hope he shows some consistency this year and make the rays regret trading him in their division.

Archer was stellar against everyone he faced. He held Sanchez to 1 hit which was exactly what I would have taken had you told me he would do that before the game.

I think we have an elite offense combined with an above average pitching staff. We're doing this on a very low budget and I feel like the media and league isn't giving us enough credit. They'll see soon enough.