A Yankees reliever is giving Mariano Rivera vibes | Klapisch
The Yankees have high expectations for their closer who's about to start his first full season in the Bronx.
Anyone who studies baseball knows the cardinal rule of scouting: Never fall in love with a small sample size. It’s the ultimate tease, never to be trusted. That’s why I withheld judgment on David Bednar after the Yankees acquired him last July.
They needed a closer and he checked a number of boxes. With a 2. 19 ERA in 24 2/3 innings, all parties agreed it was a promising first impression.
But that’s all it was. Bednar still had miles to go before proving a) he’d be reliable a second and third time around the AL East, b) he wouldn’t rattle under extreme pressure and c) he could handle the legacy of the great Mariano Rivera , who spoiled us all. Every post-Rivera closer has come up short for one reason or another.
Aroldis Chapman had superman-like velocity. Good luck trying to make contact when he was throwing strikes. But control was a problem.
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