On Thursday afternoon, New York Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka pitched 7.2 strong innings to help the Bronx Bombers complete a three-game sweep against the Batimore Orioles, their American League East Division rival.
With the win, Tanaka picked up his 20th career victory, making some Yankee history in the process.
Masahiro Tanaka (@Yankees) became the 1st Yankee pitcher to win 20 of his first 33 career starts since Whitey Ford (via @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 24, 2015
Tanaka joins elite company, as he is the first Yankees’ pitcher to win 20 of his first 33 career starts since Whitey Ford accomplished the feat in the early 1950s.
Although it’s a huge accomplishment to win 20 of your first 33 big league starts, it can be said that both pitchers could have arguably reached the 20-win plateau a lot earlier in their careers.
Ford posted a 9-1 record during his rookie campaign in 1950, but missed the next two seasons due to military service. In 1953, Ford was back to his dominant form, posting an 18-6 record to give him 27 wins throughout his first 42 starts. Â The Hall of Famer spent his entire 16-year career in pinstripes, posting a career 236-106 record with a 2.75 ERA.
During his rookie season, Tanaka was starting to solidify himself as one of the game’s best arms, but a partial UCL tear in his pitching elbow sidelined him for a huge portion of the 2014 season. After rehabbing the injury, Tanaka has been working to get back to form, as he is currently 7-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 13 starts this season.
The Yankees hope that Tanaka can continue to make Yankee history, as he is only 26-year-old with a lot of upside. With the Yankees currently atop the American League East Division, the team needs Tanaka to pitch at a high level, as the team looks to make another postseason run come October.
