Big 3 throw first bullpen sessions
The New York Yankees "Big 3," comprised of Dellin Betances, Aroldis Chapman, and Andrew Miller, threw their first bullpen sessions during the team's pitchers and catchers workout on Saturday afternoon.
Some serious heat coming off these #Yankees bullpen mounds: Chapman, Sabathia, Betances, Miller pic.twitter.com/fBHelKso70
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 20, 2016
There is a lot of buzz surrounding this trio of pitchers, as the Yankees hope they can help shorten games and help them compete for another American League East Title in 2016. General Manager Brian Cashman was on hand for this session, and it appears that the organization is very excited about their back-end of the bullpen. After two straight seasons in which he's made 70+ appearances as mostly a set-up man, Dellin Betances will still be a huge part of the Yankees bullpen in 2016, but will likely serve as the team's seventh inning man moving forward.
Dellin Betances lets it fly #Yankees pic.twitter.com/7JZgsbdNTS — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 20, 2016
With Betances, the Yankees feel comfortable that the 27-year-old is capable of getting more than three outs, and it's likely that he could be used for multiple innings in certain situations to help bridge the gap to Miller and Chapman. It's not usually normal to see the reigning American League Reliever of the Year being moved out of the closer's role, but Andrew Miller is willing to do whatever it takes to win a championship in the Bronx.
Andrew Miller on the bullpen mound #Yankees #MLB #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/adSUh4ZuAz
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 20, 2016
Before arriving in New York last offseason, Miller was one of the league's best setup men, but rose to the challenge when the Yankees asked him to close games. In 60 appearances, Miller posted a 2.04 ERA while picking up 36 saves for the Bronx Bombers. Yankee fans know what to expect from Betances and Miller, so most of the attention so far is surrounding Aroldis Chapman, whom the team acquired this offseason in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
Aroldis Chapman bringing the ??? in his first #Yankees bullpen session pic.twitter.com/RYjIcgiizY — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 20, 2016
Chapman is an exciting pitcher to watch, as he is one of, if not the, hardest throwing pitcher in the sport. Adding Chapman to the mix will definitely bolster the Yankees bullpen, as opposing teams will have pressure to score runs early in games to avoid seeing the "three-headed monster" at the end of the game. Here's a closer look at a little bit of Chapman's first bullpen session as a member of the New York Yankees:
Aroldis Chapman's first #Yankees bullpen pic.twitter.com/Gollnj0qvq
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) February 20, 2016
During his first bullpen session, many people gathered around to see their new closer, including Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and Gene Michael. It's safe to say that Chapman impressed everyone within the organization and the media.
I'm standing behind a fence, about 15 feet behind McCann. Chapman's pitches even sound loud. — Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) February 20, 2016
Even in a bullpen session and even though I didn't play baseball after HS, easy to see why hitters are intimidated by Chapman's heat. Wow.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) February 20, 2016
Just asked McCann how his hand felt after catching Chapman. Answer: "I'm a grown man" — wallace matthews (@ESPNNYYankees) February 20, 2016
Gene Michael, who attended his first spring training in 1959, watched Chapman's BP session and said, "I've never seen anyone like that."
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) February 20, 2016
Girardi on Chapman: he's a physical specimen... You can see why he throws so hard... I thought he had a good bullpen #yankees — Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) February 20, 2016
The Yankees three giant relievers, closer Aroldis Chapman and setup men, Andrew Miller... https://t.co/0FzDplFu6X pic.twitter.com/gZMUnqeHrv
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) February 20, 2016
As you can see, the Yankees' bullpen is already drawing a lot of attention this spring. The excitement is already being built around the "Big 3" at the back-end of the bullpen, and many Yankee fans already can't wait to see these three dominant relief pitchers take the mound at Yankee Stadium this season.