Joba The....Starter?

In recent weeks, the Yankees have set New York ablaze with talk of transitioning their prized pitching prospect, Joba Chamberlain, into a starting pitcher. This all makes sense, but for some people it doesn't. Some people argue he was dominant as a reliever, he might not have the same success as a starter. Realistically that has yet to be seen, but check out his minor league numbers:


18 Games
15 Games Started
9-2 W-L
88.1 IP
135 Strikeouts
27 Walks
25 Runs
24 Earned Runs
2.45 ERA

The numbers speak for themselves. He dominated at every level in 2007. As the set up man for Mariano Rivera he was a pleasant surprise. He finished the year at the big league level with a 0.38 ERA. This year started similar to the tune of a 2.28 ERA before his first start. The anticipation of Joba's first start was very high. A capacity crowd gathered at Yankee Stadium on June 3rd, 2008 against the Toronto Blue Jays, to witness the first start of his career. Chamberlain reached the mound to a standing ovation. Chamberlain, who was limited to a 65-75 pitch count, got about halfway to his pitch count in the first inning, throwing 38, 21 for strikes. Chamberlain was wild in that first inning, but settled down in the second inning. He notched 101 MPH several times on the radar guns, including his final pitch.

All in all, the numbers were staggering. In 2 1/3 innings worked, he allowed two runs, one earned. The Blue Jays hitters did their job well, working him into several 3-2 counts. Of the 12 hitters he faced, he walked 4 and struck out 3. This was not like Chamberlain, but in a new role you will see this happen sometimes. Chamberlain had flashes of brilliance. Judging by his performance after the rough first inning, Chamberlain should gradually work his way to being a number 1 or 2 starter as scouts have suggested. He will extend his pitch counts in outings to come, and we should expect big things from the Big man from Lincoln, Nebraska.