The Captain's Blog

On Monday, the Yankees will face King Felix for the third time this season (Photo: Getty Images).

The Yankees won’t be catching any breaks on their final West Coast trip. One day after being stifled by Jered Weaver, the Yankees will have to contend with the Angels’ co-ace Dan Haren. Then, on Monday, Felix Hernandez will be waiting for them in Seattle. What’s more, the Yankees shouldn’t expect much of a reprieve when they head back east because Ricky Romero, Jon Lester, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, and David Price are all in line to face them over the final two weeks of the season.

“Here come the Yankees” must be a popular rallying cry because regardless of the city, the Bronx Bombers have been unable to sneak out of town without facing down an opponent’s top gun. Although the luck of the draw often dictates the opposing starting pitcher, sometimes it seems as if teams lay in ambush for the Yankees.  The paranoia that comes with being a fan can sometimes distort perception, but when you see the Mariners give King Felix an extra day of rest just before the Bronx Bombers arrive, it makes you wonder if part of being the Yankees means having other teams save their best?

After looking more closely at the numbers, the Yankees have, in fact, faced more “aces” than any other team. Although the disparity with the Red Sox is only one, that gap should grow based on the upcoming schedules for each team. Otherwise, the disadvantage compared to all other contenders is at least four games, which, in a tight pennant race, would be significant.

W-L Records Against Opposition Aces

Note: Aces defined as the top-15 pitchers in the American League, ranked by ERA as of September 10, 2011 (minimum 150 innings pitched). Only intra-league games considered.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

The Tigers find themselves at the other end of the spectrum. To date, Detroit has encountered a top-15 ace in only 20 games. Compounding their advantage, the Tigers have also posted the highest winning percentage against this elite ensemble by going 11-9. Meanwhile, the second place White Sox’ 8-19 record against opposition aces ranks near the bottom of the American League. Not coincidentally, the Tigers’ nine game loss column lead over the White Sox is almost equal to its 10 fewer defeats at the hands of premium competition.

Earned Runs Per Game Scored Against Opposition Aces

Note: Aces defined as the top-15 pitchers in the American League, ranked by ERA as of September 10, 2011 (minimum 150 innings pitched). Only intra-league games considered.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Only two other teams have a winning record against this collection of ace starting pitchers: the Boston Red Sox and, surprisingly, the offensively challenged Oakland Athletics. Judging by Oakland’s 3.25 earned runs scored per game, it seems as if their pitching, not offense, is responsible for the team’s success in these games. For Boston, however, the bats have responded to the challenge of facing the best by scoring 4.11 earned runs per game, the most by any team. The Rangers are not far behind the Red Sox, but Texas has won three fewer games against opposing aces.

The Yankees find themselves more toward the middle of the pack against the league’s elite starting pitchers. In addition to being three games under .500 in these contests, the Bronx Bombers have posted a lackluster 3.18 earned runs per game, a level of production that is almost a full run lower than the Red Sox and Rangers. Despite the small sample, the Yankees’ relative struggles against these top-flight starting pitchers is worth noting, especially as the post season draws near.