NEW YORK — When you’ve got a massive right fielder who’s started off his career with extra-base hits in each of his first three games, a 23-year-old first baseman who hit towering home runs last season, and a cluster of exciting additions, it’s easy for a promising youngster to get lost in the mix.
That’s what happened to 25-year-old right-hander Chad Green, at least for a little while.
Green, who was acquired from the Tigers along with Luis Cessa in exchange for Justin Wilson, an effective but ultimately expendable left-handed reliever, has shown promise in his rookie season with the Yankees. He’s had a few bumps along the way—a rocky debut in May, and a disaster in Cleveland on July 8, when he allowed seven earned runs—but he’s also looked stellar in the rotation and out of the bullpen.
On Monday night, Green shined, striking out 11 Blue Jays over six scoreless innings. His fastball was on, as usual, averaging 95.4 mph on the gun and topping out at 97 mph according to PITCHf/x. The key was his slider, which he threw more than any pitch. 79% of his sliders went for strikes, and 21% of the swings against the pitch were whiffs.
“He’s got good stuff, and his stuff has developed this year,” Joe Girardi said after the game. “And I think each time he’s taken his demotion the right way and said ‘Hey, this is what I need to work on, and I’m going to get better.’ He never got down on himself, never hung his head, and just went to work. And he works extremely hard.
“Since we have seen him in spring training, his slider has improved drastically.”
The horizontal and vertical movement has gone up slightly since May, roughly two inches either direction. While his horizontal movement is average for a slider, the drop is not. He’s got his vertical break (-2.14 inches on Monday) which is somewhere between an average curveball and slider. With that downward movement, at 84 mph, it’s hard to hit.
Green’s ability to throw it with more break, and throw it for strikes, has opened the door for more success with other pitches. In a battle against Melvin Upton Jr., Green pounded the zone with sliders, displaying great command and confidence with the pitch, and then froze the righty with a fastball on the black.
“It really kept them off the fastball a little bit,” Green said postgame.
It’s pretty easy to agree with Girardi’s assessment of the improvement as “drastic.” Green classified the slider as his second-best pitch, and considering it was an afterthought in spring training, that says a lot.
“I know [Joe]’s talking from when he first saw me in spring training, when it was pretty much non-existent,” said Green. “I mean, it was just terrible. The strides with that pitch have been huge, being able to work with [Tommy Phelps] and Larry [Rothschild]. It’s come a long way since April.”
All that changed, according to Green? Breaking directly for home plate, and throwing the pitch with a little attitude. He stressed the “mindset” a lot.
With a polished slider in his pocket which has shown up consistently, Green should manage to raise his floor as a pitcher. Considering the Yankees have two rotation spots open, with Nathan Eovaldi going for surgery, and Luis Severino heading back down to Triple-A, that’s all the Yankees need this season.
As for the future? Well, at 25, there’s still time to improve his changeup and cutter even further. Green’s shown this year, he’s able to make adjustments and willing to put in the work.
Photo: Brad Penner / USA Today Sports; Video: MLBAM