Spring training is a fever dream, and playing a national team in the middle of the Grapefruit League schedule only adds to the hallucination. The Yankees spent their Tuesday dismantling Team Panama 11-1 in a game that felt less like a professional contest and more like a high-end batting practice session.
It was a mercy-rule affair that ended in the eighth, which is probably for the best because nobody needs to see Panama’s bullpen get stretched thin before the World Baseball Classic even starts.
Fried is Fine So Relax
Max Fried took the mound and looked exactly like a guy trying to find his release point in early March. He tossed three scoreless innings and only gave up a single hit, but the three walks stick out like a sore thumb. You want to see him carving up hitters, sure, but his velocity is sitting where it needs to be for this stage of the spring.
It wasn’t the vintage, surgical Fried we expect to see in October, but it’s literally March 3. If you’re checking his ERA right now, you’re doing baseball wrong.
The Stanton Enigma Returns
Then there is Giancarlo Stanton, the man who remains the most polarizing figure in the Bronx. He made his spring debut and looked like the same physical marvel he has always been. He laced a single at 114.3 mph, a velocity that most hitters can’t reach in their wildest dreams. Stanton called it a nice prototype first day, and honestly, that’s all you can ask for from a guy whose health is always a coin flip.
We all know the deal with his body by now. The fact that his elbows bother him in everyday life isn’t exactly comforting, but as long as he’s teleporting baseballs into the bleachers, the Yankees will live with the risk. He’s slated to get back out there on Thursday. The goal isn’t for him to win a Spring Training MVP; the goal is for him to reach Opening Day without a stint on the injured list.
Deep Bench or Mirage
The real story of the afternoon wasn’t the stars, but the guys fighting for a scrap of relevance on the 26-man roster. JC Escarra went nuclear, going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Jorbit Vivas also drove in three, reminding everyone that the Yankees actually have some intriguing depth if they can just keep their primary starters on the field. Even Trent Grisham found ways to be useful by drawing a pair of walks.
Tim Hill and Brent Headrick looked sharp in their relief appearances, which is exactly what the front office wants to see as they piecemeal this bullpen together. Osvaldo Bido gave up a run, but in an 11-1 blowout, that’s basically a statistical rounding error. The Yankees look like a juggernaut right now, even if they are beating up on a Panama squad that was just happy to be there.
This team has a certain swagger that was missing last year. They followed up a 5-1 win over Toronto with this absolute clinic. It’s early, and everything in Florida should be taken with a massive grain of salt, but winning is a habit. If Stanton’s swing is already this violent and the depth pieces are producing, the American League East better be looking over its shoulder.