CC Sabathia Has Been the Ace Yankees Have Been Searching For

Lost amidst the the talk of A-Rod's playoff breakout, Joe Girardi's overmanaging, the umpiring, and the Dynasty Boys was the story of the ALCS MVP, CC Sabathia. Sabathia had been brought to New York to do one thing: be the ace the Yankees had been lacking for a long time. Chien-Ming Wang wasn't the answer. Neither was Randy Johnson, Javier Vazquez, and especially not Carl Pavano.

Sabathia came with question marks too: he was a great regular season performer and pitched great down the stretch, but wilted in the playoffs (Paul jokingly called him "Mr. August"). He's been everything and more for the Yankees, though, so far in the 2009 playoffs. He's taken the ball 3 times and the Yankees have won all 3 times. Let's take a look at why he's been so successful:

Sabathia, is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA with 20 K and 3 BB. The key for the hefty lefty is hitting his spots and he's done that extremely well so far this postseason. Joe Posnanski, writing for SI, put it perfectly after Game 1 of the ALCS: Sabathia has completed his transition from thrower to artist. While he was great throughout the regular season, you never saw him carve up the plate as he has so far this postseason. He has a bit of all the best Yankees of the Jeter Era: the motion and look of David Wells, the tough slider of Randy Johnson, the explosive fastball of Roger Clemens, the bulldog attitude of El Duque, the creativity of David Cone, the stopper confidence of Andy Pettitte, and even, at times, the fistpump of Joba Chamberlain.

The thing he doesn't seem to have on or off the mound? Fear. He never seemed to panic when he had a slow start to the season, repeatedly telling everyone who would listen that he would heat up when the weather did.  He did so going 11-2 in the second half with a 2.74 ERA. People were worried when his first-half K/9 rate was below his career average. Sabathia's second-half featured more punchouts (1.1 more K/9) and fewer walks than his first half. CC's worst start of the second half came in the last game of the season. While he viewed it as a tune-up start, many viewed this of a sign of his inability to pitch in October coming back (since the game was being played at the beginning of the month). Sabathia silenced his critics in Game 1 of the ALDS, swayed the crowd in Game 1 of the ALCS, and then put the final doubters to rest by pitching so well on 3 days rest in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Sabathia is reaching his innings total from last season, though this year he's doing it differently. Joe Girardi gave Sabathia extra rest towards the end of the season with the hopes of having him fresh for the playoffs. It has worked. While Sabathia looked gassed last season (and for good reason since he pitched every 3 days multiple times down the stretch, putting the Brewers on his back to make the playoffs) and was beat up by the Phillies in the NLDS. He put his team on his back at the end of this season as well, not losing a game in August or September and besides that October start (where he gave up 8 hits, 9 runs, 5 ER, and 5 BB) dominating down the stretch:



This season, he looks like he's ready to go another few more rounds. The Yankees will need CC to dominate in the World Series as well, but I have confidence in the Yankees ace--a feeling I have not had for a long time.