If you have not had the chance yet, tune into a Yankee game when rookie pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is pitching. You will not be let down. Last night, he earned his 6th win while throwing 114 pitches in a complete game shutout against the Mets. The totals were 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts. Pretty impressive stuff for a 25 year old import from Japan.
But he is so much more than the numbers. He evokes conversation from broadcasters about pitches and poise. His rumored "unhittable" splitter is truly that. Whether it starts out high and dives down for a strike or starts low for a swing-and-a-miss, Tanaka throws it with a speed and command most hitters have never seen before. Keep that in mind as you watch him throw all night. His repertoire is impressive: the slow but elegant curve he uses for 1st pitch strike, the cutter against lefties, the high fastball for moving eye levels around, and some sort of slider/slurve/breaking ball. If you were playing him in a video game, you could pretty much throw any pitch.
There is talk of him being the leading AL Cy Young candidate. Along with his superb 2.17 ERA, he has totaled 66 K's to 7 walks in 58 innings. Only David Price has a better K/BB ratio, but Price has been much more hittable than the $155 million import. He's top 5 in batting average against and number 1 in WHIP. Advanced stats such as FIP (2.81) and adjusted ERA (52) agree that he has been as good as expected.
But the very best part of watching Tanaka pitch is knowing that people like him won't come around very often. He is something special, and every five days, we are treated to a show of dancing baseballs and exasperated hitters. Catch him the next time around. I will.
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