TAMPA, FL. – Freshly-signed New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman is oozing confidence and is as ready for the season to start as much as fans are.
“[The season is] getting close. Got one more [outing] and then it’s real games but body, arm,
everything feels ready to go,” he said. “Game three could have been today, I would have been
ready to roll. Could have been two weeks ago, I would have been ready.”
After two years with the Chicago Cubs, a franchise that hasn’t seen a postseason appearance
since 2020, Stroman has one goal in mind: pitch well.
In 2022 he went 6-7 with a 3.50 ERA; in an injury-impacted 2023, he went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA including throwing a one-hitter at the end of May. It looks like for 2024, it’s just a matter of putting the ball in his hand sooner rather than later.
“I’m just looking forward to going out there and going 30-plus starts,” he explained. “That’s my goal.”
This Spring Training has been about making sure that he’s perfectly in tune with himself, safely ramping his pitch count up while maintaining quality work because, play a note wrong, and the whole orchestra sounds off.
“Mechanics are starting to feel dialed, just working day and night… getting to where I need to
be,” Stroman said. “Building up and making sure I’m in sync. I’m a feel-pitcher, just making
sure everything feels good. I feel ready to go, I’m ready to compete, I feel like I’m ready for real games.”
With the 2023 AL Cy Young winner as his teammate, albeit injured, Stroman feels that he’s able to take his pitching to the next level.
“[Gerrit Cole] is a genius when it comes to the whole pitching thing,” Stroman explained. “I’m a big ‘feel’ guy and he’s someone who’s dialed in on the analytics and mechanics so I feel like
when we talk to each other, I’m adding layers to my game which is incredible… I’m trying to learn ‘til the day I die.”
Entering his 10th year in the majors, Stroman knows what it takes to get himself ready for the regular season without rushing himself unnecessarily.
“I sat down with [GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone] and said ‘Hey, I’m ready to roll Opening Day if you need me, but also, if you guys want me to stay, I’ll stay too; whatever’s best for the team’ and they decided to keep me where I’m at,” the New York native said. “I know when I release the ball, I can kind of feel my whole body. Quad, hip, arm, like I can feel when everything is in sync, so for me it’s just getting that ‘sync.’
“When I’m synced up and fluid, I feel like I’m really good and hard to square the ball up out there.”
With the number three spot in the rotation, Stroman is set to start in the home opener on April 5, when the Yankees welcome another former team of his, the Toronto Blue Jays.
