New York Yankees Rotation: Much Improved, but Don't Forget About Wang

The shopping spree the Yankees went on this off-season has turned more than a few heads. The Yanks wrapped up three of the top free agents available. 

Two of those free agents were the two most-coveted pitchers on the market. They are C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, for those who have been vacationing on the moon for the last four months.

There is so much talk about how the new guys will adjust to life as a Yankee. How they will perform and will they be worth the money?  All the focus is on these new additions. The anticipation is mounting. 

The 800-pound gorilla in the room is Burnett's health. The big question is will C.C. be happy and perform in New York?  The speculation is endless. 

This brings to New York the most dominant one-two punch this team has seen in a decade.  While the need to beef up the rotation was undeniable, people seem to have forgotten the cornerstone of the rotation for the last few years.  The man who has been a quiet storm, a low profile ace, Chien Ming Wang.

This is a man who has never been given the credit that he earned so consistently over the last few years. There was always a call for a "true ace" when Wang led the rotation. Wang is discredited for not possessing the fire or intensity of an ace and his strikeout ratio just doesn't impress his critics.

Strikeouts be damned, let's talk about this guy that many deny has No. 1 stuff. 

This is a man who tied Johan Santana for most wins in the majors in only his second year in the show. Wang also finished second to Santana for the Cy Young that year.

This is man who got his 50th major league win in his 85th career start. He's the quickest pitcher to reach that mark since Doc Gooden, who did it in his 82nd start over 20 years before. Go ahead and marinate on that for a moment.

To add to that prestigious claim, the last Yankee to do it that quickly was the great "Louisiana Lighting" Ron Guidry, who accomplished 50 wins by his 82nd start. Not bad to be mentioned in the same breath as that man. 

This is a man who pitches a sinkerball that more than one major league batter has described as "like hitting a bowling ball".  He may not strike out every batter he faces, or even five per game, but the ground-ball capability he possesses is remarkable and ends innings by double play like clockwork.

This is a man who has accomplished this success while pitching in the No. 1 spot for years now. He has squared off against names like Kazmir, Beckett, and Halladay.  It's hard enough to even compete against a team's No. 1 pitcher every time out, much less emerge victorious on such a grand scale and so consistently.

Perhaps one of Wang's biggest bragging rights is the fact that over a three-season span, before he was injured in 2008, he had logged the most wins in the majors during that time. That's better than Beckett, to add some fuel to the rivalry. 

Again, not bad for a starter many discount as an ace.  Not bad for a man being put on the back burner and made to pitch in the No. 3 slot by necessity.

The point here is not to discredit those who called for a "true ace".  C.C. is that man, and one would be a fool to deny the need or the urgency of attaining an ace. 

The thing is now the Yanks have these two horses to run out on day one and day two of any three-game series. The third man will be Wang, more than likely. Not a good outlook for teams matching up with the Yanks.

This puts a man who thrived in the No. 1 position into the third slot behind our new additions. Think about that. He will be facing off with pitchers who belong in the third spot in their rotation. Really, Wang is too good for that spot, but the choices are limited and the alternatives are non-existent.

Simply put, this forces Wang into a very positive position. Wang didn't digress, Wang didn't slump, Wang didn't do anything wrong whatsoever. This move is out of necessity to make room for the big-contract boys.

Wang will be facing lesser pitchers than he is used to, making his odds of winning jump up substantially. Just imagine how this man will prevail this season. He was getting 19 wins per season against the aces of the league. It would be hard to deny the possibility of Wang finally breaking the 20-win barrier going up against lesser competition over the course of a season. 

There will finally be serious talk of Wang in contention for the Cy Young once again.  Hes always in the mix, but never a realistic contender.  Earning 23 wins isn't out of the realm of possibility and that right there would make him a no-brainer.

Look for Wang, the man who was lost in the hype, to overshadow the entire rotation this year.  Look for Wang to do what he does best, which is win ball games consistently, and with more frequency, now that the other man on the mound won't be the big names he is used to facing off with.

We, the people, may have been swept up in the storm of what has happened this offseason, with the acquistions, the scandals, and the stuff that is par for the course in the Yankee Universe.

The people, the fans, and the hype machine have the luxury of overlooking Wang, and being distracted by these shiny new toys. Opposing lineups, though, had best not forget about Wang or they will be sorry. They are right to fear this rotation as it stands. Wang is every bit as important in that as C.C. and A.J. 

This man isn't your typcial Yankee superstar, but he is one of the most integral parts of the rotation, as he has been for the last few years. Keep your eye on him, he will make Yankee fans proud yet again with his efforts while wearing the stripes.  

He will compliment these new starters, and might just out perform them both from the No. 3 slot.  It wouldn't be the first time he pitched better than them, just the first time while they are all in the same dugout.