12 Days, 12 Players: Scott Patterson

Everyday until spring training begins the "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog will review one player from the Yankees roster. We will review a total of 27 players, the 25 we believe will be on the active roster after spring training, and 2 we believe should be on the active roster but won't be for one reason or another. Our reviews are all edited by Carl Pavano himself to insure they're up to the stringent "Pavano Tough" standards.

I am not one to follow every minor league player in the Yankees system. However, this Scott Patterson guy seems like a good player. I'm not sure why they never called him up last season when they were bringing up every player with an arm, but I assume there was a reason for it. The man threw 74.1 innings in Trenton, struck out 91, and posted a 1.09 ERA. He gave up one homerun throughout that entire time, and he issued 15 walks. That's 15 walks to 91 strikeouts. He only made it into one game at the Triple A level where he threw three shutout innings with one strikeout. He's currently playing winter ball where he's gone 23.1 innings with a
1.54 ERA, 20 K's with 3 walks, and 3 saves. This guy may be the sleeper of all the free agent signings this off season.

The Yankees didn't feel confidant enough to bring him up last season, however they did feel confidant enough to sign him to a major league deal. They had to see something in him, and certainly his numbers suggest he could be effective. The question is, is Patterson another Colter Bean who rakes in the minors but isn't quite as effective in the majors? Or is he more like a Joba Chamberlain who can be effective at all levels?

My Fearless Prediction:

Based on his numbers alone, I think this guy could be a productive player. His high strikeout low walk rate tell me that he can get the ball over the plate. The fact that he only gave up one homerun last season tells me that he can get it over the plate effectively. I suspect his ERA will climb into the mid 3 range, but I also suspect he will get some outs and be an effective big league reliever. Patterson could be the steady bullpen arm the Yankees have needed.


Little Known Scott Patterson Fact: He's on the Yankees.