Can C.C. Sabathia regain what he lost last season? And no, I'm not talking about his weight.
Sabathia, 33, struggled during the 2013 season. The left-handed pitcher went 14-13, with a career worst 4.78 ERA. He did pitch 211.0 innings, the seventh straight season Sabathia has eclipsed 200 innings. However his 175 strikeouts were his fewest in a season since 2006. He walked 2.8 batters per nine innings, his worst since 2006 and was admittedly unreliable in some starts last season.
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"Yeah, of course," Sabathia said after being asked about his weight loss affecting his pitching. "I didn't know the weight loss was going to affect me that much. There were just some games that I was short. I didn't have the stuff, you know. It was frustrating."
Did losing the weight really fatigue Sabathia that much in 2013? It had a part in it, but I don't believe his failures in 2013 should be blamed completely on his weight loss. Since the start of the 2011 season, Sabathia's average fastball velocity has dipped. In 2011, his fastball was averaged at 93.8 miles per hour. 2012 saw his fastball decrease to an average velocity of 92.3 MPH. Finally it was 91.1 in 2013.
Sabathia is starting to age. 33 is typically (not always) the age where pitchers are either on the outskirts of their prime or have left the prime of their careers all together. The velocity from all of his pitches (slider, curveball and changeup) decreased during the 2013 season. It is a factor of age, but Sabathia's weight loss played a factor.
"I'm only 33 years old, but it's still my 14th season," said Sabathia. "That's a lot of wear and tear on your arm."
He probably wasn't used to pitching in a new way. Believe it or not, a pitcher like Sabathia, who is used to pitching with extra weight, could fall out of balance when his surroundings change (no pun intended). Former Yankees' pitcher, Andy Pettitte, was a big influence on Sabathia in the off-season. He gave Sabathia tips on how to pitch without having a fastball clocked at 94 MPH. Pettitte, before becoming a control pitcher in the latter half of his career, had a fastball clocked from 92-95 MPH.
"We talked a lot about this last year. CC's got everything it takes to be successful -- mentally, pitch-stuff-wise," said Pettitte. "When your velocity's not quite there, you've got to rely a little bit more on movement and command, and be able to change speeds and do different pitching. And I think he can do all those things.”
And that from the former Yankees' All-Star should be treated as a compliment.
“He's too much of a competitor not to be successful, and he's got a great club around him. He's going to be just fine. The biggest thing for me is I'm trying to get him not to worry about it. Whatever the velocity is, it is. You can't worry about that. You've got to get guys out with what you've got."
Sabathia, who starting the Yankees' Opening Day game against the Astros, will have a good season. He had a great Spring Training, going 3-1, with a 1.29 ERA. Sabathia allowed 13 hits and three runs in 21.0 innings pitched. Expect the lefty to reclaim the title of ace for the Yankees' pitching staff.
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