Not Overworked, Just Underperforming

Taking a look at the Yankees' bullpen stats for this year, I was surprised to see that, at their current rate of work, not one of our 376 First Line relievers will top their career-high innings totals as a reliever.

In fact, the only one of the multitudes gathered out by the rightfield bleachers who is looking at a new innings high is Luis Cessa.

And I think we can all agree that a single inning from Cessa is overwork—for our cardiac systems.

Thank you, thank you!  Don't forget your waitresses!  They won't forget you.

Seriously—or as serious as we can be with a giddy, 9 1/2-game lead and just 40 games still to go—neither El Chapo, Britton, Ottavino, Kahnle, nor our ofttimes "opener," Hanging Chad Greene, are on a pace to exceed their top innings totals.  Far from it, in fact.

This is good to see—but a little alarming when you look at how spotty the bullpen's work has tended to be this season.

Is this the effect of Super Happy Fun Ball?  Age?  (The reason my wife always attributes to MY spotty performances...)

It does seem that nobody has a truly great bullpen this year, which makes for some fun games...but also diminishes our biggest asset.  Let's give Ma and Coops their props, though, for not running these guys into the ground.  I'm sure they will do that down the stretch.