The New York Yankees were hoping for stability from Marcus Stroman. Instead, they got fireworks—and not the good kind.
The Philadelphia Phillies rocked Stroman in Saturday’s 9–4 loss, as he allowed loud contact throughout a brutal outing that raised fresh concerns about the right-hander’s role in the rotation. With Aaron Judge out due to elbow issues, the Yankees needed a veteran on the mound to calm the storm. Stroman delivered the opposite.
Statcast tells the story plainly: Stroman gave up a max exit velocity of 109.1 mph and an average exit velocity of 96.0 mph across 89 pitches. He allowed hard contact on nearly everything in the zone, with his cutter and sinker routinely sent screaming back into the outfield. He threw his sinker 29 times and gave up an average exit velocity of 99.6 mph, while his cutter—arguably his most reliable pitch this season—got smoked at 101.5 mph.
Stroman’s Arsenal Falls Flat Against Red-Hot Phillies
Pitch usage wasn’t the issue—Stroman mixed six different offerings with his usual precision—but the results were simply not there. His sinker, cutter, and splitter all produced below-average whiff rates, and none of his pitches generated more than two called strikes. He got only nine whiffs on 39 swings overall, a concerning 23% whiff rate. The Phillies weren’t fooled, and they weren’t late.
His velocity aligned with season averages, with the sinker clocking in at 90.0 mph and the cutter at 88.8 mph; however, his pitches lacked deception. The induced vertical break and horizontal movement were down or flat across most offerings, making everything look hittable. Even the slider—usually a weapon against righties—didn’t record a single whiff.
Stroman’s worst moments came with runners on base, as he couldn’t locate his slurve or splitter consistently enough to put hitters away. His 10 splitters generated three whiffs and multiple balls in play at 94+ mph, including one line drive that nearly took his glove off. His overall CSW% (Called Strikes + Whiffs) was just 21%, well below the league average for starting pitchers.
Rotation Depth Now Under Scrutiny Again
The Yankees brought Stroman in to be an innings-eater and stabilizer. But his ERA has ballooned in July, and this outing felt like a low point. He failed to reach the sixth inning for the third time in his last four starts and gave the bullpen another long night at the office.
With Clarke Schmidt out for the season and Aaron Judge dealing with a flexor strain in his throwing arm, the Yankees’ margin for error is thinner than ever. Stroman’s struggles now raise the stakes for the trade deadline—New York may need to look for another starter if Stroman can’t rebound quickly.
And while the Phillies deserve credit, this lineup punishes mistakes—they didn’t have to search hard to find them Saturday afternoon. Stroman’s cutter caught too much of the plate. His sinker lacked bite. He elevated his off-speed pitches, resulting in a lopsided home loss that extended the Yankees’ recent slide.
Stroman’s spot in the rotation appears safe, if only by necessity. But with each rocky outing, the pressure to perform builds. The Yankees are trying to stay relevant in a ruthless AL playoff race, and they can’t afford Stroman to be a liability every fifth day.
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