Along we have Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, Luis Ayala was another arm picked up by the Yankees off the scrap heap to bolster the pitching staff, and thus far, all three of them have pitched above expectations. But, Ayala is the one least talked about. The good news is, if he continues his dominance out of the bullpen, you'll hear a lot more about him.Thus far this season Luis Ayala has a very impressive 1.86 ERA in seven games. Although he has allowed 14 hits in 9.2 innings pitched, he has proven he can get out of trouble. Ayala also missed some time with a strained right shoulder. Since coming off the DL he has pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in four games.
(In photo: Ramiro Mendoza)Ayala is a sinker/slider pitcher that reminds me a little bit of former Yankee pitcher Ramiro Mendoza. Mendoza was a key setup man in the 2001 American League Champion Yankee squad. Now, with David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and a healthy Rafael Soriano, Ayala won't have a big role for the Yankees. But that doesn't mean he can't be a secret weapon for them this season.
With Soriano being on the shelf for a couple of weeks, Ayala could actually play a role similar to that of Mendoza in 2001. Manager Joe Girardi has had to use Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson a lot since Soriano has been injured, and their workload will continue to be high as long as Soriano is on the shelf. So, expect to see Ayala more often the next two weeks and even beyond if he continues to be effective.
(photo: Newsday)Good things can happen, and one of the biggest secrets will be Ayala for the Yankees. You can bank on it.
--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer
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