Baseball The curious case of postseason Adam Ottavino by Daniel Yanofsky October 18, 2019 One of the most prized offseason acquisitions of the Yankees, Adam Ottavino has gone from reliable reliever to postseason pariah. He is not the main reason for the Yankees’ downward spiral against the Houston Astros during this ALCS. We can thank Aaron Boone for that. However, his recent have warranted plenty of questioning by the Yankees faithful. Ottavino was a stellar arm for the Yankees in the regular season. He striking out 88 batters while posting a 1.90 ERA in 73 games. Just like Clayton Kershaw, however, he has yet to show up come playoff time. In seven postseason games in 2019 Ottavino has given up three earned runs and has walked six. Last night, he let up another run. Just how bad had he been this postseason? Well, he’s making history. Adam Ottavino: 4th appearance without getting an out this postseason.That's the most by any pitcher in a single postseason in MLB history.— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) October 18, 2019 Ottavino has managed to strike out two batters this ALCS, but nobody will remember that. The boo birds have been reigning down on the once-reliable man making $27 million. A true New Yorker, Ottavino is not getting that hometown love he expected when signing with the team. Then again, he’s getting the exact treatment any struggling New York player has gotten over the years. An unfortunate rite of passage, it can double for him considering his 11+ ERA. Perhaps Boone overused him during this season. There’s also the case that the relievers, in general, are being relied upon too often this postseason. With the bats of the Yankees not producing and the rotation what it is, the meltdown was bound to happen. Ottavino’s, however, has been above and beyond everyone’s expectations. With the Yankees facing elimination tonight, it would be wise for Ottavino to stay in the bullpen clubhouse. If the Yankees, by some miracle, do get a chance to beat Justin Verlander and make it to Houston, perhaps a motivated Ottavino can find his mojo again. For now, however, Ottavino’s presence should be that of a spectator. Post Views: 1,285 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Daniel Yanofsky Baseball Editor, Misc. Sports Editor. Covers all things combat sports (MMA, Pro Wrestling and Boxing). When he's not writing, Daniel hosts a podcast, The Main Event. Latest posts by Daniel Yanofsky (see all) Mets hire Luis Rojas to replace Carlos Beltran as manager - January 23, 2020 An Outsider’s 2020 Hall of Fame Ballot - January 21, 2020 A Wild Yo Sighting: Yoenis Cespedes participates in running, fielding and hitting drills - January 21, 2020 Following Conor McGregor’s win at UFC 246, is “The King” truly back? - January 20, 2020 Related TopicsAdam OttavinoBaseballLocal AthletesMLBMLB PlayoffsMLB2019New York Yankees Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Michael Jordan Could Change the Future of Nascar for the Better by Inesh Chari | posted on March 30, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 106: Newsday’s Neil Best (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 12, 2021 More in Baseball You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video) On the 112th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) On the 109th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 108: WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (Audio/Video) On the 108th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video) On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Farewell, C.C. Position by Position Breakdown: Who Has the Edge in the World Series?