Yankees 3, Tigers 1: Tyler Wade shines in first win of the spring

The Yankees started the season off on the right foot with a nice win against the Detroit Tigers. We got our first look at Giancarlo Stanton in pinstripes, and a few up-and-coming prospects gave us something to dream on. This is only the very beginning, but as long as no one important explodes, it should be considered a successful outing.

Things didn’t get off to the best start for the Yankees, though, when Luis Cessa allowed a run in the first inning. Spring training stats are typically meaningless, but when it comes to someone like Cessa, it becomes a little bit more important. The 25-year-old right-hander had a bad 2017 season and is unlikely to make the team in April. He managed to strike out two in two innings, and seems to be in better shape this year, but if he can’t turn things around, he’s not going to make it in New York.

None of the pitchers in this game should be considered locks to make the major league team this year, though we could see a few of them eventually. Ben Heller did strike out three batters, but he also allowed three hits in two innings. Brady Lail, Cale Coshow, and Giovanny Gallegos got into the game as well, though none of them were particularly dominant.

The Yankees trailed for most of the game and didn’t manage much until the sixth inning. Tyler Wade hit a hustle double, Kyle Higashioka walked, and Danny Espinosa took a pitch to the ribs. Wade then managed to score on a ground out and someone named Jorge Saez knocked in two more runs.

Though Wade had a poor first showing in the majors last year, the team seems to like what they see in him this year. He collected two hits on the day, though also committed an error at shortstop. The addition of Brandon Drury doesn’t exactly give him a good chance to make it out of spring training, but he’s definitely someone to watch this month and all season long.

Today was overall a day for the youth to show off what they can do against big league quality talent. Clint Frazier and Jake Cave both hit safely and stole a base. Gleyber Torres doubled and Billy McKinney walked. Even Estevan Florial got a chance to flash his abilities when he showed off his legs on the base paths as a pinch runner. It’s clear that the talent is here, and it’s going to be a fun spring this year.