Ian Kennedy: Will Your Arm Fall Off?

One of the main reasons that the Yankees have been able to salvage this 2007 season, as well as a main reason for Yankee fans to have optimism for the future, has been the bright young pitching starts. In particular, the trifecta of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy is 3/5 of a starting rotation that fans are hoping to see in pinstripes for years to come. While all 3 are now contributing at the major league level, its important for fans and the organization to remember that these three are still verdant kids and need to be protected to a point. For the most part, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankee hierarchy have done this, especially when the now infamous “Joba Rules” are considered, but the one person who could be in danger of overuse is Ian Kennedy. There are no “Ian Kennedy Rules”, but with the number of innings Kennedy has logged on his arm this year then perhaps some rules should be instituted.

Combined with the minor leagues and major leagues, Ian Kennedy has pitched a total of 165.1 Innings (146.1 minors, 19 majors) as of the time I’m writing this, September 19, 2007. Kennedy’s career high in innings pitched previous to this year was 117 during his sophomore year at USC in 2005. That’s already nearly a 50 inning increase in Kennedy’s first full year in professional baseball. Compare this to another young pitcher, Justin Verlander, who pitched only 130.2 innings combined in his first full year in professional baseball. Another comparison is for his teammate, Joba Chamberlain, who has followed Kennedy throughout the Yankees minor league system this season, and who has totaled only 106.1 Innings this season.

The solution? Simple, just shut down Ian Kennedy now and re-insert Mike Mussina as the normal 5^th starter. There’s no real need for the Yankees to continue with this six man rotation, especially with just two weeks remaining on the regular season. Kennedy is still scheduled to pitch Saturday at Toronto, and if his recent string of success continues then the Yankees may feel compelled to include him on their postseason roster, either as a starter of a long reliever. If this happens then Kennedy might as well change his name to Mark Prior. Would Kennedy be a more reliable long reliever then Mike Mussina? Perhaps, but not nearly the upgrade that would be worth risking his future anymore then the Yankees already have with his excessive innings.