It would have been odd to wonder why Luis Cessa didn’t enter a close game sooner a few years ago, but his delayed summoning from the bullpen was a reasonable source of confusion on Sunday.
With starting pitcher Jameson Taillon only lasting four innings against Cleveland and the Yankees down, 4-3, Aaron Boone brought right-hander Nick Nelson in first. Nelson began the day with an 8.53 ERA. It didn’t take long for that number—and Cleveland’s lead—to increase.
Nelson surrendered three earned runs over two innings. New York ultimately lost, 7-3.
Yankees Demote Nick Nelson After Another Shaky Outing
Cessa celebrated his 29th birthday with two scoreless, hitless frames in between. He lowered his ERA to 0.77 and left viewers questioning why, of the two relievers who pitched, he wasn’t the one who Boone turned to with the Yankees easily within striking distance.
When asked about his order of operations, Boone said Cessa was an option after Taillon, but the manager didn’t say much to explain why Nelson was the first choice.
Nelson, who was sent down after the game, now owns a 6.21 ERA in 17 career outings. It’s clear that Boone and the Yankees see something in the 25-year-old righty, but he hasn’t proven he can be trusted in a tight game.
Cessa has, at the very least, earned more looks in such situations when Boone is attempting to stay away from the top arms in New York’s pen, as was the case Sunday.
In addition to his sub-1.00 ERA, Cessa has struck out 31.9% of the batters he’s faced this season, K’ing 15 over 11.2 innings. He’s walked six, nearly tying his total over 16 games last season, but the right-hander is striking guys out at a higher clip.
Perhaps the most valuable thing Cessa has done for the Yankees is provide length. With the team’s rotation rarely pitching deep into games and the bullpen missing key pieces at the start of the season, half of Cessa’s eight appearances have lasted two innings. He has not allowed an earned run in any of those games.
Obviously, Cessa’s 2021 sample size is still small, but he has steadily progressed since the Yankees stopped splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen.
Cessa made 43 appearances, 19 of which were starts, from 2016 to 2018. He had a 4.71 ERA over that span. Then, he pitched exclusively out of the 'pen for the first time in 2019, totaling a 4.11 ERA while throwing 81 innings over 43 games. Not great, but an improvement in a clearly defined role. Cessa added four scoreless innings in close games that October.
Cessa was plenty effective last year. He only tossed 212. innings during the pandemic-shortened season, but he recorded a 3.32 ERA, a number that was inflated by a three-run performance in his final regular season appearance. He did allow two earned runs over four postseason innings, though.
So far this season, he’s looked considerably better, allowing just one earned run. Seven of Cessa’s eight appearances, however, have come in Yankees losses. Most of the games he’s pitched in were not particularly close.
Cessa has earned more responsibility based on his production since the start of last year. That doesn’t mean making him a go-to choice in a pressure-packed setting. But he also doesn’t have to be one of the last choices and he should be called upon before unproven youngsters when available.
The Yankees have a deep bullpen, even with Zack Britton out right now. Barring misfortune, the need for Cessa to take on important innings should be rare. That said, it couldn’t hurt the team to find out if he can consistently perform when the stakes are a bit higher, when the timing is right and others are resting.
Sunday was a perfect opportunity.
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