Which pitcher's pitching performance will you pick?
The last Yankee-centric category in our GIF tournament goes to the pitchers. Which Yankee had the most memorable appearance of the season on the mound? It's no surprise that four highly impressive starts make the list, followed by one of the best outings (in terms of outcome) by a standout reliever. Help us pick a winner from the five GIFs below.
Dellin deals against the Mets
Two innings. Six strikeouts. Dellin Betances had a magnificent season for the Yankees, and this performance in the Subway Series was just a microcosm of that. He was filthy and the Mets had absolutely no answer for him.
Tanaka four-hits the Mets
Brilliant performances were the standard for Masahiro Tanaka in 2014. He went the distance three times over the course of the season, including this gem against the Mets at Citi Field. Tanaka struck out eight batters on his way to a complete game shutout.
McCarthy silences the Astros
Brandon McCarthy made a huge impression in New York after being acquired for Vidal Nuno before the trade deadline. His best performance in pinstripes came on August 21st in front of the home crowd in the Bronx. McCarthy held the Astros to four hits, struck out eight, and walked none.
Pineda one-hits the division champs over 7.1 innings
The Yankees were out of the race for the postseason by the time the Orioles came to town on September 22nd, but Michael Pineda's performance was much more important than the scope of one meaningless game. He looked every bit like the stud pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting when they traded for him a couple seasons back, before injuries kept him from actually displaying all his talent. Striking out eight and one-hitting the division champions over 7.1 innings should give everyone plenty of hope for the future.
Easy being Greene
Shane Greene stepped into the Yankees' rotation out of necessity, but this performance against the Tigers showed that he was very deserving of the spot. The Tigers brought all their aces to town, and it was the rookie who ended up stealing the show with a five-hit day over eight shutout innings. Greene made it all look pretty easy.
Which do you think was the best pitching performance of the season? Vote in the poll below!