Spring training right around the corner

Spring training is right around the corner for the Bronx Bombers, and already hype is at a mid-season level. What I'll do here is preview certain elements of the team each post. I'll start it off with the starting rotation.

For the first time in a number of years, the starting rotation isn't a majority made up of older veteran starters. This year there are two seasoned vets, two kids, and two who have gotten their feet wet, but haven't hit the age of 30 yet. Here's what the rotation may look like come Opening Day:

1 - Chien-Ming Wang
2- Andy Pettitte
3- Philip Hughes
4- Mike Mussina
5- Ian Kennedy

Add in Joba Chamberlain to the bottom of that list as the sixth starter, but I have this gut feeling that with all of the Yankees' bullpen problems, they wouldn't want to trust LaTroy Hawkins in the eighth inning if they don't have to.

Wang is a great ace to have. Him and the Mets' Johan Santana are the winningest pitchers since Wang arrived in the bigs three years ago. 19 wins in back to back seasons is all you can ask for from your number one starter, even if he doesn't blow players away for the strikeout.

Andy Pettitte is the lone lefty starter for the Yanks. He was healthy last year for most of the year, and while it's unrealistic to think any starter can make 40 starts a season anymore, at least there aren't dwelling questions on whether his elbow will hold up. He deserved to win three or four more games than his 15-9 record showed for 2007. He had a sub-four era in a tough AL East and looks to continue to look good, while showing normal signs of aging.

Hughes survived an off-season full of Santana rumors and couldn't be more happy. He's shedding number 65 for Sean Henn's 34, and looks to stay healthy this season. He showed enough to make people think he will be an elite pitcher for years to come, and will be a nice follow-up to a softer throwing Pettitte in a series.

Mussina is getting up there in years, and may have showed signs of fatigue last season, but I am not convinced that he is a pitcher that had trouble getting out of the early innings like he did on several occasions last season. If healthy he can provide toughness and finesse following a more power style Hughes. He will undoubtedly help show leadership as well as mentoring to the younger kids.

Kennedy looked like a solid end of the rotation starter before experiencing some shoulder problems last year. He'll be on a strict innings limit, meaning that complete and late inning games may not be the norm for him. A solid six innings every five days should be all you should expect from him, which isn't a bad thing.

Joba the Great will be available for either fill in duty if someone gets hurt, or he'll start the season in place of Kennedy or Mussina should they not be up to the task, but only in the very beginning of the season. He won't bounce back and forth between the pen and rotation once the season gets really underway, so wherever he starts will most likely be where he ends up for the whole season. The only exception to that would be late in the year if he has reached his innings limit, the Yanks might move him to the bullpen to protect his arm.

I'll be back in the next couple of days with a preview of the bullpen. Until then, enjoy the excitement of waiting for pitchers and catchers.