"For his 0 good starts?" "This is a disgrace" - New York Yankees fans react as starter Domingo German chooses number zero ahead of 2023 season

New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German solidified his role as a starter. After four years of splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen, it now looks as though the 6-foot-2 right-hander has carved out a permanent spot in the Yankees rotation.

Last season, German appeared in 15 games — 14 of which were starting appearances. He pitched 72.1 innings, compiling a record of 2-5 and an ERA of 3.61.

In 2022, German wore the number 55, a number he has worn since he started pitching for the Yankees in 2017. Some offseason moves made by the New York Yankees mean that he will have to change his number going forward.

Talkin' Yanks

@TalkinYanks

Domingo German will now wear #0 because Carlos Rodón is taking #55, per @ChrisKirschner

1999

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Domingo German will now wear #0 because Carlos Rodón is taking #55, per @ChrisKirschner https://t.co/9vmxUNdMmk

"Domingo German will now wear #0 because Carlos Rodón is taking #55, per @ChrisKirschner" - Talkin' Yanks

This offseason, the Yankees signed star pitcher Carlos Rodon from the San Francisco Giants. Rodon, being a two-time All-Star and Cy Young contender, got priority to wear his existing number 55.

Domingo German thus chose the number 0. This will make 2023 the first season since 2020 that a roster member will wear that number. The last was pitcher Adam Ottavino, who departed the team in 2020 for the Boston Red Sox.

YankeesFanDZ

@yankees_dz

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner for his 0 good starts?

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner for his 0 good starts?

Jeremy

@GERRlTC0LE

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner this is a disgrace

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner this is a disgrace

The Most Average Gamer Ever

@KingPaul93

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Fitting, for almost everyone believes him to be a big 0 for the team.

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Fitting, for almost everyone believes him to be a big 0 for the team.

Since 0 is the only single-digit number not retired by the team, fans are wondering if German has the credibility to carry such a unique number on his jersey.

Some fans have even gone as far as to suggest that Anthony Vople, the 2019 New York Yankees first-rounder, should be given preference to wear the number. Volpe is yet to play in the MLB, but posted some solid offensive numbers throughout his time between Triple-A and Double-A in 2022.

Dan Alan Rourke Enjoyer

@mlb_editz___

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner 0 should be for volpe

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner 0 should be for volpe

joe

@BurdenBurner

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Why is he wearing Volpes number

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Why is he wearing Volpes number

There are fans, however, who want to give the 30-year old Dominican pitcher a chance, and do not want this to affect their judgment of him. One fan even stipulated that perhaps Domingo German could retire the number himself one day. Some fans believe that the roasting that fans have given German is not fair.

Mike #FireMattCanada

@ItalianChungus

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner German gonna retire the number

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner German gonna retire the number

Nick Capone

@nickcaponee

@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Bro was pretty good last year and still can’t escape the hate

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@TalkinYanks @ChrisKirschner Bro was pretty good last year and still can’t escape the hate

New York Yankees will remain one of the strongest pitching teams, despite jersey number confusion

Between starters like Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon will add an immeasurable amount of tertiary skill to the rotation. With a 14-8 record and an ERA of 2.88, Rodon is the real deal. New York Yankees fans can only hope that they will have bigger things to fret about this year than jersey numbers.

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