MLB

Yankees pitching staff extra-large by design

The vision is mound dominance. The Yankees believe for that to truly happen, big is better when it comes to pitchers.

CC Sabathia stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 290 pounds. Young Michael Pineda is 6-7, 280. Phil Hughes is 6-5, 240. Put Ivan Nova down for 6-4, 225. Freddy Garcia doesn’t throw like he once did, but he still uses his size — 6-4, 250 — to a stealth advantage on the mound. Core Four comebacker Andy Pettitte, at 6-5, 235, still fits the big-man mold. Waiting in the wings is young Dellin Betances, who is 6-8, 260, trying to figure it all out from 60 feet, 6 inches.

That tale of the tape is a pretty good basketball team or offensive line that general manager Brian Cashman has assembled. Now we just have to see if they can pitch effectively as a group in the AL East. One thing is certain, to be noticed as a pitcher in Cash’s World, it helps to be of a certain size and stature.

“I’m a crack addict for size and power,” Cashman told The Post.

Cashman believes there is science behind his big-man beliefs.

“The profiles for me do translate, even though there are clearly a lot of exceptions out there,” the GM explained. “Pitchers can come in different packages like Mariano Rivera and Roy Oswalt and Billy Wagner, but if you have a big power arm, come to me and I will jump all over it.”

There you have it, young arms: If you want to be a Yankees pitcher some day, keep throwing and keep growing. Here’s the funny thing about that, though: Sabathia, a former Cy Young winner who is 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA over his three seasons as a Yankee, does not believe his height and weight give him that much of an advantage.

Pitching still comes down to hitting your spots no matter your size.

“I’ve always been big so I’m used to it,” Sabathia said of having a size advantage. “I have to make my pitches no matter what size I am, though. It does help to be stronger, though. That’s an advantage.”

Yes, you have to make your pitches, but it doesn’t hurt to be big. Goose Gossage (6-3, 200) was considered a big pitcher in his day. He was amazed when he first saw Pineda walk into the Yankees clubhouse.

What was his initial reaction?

“I said, ‘One man per uniform,’” Gossage noted with a smile. “My God, is there like two people in that uniform? I thought CC was big, this guy is huge.

“I think size can help you be a better pitcher, but great pitchers come in all different sizes and that’s the great thing about baseball,” Gossage added. “I do think the majority leans toward the bigger kid. When scouts look at a kid, you think of that prototype big pitcher, but you take Ron Guidry (5-11, 161) and Greg Maddux (6-0, 170).

“Guidry threw as hard as anybody. He got more out of that body than I ever could imagine. I think bigger pitchers are more in vogue because they look like they are right on top of you. That’s a big plus. J.R. Richard (6-8, 222), it looked like that guy handed the ball to the catcher.”

Big pitchers also have big issues. It’s more difficult for them to repeat their mechanics in a compact delivery.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is solidly built at 6-3, 220. He believes size helps a pitcher.

“They can release the ball closer to you and also hide the ball,” Teixeira explained. “Big pitchers do well at hiding the ball. The arm angle helps, too. The higher he releases it, the more angle he has on his ball, which is tough. You just have more room for error if you’re big and throw hard.”

Yankees catcher Russell Martin is not totally sold on big and tall equaling mound success.

“It doesn’t matter how big you are,” Martin said. “It’s what are you able to do when you are on the mound? I just think the quality of pitching that we have here with the Yankees is exceptional. They are big guys that pitch. The fact that they can pitch is more important than the fact that they are big. However, they are imposing. Also the bigger they are, they have an advantage because they are delivering the ball closer to the plate so it’s all about eliminating distance and time.

“A big guy who throws 92 is like a smaller guy that throws 94. So if you get a big guy throwing 96, it’s looking more like 100. Reaction time is shorter.”

In that way, size matters. Put these three ingredients together and you have something special. Velocity and command in one big body can produce a champion.

CC SABATHIA; 6-7, 290

Has won 59 games in his three seasons as a Yankee, but over his last five postseason games ERA is 6.27, prompting him to lose weight and get into better shape this year for October strength.

MICHAEL PINEDA; 6-7, 280

This will be a season of adjustments to the Yankee Way of life and being under the microscope. Following 171 innings in his rookie year in Seattle, will his velocity return to early 2011 readings?

PHIL HUGHES; 6-5, 240

That big jump in innings two years ago and being out of shape took its toll on him in 2011. Has learned the hard way not to take anything for granted as a Yankee.

IVAN NOVA; 6-4, 225

Made it look easy as a rookie over 173 2/3 innings but needs to continue to develop slider to avoid sophomore jinx. Still making adjustments. Extremely competitive. Is all about the “W.”

FREDDY GARCIA; 6-4, 250

Once was lightning fast, now gets hitters out with off-speed stuff by using their aggressiveness against them. Is one of the smartest pitchers in the game, a master at his craft.

ANDY PETTITTE; 6-5, 235

Big Game Andy used cutter to win 240 regular-season games and another 19 in the postseason. He owns a lower October ERA (3.83) than regular-season ERA (3.88). Does he still have it?

DELLIN BETANCES; 6-8, 260

Gifted with great arm but is only beginning to understand that he must throw every pitch with conviction or else he will not be a success at the major league level.