SARASOTA, Fla. -- Gary Sánchez hasn't caught Luis Cessa much this spring. In fact, the first time he caught the right-hander in Grapefruit League play was in Saturday night's 6-1 Yankees win over the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium.

"He was really good," Sánchez said about Cessa, speaking through an interpreter. "He looks really sharp. He had good fastball command, and then he was throwing his changeup and slider. The work he has done shows."

The work Sánchez was talking about isn't so much physical on Cessa's part. It's more mental. And the results showed Saturday night, with Cessa starting and pitching four scoreless innings, yielding only one hit while striking out four. It also has been on display all spring, which is reflected in his 1.00 ERA.

Because Cessa is out of Minor League options, he is likely to make the 25-man roster as a long reliever and spot starter. But with starters Luis Severino and CC Sabathia expected to begin the season on the injured list, Cessa will likely be in the starting rotation early on.

Either way is fine with him.

"I'm going to be ready for any decision they make," he said. "I don't try to think about things. I'm just focused on doing my job every day."

Cessa credits less stress and more fun to his spring success. In the offseason, he talked with fellow Mexico countryman Rodrigo López, a 43-year-old former pitcher who spent 11 years in the Major Leagues. Both have homes in the Phoenix area.

"He told me to enjoy the game more," said Cessa, 26. "Just do my job and enjoy the game and the opportunity to play in the big leagues."

Cessa certainly has the tools, highlighted by a 98-mph fastball. But he admits that putting too much pressure on himself and not trusting his fastball with an aggressive approach has led to mediocre Major League numbers. Bouncing between the Majors and Minors last year, Cessa posted a 1-4 record with a 5.24 ERA with the Yankees. Conversely, he was 3-2 with a 3.08 ERA in the Minors. Overall, his Major League line in parts of three seasons is 5-11 with a 4.71 ERA.

"I was also walking too many guys," he said. "Now I'm just trying to be aggressive. The main focus is on my fastball command. If I can command the fastball and get ahead on the count, then I can use my secondary pitches. I can finish guys that way later in the count."

Twenty-three of the 41 pitches Cessa threw against the Orioles were strikes, which also caught the attention of Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

"I thought he used his fastball well," Boone said. "I thought he executed some for strikes but used it effectively to set up his other pitches. He flashed a good changeup. And the breaking ball, which is usually his pitch when he's really good, was there tonight as well. It's been there all camp. Really pitch efficient, too. A really strong outing by him."