Chien-Ming Wang, the unlikely ace of the Yankees' staff, has compiled an impressive collection of eye-opening starts this season.

There was a 3-hit gem against the Athletics in May during which he threw an economical 85 pitches in eight innings. There were his gutsy seven innings of 1-run ball against the Red Sox in June, just two weeks after the Sox battered him for seven runs in his worst outing of the season. And there was a 2-hit shutout of the Devil Rays in late July.

Perhaps the most telling start by Wang, a 26-year-old righthander, came in his next outing after blanking the D-Rays. Facing the Blue Jays in mid-90s heat at Yankee Stadium, Wang pitched eight shutout innings. But it was his efficient 1-2-3 seventh and eighth innings — all groundouts — after a half-hour in the dugout while his teammates put up a 6-run sixth that left the greatest impression.

"He just stays so focused," Yankees catcher Jorge Posada says. "He doesn't let things affect him. His throws his sinker about 85 percent of the time, and it's 95 miles per hour, heavy and has so much movement. He goes out there and keeps coming at you."

All while providing a bang for the buck rarely seen in the Bronx. His $353,175 salary is less than what teammates Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson make in a start. Wang, in his second big-league season after signing with the Yankees out of his native Taiwan in 2000, is more concerned with his pitching than his paycheck.

"I am having a lot of fun," says Wang, who speaks limited English. Thanks in part to Wang, the Yankees are having a fine time, too, on the way to their ninth consecutive American League East title. Wang ranks among AL leaders in wins (18) and ERA (3.57) and is No. 1 among starters in fewest homers allowed (12) and ground ball-to-fly ball ratio (2.92-to-1). If not for the brilliance of Twins lefthander Johan Santana, Wang would be a serious candidate for the AL Cy Young Award.

MESSAGE BOARDS

"He's as tough as there is," Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar told reporters after Wang stifled Baltimore in a recent start. "He's tough to elevate, tough to put a string of hits together against."

With the postseason looming, a big unknown for the Yankees is how long their most consistent starter will continue to thrive. Wang is well into uncharted territory after reaching 200 innings pitched in his second September start. He finished his 2005 rookie season with 116 1/3 innings pitched after spending two months on the disabled list because of shoulder trouble.

ALDS: Yankees vs. Indians Indians win series 3-1 Sizemore, Indians send Yankees packing Celizic: Plenty to blame in the Bronx End of an era for Torre?  |  A-Rod, too? Is Clemens done?  |  Limping into the sunset iPredict: Clemens to retire  |  Who wants him? Schedule, results, more

Wang ran into difficulties last month when he allowed nine runs and 20 hits combined in consecutive starts against the White Sox and Angels. But he moved past that hump by winning his next four decisions while not allowing more than three runs an outing. After relying so much on his sinker, Wang has begun mixing in a slider as well as a four-seamer. Still, it's his 95-mph sinker that has made him the Yankees' most consistent starter -- and it's what could earn him the opportunity to start Game 1 in the postseason.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos

"He's got great action on a heavy ball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia says. "He trusts his stuff, so he's going to make you step up and beat him."

True enough. Far from being a strikeout pitcher (among starters, he's last in strikeouts per nine innings at 2.99), Wang dares hitters to make contact. "I'm not worried about strikeouts," he says. "I'm happy with lots of ground balls.

"And to help the team win."

Not bad for $353,175.