After their thrilling 10-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, the New York Yankees clinched the AL East for the 21st time in history. A few days later, with the Cleveland Guardians losing 2 out of 3 to the Houston Astros, New York clinched the best record in the American League, meaning that they will have the first bye and play the winner of the no. 4 and 5 seeds as Baltimore takes on the Kansas City Royals.
Yankees Rotation Incomplete Heading Into ALDS
As the Yankees look on to the division series starting on Saturday, there are still questions about their pitching staff. Unfortunately, they’ve suffered from some key injuries recently, particularly in the losses of Nestor Cortes Jr. and Jake Cousins. Nonetheless, they still have some excellent pitchers that, if they perform, could easily lead them further into the postseason.
1 & 2 Locked Down
We already know who the starters for the first and second games are going to be. Gerrit Cole, who concluded his regular-season with 15 2/3 scoreless innings, will undoubtedly get the nod in Saturday’s opener. The Yankees’ ace had an up-and-down season after an elbow injury left him on the IL until June. But based on his last few performances, including a complete-game shutout, the 34-year-old veteran looks as good as ever.
Aaron Boone will almost certainly hand the ball to Carlos Rodon for Game 2. Rodon has had a great bounce-back season after a disastrous first year in pinstripes, posting a 6.85 ERA in 2023. This year, however, Rodon led the team in wins with a 16-9 record, putting up a 3.96 ERA with 195 strikeouts over 175 innings. The key for the 31-year-old was staying healthy, which he showed he could do by starting 32 games, which he had only been able to do once in his career.
Unlike the first two spots, the third starter has not yet been decided on. If Nestor Cortes were healthy, he would likely be the favorite to start Game 3. The left-hander was heating up at the right time after a mixed bag of a regular season; but according to Aaron Boone, the earliest Cortes could begin rehabbing his elbow would be on October 5. This means that the only way, barring a miraculous recovery, for Cortes to return in October is if the Yankees make a deep run. This leaves two options for the third starter: Clarke Schmidt or Luis Gil.
Rookie Or Veteran?
Both players have had amazing seasons, which only makes it a more difficult decision. On one hand, there’s the potential AL Rookie of the Year in Gil. The 25-year-old wasn’t even expected to be on the roster at the start of the year, but when Cole went down in Spring Training, Gil pitched well enough to earn a spot in the rotation. Since then, he’s more than proved himself worthy of a roster spot. The right-hander posted a 15-7 record in the regular season with a 3.50 ERA, pitching 151 2/3 innings with an ERA+ of 117.
On the other hand, there’s the equally good (if not better) pitcher in Schmidt. Despite a back injury sustained in May, Schmidt started 16 games, putting up a 2.85 ERA over 85 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old has proved to be a lot more consistent than his rookie contemporary, and he may get the nod simply due to having more experience. Also, Gil has had more blow-up starts than the consistent Schmidt; you cannot afford to be blown out in the postseason.
However, Schmidt is the one with experience in the bullpen, appearing in 26 games in relief in ’22. Gil has only started in the Major Leagues, so if he were to be moved to the bullpen along with fellow starter Marcus Stroman, there’s no telling how he’d perform. Nonetheless, starting Gil is very appealing simply because of how nasty his stuff can be on a good day.
Handling The Bullpen
As painful as it may be to Yankees fans, reliever Clay Holmes may become the team’s closer once again. Despite registering 30 saves, Holmes has also blown 13 saves, the most in all of MLB. The second-highest total? 9, notched by Jalen Beeks of the Pirates. Despite Luke Weaver (successfully) handling save opportunities in relief of Holmes in recent weeks, there appears to be no definitive closer at the moment. The rest of the bullpen looks to be in decent shape, despite the gaping absence of Cousins. The Yankees’ bullpen ERA ranked 6th in MLB this season, so if they can establish a designated closer, it’ll be a formidable force for any opponent this postseason.
The Last Word
Right now, it’s unclear who will be the Yankees’ third starter in the upcoming ALDS. However, based purely on the value provided this season, Gil would be the better option for New York. Though he may have a higher chance of a “blowup” start, he also has proven that he can go deep into games and dominate while doing it. Schmidt has been good, but Gil’s stuff is just too good to discount. The rookie has earned it, and hopefully, Aaron Boone sees it this way as the Yankees look to advance to the World Series for the first time in 15 years.
Main Photo Credits: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
