Amed Rosario has just 33 plate appearances in 16 games since the New York Yankees acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 26.
But if Yankees beat writer Brendan Kuty of The Athletic is to be believed, Rosario could start the Yankees‘ first postseason game of 2025.
Kuty predicted the Yankees would go with the righty-hitting Rosario at second base in place of left-hander Jazz Chisholm Jr while going against Boston Red Sox ace lefty Garrett Crochet in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
Rosario, a right-handed hitter, has great numbers against Crochet, despite the fact he has not started just one game in the past two weeks. Plus, Chisholm has been one of the Yankees‘ most electric players, finishing the season with a career-best 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases.
Ryan McMahon, who has been an elite third baseman but also bats left-handed, could end up on the bench to start Tuesday’s Game 1, according to Kuty.
‘Don’t Be Surprised If Caballero and Rosario Are In The Lineup’
Crochet is an elite lefty who finished tied with Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon for second in the majors in wins (18). Lefty hitters batted just .166 with a .455 OPS — he gave up just three homers to left-handed hitters — in 151 plate appearances.
So it makes sense, per Kuty, for the Yankees to go with Rosario — as well as jack-of-all-trades utility man Jose Caballero in place of McMahon at third base — for Game 1, especially since both were participating in the Yankees workout day Monday in the Bronx.
“Don’t be surprised if Caballero and Rosario are in the lineup,” Kuty reported. “Caballero worked out at third base and Rosario at second base during the Yankees’ workout.”
Rosario has started just five games in September and made just 15 plate appearances — mainly due to the fact Caballero passed him as the team’s right-handed utility player. Yet, Rosario could a secret weapon designed to neutralize Crochet.
“Caballero is a better defender at third than Rosario, but having Rosario in against Crochet makes sense,” Kuty wrote. “No one has more career hits against the Cy Young Award contender than him (6-for-9).”
Paul Goldschmidt To Start At First Over Ben Rice
Ben Rice has donned No. 22 all season and made Yankees fans forget the previous guy that wore that number a season ago. Rice finished fifth on the Yankees in home runs and was third on the team in OPS, behind Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, among Yankees with at least 250 plate appearances.
Yet, Rice, like McMahon and potentially Chisholm, will be on the bench for Game 1 — sitting behind right-hander Paul Goldschmidt at first base and behind the superior defensive catcher, Austin Wells.
Rice has been solid against left-handed hitting with seven home runs and a .752 OPS. But there are lefties and then there is Crochet, and Goldschmidt has a .981 OPS against lefties in 168 plate appearances in 2025.
But even though Rice won’t be in the lineup, Yankees manager Aaron Boone still understands his catcher/first baseman could affect Game 1 — the way Boone did when he etched his name in Yankees lore by entering Game 7 of the ALCS in the eighth inning before blasting a walk-off home run in the 11th inning off Tim Wakefield in 2003.
“Just because Rice isn’t in there doesn’t mean he doesn’t impact the game in a big way,” Boone said. “That’s a big thing with a lot of these matchups; sometimes you’re putting them in a better spot to impact the game.”
Yankees Writer Predicts Team Will Make Key Position Switch For Game 1 vs Red Sox