The New York Yankees failed to win the AL East again, but the team will be back in the postseason.
New York will host the Wild Card series, likely against the Boston Red Sox in a repeat of last year. With the series only being three games, New York can carry more relievers.
The Yankees are 91-67.
Yerry De los Santos Could be on Yankees Playoff Roster
With the Wild Card round being a best-of-three, the playoff roster for that series can be filled with relievers.
New York can bring in extra relievers; one surprising name could find himself on the playoff roster. MLB analyst Matthew Swigonski of FanSided believes four-year pro Yerry De los Santos could be find himself on the playoff roster for the Wild Card round.
“With only three games to worry about in the Wild Card round, Boone could easily look to add as many versatile relievers as possible,” Swigonski wrote. “Yerry de los Santos may not be the first name you’d think of when considering a lockdown postseason bullpen, but he could become a valuable arm against the Red Sox. His propensity to fill the base paths with runners isn’t exactly the best formula for postseason success.
“With a career WHIP of 1.334, it would be very unlikely that Boone would turn to de los Santos in a close game. But in the event of a blowout in either of the first two games, de los Santos would become the best option to eat innings and save the high-leverage arms for the next day. That could be invaluable in the long run. With a high ground ball rate and an ability to miss barrels, De los Santos has been good at limiting the damage during his time with the Yankees. That could continue against the Red Sox. Just don’t expect to see him jogging in from the bullpen in a tight one (even though he was briefly RP4, almost by default, in mid-August).”
De los Santos is in his second season with the Yankees and fourth MLB year. He’s 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 15 games this season.
New York Right Now
The Yankees are gearing up for the playoffs and will take on the Red Sox in the Wild Card round.
Aaron Judge is unlikely to play in the Wild Card round due to an injury. However, he said he’s doing everything he can to be available for it.
“The Bronx is a magical place in October,” Judge said. “I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.”
Judge is dealing with a calf strain, and Aaron Boone already said the slugger won’t be on the Wild Card roster.
“Boonie is my guy. I’ve always got his back,” Judge said. “I know he makes the right decisions. Obviously as a player, you don’t want to hear that, but that’s out of my control. I’ve got to come back and be ready to go, and that’s what I’m focused on right now.”
The Yankees will end their season with three games at home against the Cincinnati Reds.
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