The New York Yankees arrived in St. Petersburg on Thursday night after sweeping the Boston Red Sox out of the Wild Card Series. The trip did not go smoothly. A hydraulics issue delayed their charter out of Westchester County Airport, forced them onto a bus to LaGuardia, and pushed their hotel arrival past 1 a.m.
The schedule ahead looks better than the travel. Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays is Saturday at Tropicana Field, and the Yankees enter it with a pitching staff that manager Aaron Boone believes is positioned as well as it has been all year.
When asked about his rotation, Boone did not hold back.
Boone on His Starters for the ALDS
The decision to name Gerrit Cole the Game 1 starter was straightforward. Boone said Friday that Carlos Rodón was genuinely considered for the assignment, but the discussion did not last long.
“That’s how good we feel about where Carlos is with our four guys that we’re going to lean on in the postseason,” Boone said.
Cole gets Game 1 at Tropicana Field. Cam Schlittler is expected to follow in Game 2. Rodón and Max Fried will handle Games 3 and 4 back at Yankee Stadium.
When asked if he could remember a time in his career when he felt better about a rotation, Boone did not hesitate.
“There’s no question I feel great about those guys,” Boone said. “That’s been the biggest strength for us throughout the year. It sustained us. It got us through some difficult times. And I feel like they’re all in a good place right now.”
The numbers back him up. Schlittler finished the regular season with a 1.95 ERA and is the presumptive AL Cy Young winner. Fried threw six innings of one-run ball in Game 2 against the Red Sox. Cole owns a 3.61 ERA across 22 starts in his Tommy John comeback season. Rodón has been strong enough to warrant consideration for Game 1 of every round.
The Rays’ Challenge
Tampa Bay won the AL East with the best record in the American League. Their lineup is built on contact and speed rather than power, led by Yandy Díaz’s league-leading 180 hits and Chandler Simpson’s 46 stolen bases. Junior Caminero provides the thunder with 42 home runs on the year.
The Rays’ pitching staff matches up well on paper. Drew Rasmussen starts Game 1 opposite Cole. Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, and Griffin Jax give manager Kevin Cash multiple options behind him.
Cash said Friday his team has been preparing as if Aaron Judge will be in the Yankees lineup regardless of his calf status.
“I expect him playing right field, hitting third,” Cash said.
Rasmussen echoed the same approach.
“I’ve done my deep dive on Aaron Judge,” Rasmussen said. “We make the assumption he’s in there until he’s not.”
Final Word for the Yankees
The Yankees have four starters Boone trusts with any game in October.
Cole, Schlittler, Fried, and Rodón give Boone answers for every matchup and every scenario.
Game 1 is Saturday night. The rotation is ready.
Yankees’ Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear on Rotation Ahead of ALDS