NEW YORK — For the fourth time since 2017, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians will face off in the postseason. In 2022, the Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series after defeating the Guardians in five games. This time, a berth to the World Series is on the line.
Because the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals in four games in the American League Division Series, they’ll have a slight rest advantage over the Guardians, who needed to win Game 5 on Saturday to get by the Tigers.
“We’re playing a very, very good Yankee team,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters Saturday. “We’ve seen them in the regular season. This is one of the most talented teams in the league. We know we have our work cut out for us.”
The Yankees will slightly alter their roster ahead of Game 1 on Monday. Here are a few of the decisions they’ll have to weigh.
Which pitcher will they add?
The Yankees used 15 position players and 11 pitchers in the ALDS. Saturday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said they’ll have at least 12 pitchers in the ALCS. There’s one less off day in the seven-game series, and Games 3-5 will be played consecutively from Thursday to Saturday. They don’t need 13 pitchers, so expect a 14-12 split in the ALCS.
Nestor Cortes has ramped up his intensity over the past few days, hoping to pitch in the postseason after being diagnosed with a flexor strain. It’s still a long shot for Cortes to make the roster since he has yet to face hitters. With Cortes likely not an option, the Yankees will turn to Marcus Stroman, Mark Leiter Jr. or Clayton Beeter as possible additions.
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They’re facing a similar dilemma as in the ALDS: None of the three options are appealing, and they likely won’t pitch unless necessary. Stroman threw live batting practice a few days ago and appears to be the most likely to make the roster.
Unlike the ALDS — where they needed only three starting pitchers — they will need four in this series. That means the Yankees can’t rely on using either Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt as bulk relievers. There’s a role for Stroman if the Yankees need to fill low-leverage innings to preserve their higher-leverage relievers. Because Stroman has stayed stretched out and maintained a high pitch count, there’s greater value in rostering the veteran over Leiter and Beeter.
Whose roster spot would Stroman fill?
Four players would be in danger of getting cut from the ALCS roster: Trent Grisham, Jasson Domínguez, Ben Rice and Duke Ellis. Grisham, Domínguez and Rice did not take the field in the ALDS. Ellis pinch ran for Stanton in Game 4. But if the Yankees remain confident in Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti at first base — and why wouldn’t they be — Rice could be subtracted without issue.
Cabrera and Berti both looked more than capable defensively at first base, and they each provided quality at-bats at the bottom of the order. Their versatility and speed also provide more value to the Yankees than Rice, who’s strictly a first baseman (yes, he played catcher in the minors, but he would see time behind the plate only if Austin Wells and Jose Trevino got injured).
Boone said Saturday that Alex Verdugo is expected to continue starting in left field. After being the Game 1 hero, Verdugo finished the ALDS 1-for-11 at the plate, but he made all of his plays in left field. How the Yankees may use Domínguez, if at all, remains unclear. The Yankees are clearly committed to Verdugo. They also had opportunities to use Domínguez as a pinch hitter but didn’t. If they aren’t planning on using Domínguez, Grisham would add more value to the roster if they chose to go with 13 pitchers, because he can be used as an outfield defensive replacement whereas the Yankees would not use the rookie in that role.
What’s the latest with Anthony Rizzo?
Boone said Rizzo is making progress from the broken fingers on his right hand but hasn’t done much physical activity baseball-wise. The Yankees’ lineup may be better without Rizzo, who has not been the same hitter since suffering a concussion in May 2023. Rizzo finished his regular season with zero home runs in his final 95 plate appearances and a .309 slugging percentage.
How will they align their rotation?
The Yankees have yet to name a Game 1 starter, but they have indicated Gerrit Cole will start Game 2. The options for Game 1 are Carlos Rodón and Schmidt. When specifically asked if Gil could start the opening game, Boone stated he’ll pitch later in the series, leaving Games 3 or 4 as potential options for him.
The Guardians were one of the best offenses against left-handed pitching this season, finishing seventh in wRC+ and sixth in slugging percentage against lefties. Rodón allowed the second-most home runs during the regular season and unraveled after Royals catcher Salvador Perez took him deep in Game 2 of the ALDS. The Yankees should at least consider starting Rodón on the road in Game 3, as Progressive Field is the fifth-hardest stadium for home runs, but they didn’t apply that logic in Game 2 of the ALDS; Kauffman Stadium is the fourth-hardest ballpark to hit home runs in.
Not starting Rodón in Game 1 may also reflect a lack of confidence in him. He’s the 10th-highest-paid starting pitcher in MLB by average annual value. If they can’t trust him to get the job done in Game 1 of the ALCS, what does that say about their trust in him for the rest of the postseason and over the next four years of his contract? If Rodón starts Game 1, he would be in line to start Game 5. If Schmidt starts Game 3, he could potentially start a Game 7. Schmidt is the more dependable starter; saving him for Game 3 means he might pitch only once in this series, given that only 29 percent of League Championship Series since 2000 have gone the distance.
(Photo of Marcus Stroman: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
