Wild Card Pitching Dilemma
Yankees Weigh Pitching Rotation Options Ahead of Crucial Wild Card Series
Anonymous
The Yankees enter the American League Wild Card Series, likely against Boston, weighing how to deploy a deep but unsettled pitching staff. Cam Schlittler, who finished the regular season with a historic 1.95 ERA, is in line for an early start, with debate over whether he should start Game 1 or the potentially pivotal Game 2. Carlos Rodón strengthened his case for a subsequent start with a dominant September, while Gerrit Cole ended the season with eight strikeouts over 5⅔ innings against Tampa Bay and is expected to start in the series. Injuries have complicated bullpen planning, including debate over whether the Yankees should have called up hard-throwing prospect Carlos Lagrange instead of Bradley Hanner, whose postseason debut would carry risks. Coverage has also raised the possibility of Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet as a bullpen weapon and criticized the Yankees’ handling of CC Sabathia’s ceremony and ticket holders.
Key Points
1
Rodón’s September surge followed his return from left elbow inflammation on Aug. 18; across four September starts, he allowed 12 hits and four earned runs in 25⅓ innings while striking out 28 and walking seven. His standout outing was eight shutout innings against Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
2
With Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers injured, the Yankees also tried Luis Gil in relief. He walked four and struck out none in his latest outing, and both Gil and Bradley Hanner were optioned to the Florida Complex League after the win over Tampa Bay.
3
The case for saving Schlittler for Game 2 rests partly on the possibility that the second game of a best-of-three could be the series’ most consequential; the discussion also weighs Max Fried for Game 1 and emphasizes the flexibility afforded by New York’s three-ace rotation.
4
The article cautions that calling up Lagrange would carry a particular risk: despite his triple-digit velocity, he would be a rookie making his major-league debut under postseason pressure and would have to manage both his nerves and Boston’s lineup.
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