Yankees mailbag: here are they! the Game 3 starter and World Series potentials that could damage the game 3 fixture…
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
jmack175 asks: With an off day after each of the first two ALDS games (which I assume are for potential rain outs?) could Cole pitch a potentially critical game 3? He’d be on 4 days rest.
Now this is an interesting question that a few of you have posed. Initially, when I saw that the Yankees decided not to name a Game 3 starter, I assumed it was leaving the door open for Clarke Schmidt to be an option if they didn’t need him in Game 1 or 2, but the fact that they’re aiming for a decision after Game 1 specifically does lead towards this possibility. If there was anyone in modern baseball you’d feel comfortable with pushing for an extra start, it would be Gerrit Cole — the man’s been a workhorse throughout his career, one of the S-tier aces around, and owns a sterling 2.93 ERA in the playoffs.
Critically, if Cole does start Game 3, he would be available on normal rest for Game 1 of the ALCS should the team advance. That leads me to believe that as long as Cole is efficient with his pitch count in his opener against the Royals and doesn’t have a particularly taxing outing or get rattled for some home runs, this is on the table. Having a 1-2-3 punch of Cole-Rodón-Cole would give a lot of leeway towards whoever the third starter does end up being going in a potential Game 4, if they’d even be necessary after the Yankee ace gets two turns through Kansas City. The only risk factor here for the series itself is potentially over-exposing Cole in a short order to the Royals’ lineup, giving them a way to adjust in Game 3. It’s a bold idea, and not one I’m sure the Yankees will ultimately do, but it’s certainly intriguing.
Hal’itosis asks: If the Yankees fail to advance to the World Series, which aspect of their game is most likely to be the culprit [starters, relievers, offense, mental lapses/defensive miscues]?
The Yankees are far from perfect, as we all know, and any of their flaws could become magnified on the biggest stage. Their starting rotation is strong but not the deepest, and that could become a problem in the larger seven-game series in the ALCS, particularly if we don’t get an on-point Rodón putting a lot of pressure on Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt to step up. The relief core has held itself together all year but had several members go through rough patches, with Clay Holmes the primary culprit there, and the offense, even though it’s much more balanced than it was in their major swoon during June/July, still needs Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to be on to do much of anything. Judge has had his criticisms in October, but now would be a lovely time to silence those critics with a statement run.
The defensive lapses and baserunning mistakes are as unpredictable as ever, and unfortunately I’m sure we’ll see them rear their ugly head at some point this month, but I imagine they’ll be a bit more restrained on at least the basepaths. Over the course of 162 games it’s understandable that they’d push the barrier of what’s smart and what’s risky to do more than they should, but with every game critical to advancing now it’s my hope that they tighten up and let the big bats do their jobs. Considering all of this, I think the most concerning area right now is the bullpen, because they’re likely to run a shorter ‘pen than they have all year and every arm there has to perform or run the risk of an implosion.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks: Are you excited, nervous, or a little of both? How far do you honestly believe this run will go?
A late entry, but a fitting final question. There’s been a lot of talk floating around of this being a World Series or bust year for New York, and while I typically don’t prescribe to that notion, I have to admit that it’s fitting here. They’ve gone as close to all-in as they ever have in the Aaron Judge era by getting Soto, face a wide-open field with no true favorites, and just watched their rivals all get bounced before they even play a game. It’s unfair to expect a championship and be disappointed with anything else, but at the very least this has to be the year that they claim a pennant and play in the Fall Classic. It’s an incredibly exciting position to be in, but with almost equal amount of nerves for sure. We skew pretty heavily towards predicting a Yankees win finally coming through around these times on Pinstripe Alley, but this time around I’m as serious as I’ve ever been in my prediction — it’s time for No. 28.
