When the Yankees went into the 2024 postseason, they rolled in with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil as their starting five.
That group helped them get to the World Series, and entering 2025, the Yankees would retain all four pitchers while adding Max Fried to the mix.
As the team left Tampa for New York, they only went back with one of those four pitchers, and as they enter the 2025 possteason, they’ll have just half of that rotation.
There was a lot of doubt that this rotation could even be above-average in 2025, and despite the injuries, their rotation currently ranks inside the top five in ERA, xERA, WAR, and Innings Pitched on the season.
The Yankees’ Dominant Duo Continues to Anchor the Staff
Max Fried was signed to be the co-ace to Gerrit Cole, but after the Yankees lost their ace, more pressured was applied on the first-year Yankee.
He’d record a career-high in wins (19), innings pitched (195.1), and strikeouts (189), finishing inside the top 10 in ERA and WAR on the season.
Fried mixed things up extremely well, throwing six pitches at least 11% of the time this season with an above-average Stuff+ on each and every one of them according to FanGraphs.
The fastball saw a 1 MPH increase in velocity, resulting in a more unhittable repertoire that can keep hitters off-balance all game.
After a rough stretch over the summer, Fried would throw his cutter less and his sinker more, pitching to a 1.55 ERA over his last seven starts and going 6-0.
He’s been incredible for the Yankees, and the team did expect to have a strong duo at the top of the rotation, but I’m not sure they expected their co-ace to be Carlos Rodon.
Carlos Rodon has been a top 10 pitcher in the American League, limiting damage contact extremely well by becoming less predictable.
Increasing his changeup and sinker usage from last year has kept hitters from guessing fastball-slider, and he’s throwing five different pitches with a Whiff Rate over 21%.
Among qualified American League pitchers, Rodon has produced the seventh-highest ERA (3.04), the fifth-most innings pitched (189.1), and the fourth-most strikeouts (198).
Tonight he has a chance to become a 200-strikeout pitcher, the first time a Yankee not named Gerrit Cole has recorded 200 strikeouts in a year since 2018 Luis Severino.
They’ve been healthy and excellent, a combination that is beyond valuable in your rotation.
Rookies Have Stepped Up to Fill-in The Gaps
Will Warren and Cam Schlittler are stylistically different pitchers, but they both have played huge roles in the Yankees’ success this season.
If he makes his next start this Friday, Warren will have made 33 starts for the team, providing tons of volume and keeping arms like Carlos Carrasco or Marcus Stroman out of the rotation.
His 4.35 ERA isn’t great, but it’s made him essentially a league-average pitcher in Year 1, mirroring a bit of what we saw from Clarke Schmidt in 2023.
A more than servicable fifth starter for the Yankees, there are reasons to believe that he could be better with experience under his belt in 2026.
Cam Schlittler displayed overpowering stuff, exploding onto the scene with a big fastball that has made him the hardest thrower in the rotation.
The Yankees have a Stuff+ monster who dominates with a fastball that has good velocity and deceptive movement at the top of the zone.
Schlittler’s mix isn’t very polished and yet he’s pitched as a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter, improving gradually as the season has gone on.
His feel for his cutter, curveball, and sinker are emerging, but I think losing the sweeper hurt him against right-handed batters.
Cam Schlittler looks like a number three starter right now, but as he gets more experience, I could see him taking the ball in a Game 1 situation this year.
The Yankees have gotten 46 starts from rookies this year, which is the fourth-most for any team in MLB, producing the second-most WAR (3.1) as well.
Can The Yankees Get Their Wild Card Right For October?
When you look at a 4-1 record and 3.29 ERA through 10 starts, you might ask yourself why any fan would be talking about Luis Gil looking off since his return from the injured list.
The issue lies in his process and approach, which indicate that he’s due for massive regression with the postseason right around the corner.
His Whiff% has dropped from 26.8% to 17.3%, resulting in a steep falloff in the strikeout department, as the Yankees have seen their Rookie of the Year winner go from dominant to dormant.
The fastball has less velocity and ride the breaking pitches aren’t getting any chases, and you just wonder how he’s been able to maintain a strong ERA.
If he can attack the zone I think he can provide a clutch start in an ALCS or World Series setting, but the leash on Luis Gil needs to be short.
You’re rolling the dice that he can provide you one start with five innings and fewer than three runs allowed, and I think projections would indicate that Luis Gil is capable of it.
Being able to use Will Warren in the bullpen could give the Yankees a bridge to the bullpen, where they would want to have Devin Williams or David Bednar in a game as soon as humanly possible.
Luis Gil is the only pitcher on this staff who has been a thumbs down relative to pre-season expectations, but I think the talent is still there to provide some value.
More about: New York Yankees
