The New York Yankees have lit Major League Baseball ablaze after briefly touching the .500 mark in the win-loss column last week. Since then, they have won nice straight games, including a series sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays in which they tallied 46 runs over three games.
The Yankees have enjoyed this type of success in the past, but their downfall has always been pitching. With that being said, general manager Brian Cashman went out and spent $324 million to bring in Gerrit Cole, arguably the best starter in the MLB. Despite his addition, the Yankees have still struggled with their starters at times, and they will be without James Paxton for the remainder of the 2020 campaign.
When it comes to postseason performances, the Yankees have been rocky in recent years. Their offense has completely disappeared at times as well, but good pitching can oftentimes supplement a lackluster offense, to a degree. The one factor that could be the Yankees’ downfall in the playoffs is their starters in the rotation.
Current New York Yankees starting rotation:
1.) Gerrit Cole
2.) Masahiro Tanaka
3.) JA Happ
4.) Deivi Garcia
5.) Jordan Montgomery
Projected postseason rotation:
1.) Gerrit Cole
2.) Masahiro Tanaka
3.) JA Happ/Deivi Garcia/Jordan Montgomery
While Cole and Tanaka represent two reliable options in exhibition games, the third spot in the rotation is tumultuous. Happ has been inconsistent the past two years, and Montgomery doesn’t have any real postseason experience. Garcia, on the other hand, just made his MLB debut this season and only has four starts under his belt. Utilizing him in the postseason would come with great caution.
With the third slot being an issue, Cole and Masa must be absolutely perfect if the Yankees wish to move through the postseason efficiently. It also heavily depends on their batting order and the health of their star players. When all cylinders are firing, we have seen the capabilities of their offense, but we have also seen the dark days were stringing together five runs over four games was a difficult task.
I am still not entirely convinced the Yankees’ starting rotation is capable of producing consistent performances during the playoffs. While Cole undoubtedly injects more quality, losing Paxton was a major blow.