The New York Yankees are still putting together their roster for the American League Division Series, where they will be facing the tough Kansas City Royals after the latter swept the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round.
The Royals might not seem like a powerhouse, but any team with three excellent starters, a top star, and good supporting players can win a postseason series and they fill every item on the checklist. Michael Wacha, who has fared well against the Yankees historically, will get the nod in Game 1, whereas Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo could follow him, and that’s not good news for New York.
The Yankees also need to have a top-notch pitching staff to stop Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey, and other quality hitters. They do, for the most part, but they are reportedly still deciding which pitchers to take and how many. The team’s general manager Brian Cashman and other members of his staff, plus manager Aaron Boone and his coaches, are all participating in the decision.
According to Yankees insider Bryan Hoch, however, the number of pitchers the team will take will depend exclusively on Boone.
“Brian Cashman said the Yankees are still debating between 11 and 12 pitchers for the ALDS. He said Aaron Boone will get the final call,” Hoch wrote on his official X account.
The Yankees are taking their time to put together their pitching staff
Right now, there are nine locks for a roster spot for the ALDS: Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, Tim Hill, Ian Hamilton, and Clay Holmes. If he is healthy, Jake Cousins is another lock and would give the Yankees bullpen a huge boost, and Tim Mayza is trending towards occupying a spot because he is a lefty.
At this point, Marcus Stroman being part of the roster seems like a long shot. If the Yankees make it to the American League Championship Series, he is much more likely to be included because they would need four viable starters and more depth.
Among the pitching options to complete the 11 or 12 pitchers Boone would need to face Kansas City are Cody Poteet, Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, and Clayton Beeter. We will have to wait at least another day to find out the Yankees’ picks, but setting up the right roster is almost as important as the games themselves.
