Yankees Lean on Cole, Pitching as Judge Status Looms vs Rays — SkimNews
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- Yankees swept the Red Sox in the wild-card series by outscoring them 18 runs over two games, recording 26 hits, four home runs, and four stolen bases with the lowest strikeout rate of any wild-card team — all without Aaron Judge in the lineup.
- Judge's status for the ALDS remains unsettled, with a decision unlikely until shortly before Saturday's Game 1; some in the organization want him playing, while others prefer to wait another week to avoid aggravating his strained calf and risking the rest of the postseason.
- Gerrit Cole will start Game 1 for New York, with Cam Schlittler lined up for Games 2 and 5 on regular rest, and Max Fried (six scoreless innings vs. Boston) available on extra rest in Game 3 or pocketed for Game 4.
- Tampa Bay went 98-65 to win the AL East on a payroll less than one-third of the Yankees', won the season series, and led the AL in batting average, on-base percentage, stolen bases, and fewest strikeouts — a contact-and-speed identity that contrasts sharply with New York's homer-heavy attack.
- Drew Rasmussen will start Game 1 for the Rays after holding hitters to a .199/.245/.298 line over 172 innings, with Freddy Peralta or Nick Martinez likely getting Game 2; Tampa Bay's right-handed-heavy staff could neutralize New York's left-handed bats.
- During Judge's three-month absence earlier this season with a broken rib, the Yankees averaged just 4.22 runs per game — 26th in MLB and nearly a full run less than with him active — underscoring how thin their margin is without him.
- Boston's strategy of deploying same-side pitchers to neutralize New York's left-handed hitters backfired, as the Yankees went 11-for-22 with a 1.182 OPS in left-on-left situations during the wild-card series.
Why it matters: The Yankees' pitching depth gives them a structural edge in a best-of-five, but their offense averaged 4.22 runs per game (26th in MLB) during Judge's earlier three-month absence — meaning a Judge-less lineup against a Rays team that led the AL in batting average and stolen bases is a real liability. Tampa Bay's contact-and-speed approach, paired with a payroll under one-third of New York's, gives them a stylistic mismatch that could neutralize the Yankees' power advantage if Judge can't go.
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