Yankees Manager Undecided on Game 1 Wild-Card Starter Amidst Rotation Questions

The New York Yankees have not yet determined who will start Game 1 of their American League wild-card series, despite Cam Schlittler's standout performance this season. Manager Aaron Boone stated on Wednesday that Schlittler, who is slated to pitch on Thursday against the Rays, would pitch in either Game 1 or Game 2 of the playoff series, but stopped short of confirming him as the opener.

Boone indicated that the decision on the Game 1 starter is still fluid and depends on various strategic considerations. He noted that regardless of whether a pitcher starts Game 1 or Game 2, they would still be available for potential Games 2 and 5 of a subsequent American League Division Series.

Pitching coach Matt Blake elaborated on the rotation puzzle, mentioning that there are "three or four different iterations" involving Schlittler, Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried. The optimal alignment for these four pitchers across the initial three playoff games could change based on the opponent and potential rest days.

Schlittler, who boasts a 1.94 ERA, would be pitching on his fifth day of rest if he were to start Game 1 on Tuesday. Gerrit Cole, having started on Wednesday, would be on his sixth day, while Rodón and Fried would be on their seventh. Blake acknowledged that while pitching on six days of rest is generally preferred, it might not be the sole determining factor.

"Whatever makes sense strategically we’ll probably go with because they’ll all have adequate rest," Blake said. "Cam would be on the shortest for Game 1, but reasonable."

Cole concluded his regular season on Wednesday with a 10-9 record and a 3.61 ERA, returning from Tommy John surgery in May. Fried has a 2.80 ERA and has recently returned to full pitch counts after an IL stint. Rodón has impressed with a 2.67 ERA, particularly in his recent outings.

Blake emphasized that recent performance is a key indicator of players' physical readiness for the postseason. "Obviously you’re looking at the whole body of work, but the last month or so is pretty telling of where guys are at physically and what they’re capable of doing down the stretch," he said. "But there’s also with Gerrit, it’s not just the month, it’s knowing who he is. Carlos is obviously throwing the ball really well, Gerrit’s an historically good pitcher, threw the ball well in Arizona."