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The New York Yankees' quest for their 28th World Series title is currently in jeopardy. After losing Game 2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a final score of 4-2, the Yankees head back to the Bronx down 2-0 in the series. In order to keep their chances at winning the title alive, they must win two out of three games at Yankee Stadium.
Based on their performance so far, that might be too tall a task to ask of Aaron Boone's team. Multiple players are underperforming, and others are having to pick up the slack. Veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton, All Star right fielder Juan Soto and ace Gerrit Cole have played up to their skill levels, and the bullpen has mostly held up to its end of the bargain.
However, three players stand below the rest of the pack due to their performances in Games 1 and 2. Catcher Austin Wells' postseason struggles have continued, and he was replaced in the top of the ninth of Saturday's Game 2 due to it. Captain Aaron Judge also continued his tough playoff performance, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 2. Yet, we will lead off with starting pitcher Carlos Rodon. His poor outing on the bump in Game 2 put the Bronx Bombers into a hole in which they would never recover. Can their fortunes and performances turn around when the series resumes at Yankee Stadium?
1. Carlos Rodon's rough start put Yankees in tough spot
Even in the postseason, where starting pitchers usually have a much shorter leash, a line of 3.1 innings pitched is usually indicative of a hard outing. Well, that is precisely what Rodon had for the Yankees Saturday night. He threw 63 pitches over those ten outs and allowed four earned runs on six hits. All of those runs scored came on home runs hit by the Dodgers. The culprits? Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernandez, and once again, Freddie Freeman.
If the Yankees hope to win this series, it's fair to say that Rodon will have to at least make one more start. That start will likely come in Game 5 or 6. The locations of those two games are very different. Game 5 would be in the Bronx, while Game 6 would be at Dodger Stadium once gain. Regardless of the setting, Rodon will have to step up. Can the $162 million dollar man show why he's worth that price tag with a strong outing? Hopefully the Yankees and their fans can make it to that point.
2. Austin Wells continues postseason skid
The rookie catcher will likely garner some AL Rookie of the Year votes this offseason and could potentially win the award as well. Yet, his performance during the postseason has not lived up to the hype. He's currently hitting just .098 in 11 playoff matchups, with a home run and three RBIs. After hitting in the cleanup spot for a good amount of time during the regular season, he's now hitting eighth in the lineup.
Something has to change for the 25-year-old backstop. He's 1-for-8 so far in the World Series. He did the majority of his damage offensively in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Kansas City Royals (two RBIs) and Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians (a solo home run). He's had only two hits in the other nine games. Will Wells be replaced by Jose Trevino in Game 3, like he was at the end of Game 2? If so, that is a troubling development for the young catcher.
3. Aaron Judge needs to rise up to level of past Yankees captains
Until the Yankee captain's bat comes to life, this postseason will be one big disappointment. It's unlike Judge to struggle during the playoffs as well, so his performance (or lack thereof) is disheartening for both him and his teammates. Not to mention the Yankee faithful as well. Judge touched on how his swing is almost back to normal after Game 2.
“I think what it comes down to is just swinging at strikes, getting a pitch to drive,” Judge stated to reporters, including ESPN. “You don't get a pitch to drive, don't try to make something happen up there. It's the postseason. Guys are going to make their pitches. They're going to pitch you tough, so I just got to hunker down and get the job done. That's what it comes down to and I'm not doing that right now.”
Sooner or later, Judge is going to have to connect with a few strikes. The Dodgers' Game 3 starter, Walker Buehler, has been very inconsistent since his return from injury. Can Judge break through with a couple knocks on baseball's biggest stage? If so, the Bombers' chances at winning their 28th Fall Classic will become at least somewhat easier.
