The New York Yankees are starting their 2022 MLB Playoff journey with an ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, who advanced to the second round of play after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees, who had the second-best record in the American League, are fresh off a first-round bye week. With the two teams vying to get into the American League Conference Series, we're going to dive into some bold predictions for the high-stakes playoff series.
The Yankees won the American League East with a record of 99-63. After getting the first round off, the Yankees are finalizing their 26-man ALDS roster ahead of the series with Cleveland. Meanwhile, the Guardians stunned doubters to take home the AL Central title with a 92-70 record and then followed it up with a convincing showcase in the AL Wild Card round.
Game 1 is slated for Tuesday, October 11 at 7:37 p.m. EST. The Yankees will trot out Gerrit Cole in the first game of the series, with Nestor Cortes set to follow in Game 2. Luis Severino will toe the rubber in Game 3. The Guardians project to use a rotation of Cal Quantrill, Shane Bieber, and Triston McKenzie.
Without further ado, let's dive into some New York Yankees bold predictions for the ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.
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Yankees MLB Playoff Predictions for ALDS vs. Guardians
5. Gerrit Cole tosses a gem in Game 1
The Yankees will send their ace to the mound for Game 1 as Gerrit Cole will toe the rubber. He'll look to get the Yankees off to a strong start in the series debut, and is more than capable of doing so. Cole made two regular-season starts against the Guardians in 2022, and was phenomenal in both. He pitched 12.2 innings in total, registering 15 strikeouts, four walks, two earned runs, and maintaining a 1.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. If he can replicate those performances, the Yankees will be in a good position when it comes to turning the game over to the bullpen. So long as Cole can avoid surrendering the long ball against Cleveland (he gave up the third most home runs in the league this year with 33) then he should make quick work of the Guardians lineup.
4. Yankees have a bullpen meltdown
When it happens, remains to be seen. But there are simply too many question marks surrounding the state of the Yankees' bullpen heading into the postseason for them to be relied upon. With Aroldis Chapman out of the picture after he skipped a mandatory workout (amid an abysmal season), the Yankees announced that Jameson Taillon would be working out of the bullpen during the ALDS. Clay Holmes has been unsteady during the second half of the season, and no other Yankees pitcher has seen significant time as the closer. Simply put, you don't know what you're going to get on any given night out of New York's bullpen, and that could come back to bite them at some point during the series. Blowing a lead against the Guardians could be fatal, as the tandem of James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase can shut down any offense over the span of two innings.
3. Oswaldo Cabrera makes big plays on both sides of the field
Since earning his promotion to the MLB roster, Oswaldo Cabrera has been a walking highlight reel. A natural infielder, Cabrera was sensational in the outfield for the Yankees, throwing out multiple runners with defensive assists and making a few spectacular catches out in right field. We're expecting him to keep this ridiculous trend up by saving a run or two on the defensive end during the series against the Guardians. There's a chance he's in left field for the series, but that shouldn't prevent him from turning heads with a diving catch or a pin-point throw to gun out a runner on the base path. Meanwhile, Cabrera also came up with some clutch at-bats for the Yankees, and could make a big hit or two in a key spot against the Guardians.
2. Aaron Judge continues MVP season with 2+ HR in ALDS
Of course there was going to be an Aaron Judge prediction here. The soon-to-be American League MVP is fresh off a 62-home run, American League record-setting campaign, and we're not expecting him to cool off now that the postseason has finally arrived. We're expecting Judge's reign of terror over opposing pitchers to continue, even if they throw more selectively against him. Judge should hit at least a couple of home runs during the series, regardless of its length, and he'll add at least one walk per game to boot. The Yankees will likely go as far as Judge can carry them in the postseason, similar to how things were in the regular season, so if he shows up, that bodes well for a successful run for the Yankees.
1. Yankees win 3-1, advance to ALCS
The Yankees will have to account for the Guardians' esteemed pitching, particularly in Games 2 and 3 when they'll face Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie. But ultimately, they should have what it takes to get past the Guardians in no more than four games. It'll be hard for the Yankees to keep Jose Ramirez from doing damage at the plate, but in the end, New York's own star power should be able to inflict more damage. The Yankees will need to poach a game in Cleveland in order to shut the door in four games, and we're expecting a Game 4 win at Progressive Field to ultimately be what pushes the Bombers into the ALCS.
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