One of the biggest storylines to watch as the regular season comes to a close is what the New York Yankees will do with their starting rotation in the postseason. Yankees manager Aaron Boone just provided some clarity about what he is planning to do.
Speaking before Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners, Boone confirmed that Marcus Stroman, who had his last start skipped, will remain in the bullpen for at least another turn through the rotation per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
With the emergence of rookie starter Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt's recent return from injury, the Yankees suddenly find themselves flush with unprecedented depth at the starting pitcher position. While reigning American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Gil appear to be locks to be a part of the postseason rotation, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman and Schmidt all have viable arguments to start a game in October.
However, Stroman has been struggling as of late. Now that he has had his last two starts skipped, it is looking like Stroman's fate may be decided.
Marcus Stroman's 2024 season
Stroman has had an up and down first season with the Yankees, but has appeared to falter down the stretch. Stroman started off the season strong, going 7-4 with a 3.51 ERA in the first half. However, after the All-Star break, Stroman has struggled, recording a 5.40 ERA through 43 1/3 innings.
While the 33-year-old Stroman, a two-time All-Star and 10-year MLB veteran with postseason experience may seem like an obvious choice to be a part of the rotation going forward, that may not be the best choice for the Yankees. While pitching has been an area of concern for most of the season due to injuries, the pitching staff is finally healthy and suddenly looks like a source of strength.
Cortes has already shown that he could be a viable relief option after a masterful four innings of no-hit ball out of the bullpen earlier in the month. Boone did not give Stroman any relief opportunities after skipping his last start. In order to effectively gauge whether or not Stroman could be used as a reliever in October, he needs to get reps during the last week and a half of the regular season.
The Yankees are currently three games up on the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East and are a 1/2 game up on the Cleveland Guardians for the best record in the AL. Expectations are sky-high for this group. The pressure is on for Boone to get his postseason rotation correct.
Follow Us
Subscribe
