The New York Yankees are not playing the cat-and-mouse game that several teams have played in the early stages of the postseason. Manager Aaron Boone will have Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino pitch the first three games of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Cole is the bellwether of the New York pitching staff, and he is coming off another excellent regular season. Cole compiled a 13-8 record with a 3.50 ERA, striking out 257 batters with 1.017 WHIP. The 32-year-old hurler has also done a solid job throughout his postseason career. He has an 8-5 record with a 2.93 ERA and he has struck out 111 batters in 86.0 innings.

Nestor Cortes does not have Cole's track record, but the stylish lefthander has had a brilliant season for the Yankees. He had a 12-4 record that included 2.44 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 158.1 innings. Cortes start in Game 2 of the ALDS will be his postseason debut.

Luis Severino was 7-3 in 19 starts, and he compiled a 3.18 ERA in 102 innings. Severino is a hard thrower who struck out 112 batters this year. He has a 1-3 record with a 5.23 ERA while pitching in the postseason and his lone playoff win during came against Cleveland in the 2017 ALDS.

The Guardians have not announced their starting rotation for the ALDS after coming off their two-game sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Series. Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie started the two games in that series , so it seems likely that they will most likely pitch in Games 2 and 3.

Cal Quantril was the most likely starter for the Guardians if the third game of the series had been necessary, so there is a strong chance he could start in the series opener against Gerrit Cole.