New York Yankees Reveal ALDS Pitching Plan

The New York Yankees announced their starters for Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS, while the Game 3 decision could go one of two ways.

Sep 27, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

With just three days left to prepare for Game 1 of the ALDS, the New York Yankees have announced their pitching plan for the series.

To no surprise, Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole will start Saturday’s opener against the winner of the Kansas City Royals-Baltimore Orioles Wild Card matchup. Left-hander Carlos Rodón will follow in Game 2, while either Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt will take the mound in Game 3. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake indicated that the Game 3 starter will not be named until after Game 1, but noted that both pitchers could be available in long relief if needed.

Yankees starters in the ALDS:

Game 1: Gerrit Cole
Game 2: Carlos Rodon
Game 3: Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt

Matt Blake said that Schmidt is also an option to pitch out of the bullpen in Game 1 or 2.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 2, 2024

Cole, 34, went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 9.4 K/9 in 17 regular season starts after missing the first two months due to elbow inflammation. Though the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner struggled at times in 2024, he found his form just in time for the postseason, clinching the AL East with 6.2 scoreless innings in a 10-1 win over Baltimore and pitching nine scoreless innings in Oakland the outing before.

Since joining the Yankees in 2020, Cole has made seven postseason starts, going 4-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 38.2 innings. He has recorded 56 strikeouts during those games, while allowing 10 walks and nine home runs.

Rodón, 31, finished strong in September with a 2.20 ERA and a 34:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 28.2 innings in five starts. His 3.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP marked significant improvements over his 2023 marks of 6.85 and 1.45 during his first season in pinstripes.

This will be Rodón's first postseason appearance as a Yankee. He has two career postseason outings with the Chicago White Sox, failing to record an out in relief during the 2020 Wild Card round and allowing two earned runs in his first postseason start against Houston, in which he lasted 2.2 innings and took the loss.

Schmidt, 28, struggled as a reliever in the 2022 postseason but just completed a breakout 2024 season, finishing with a career-best 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 16 starts despite missing over two months with a lat strain. His last outing was shaky, yielding four runs and four walks in four innings against the Pirates.

Gil, 26, is also looking to bounce back after giving up six runs on six hits, including four home runs, in his last start. Despite that, he is an AL Rookie of the Year candidate, going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts and striking out 171 batters in 151.2 innings, although he led the league with 77 walks.

With home-field advantage secured and a 15-year World Series drought looming, all eyes will be on the Yankees’ starting pitching to set up the lineup and bullpen for success. Blake also named several arms they could rely on in high-leverage situations late in games, including Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, Tim Hill, Jake Cousins, Ian Hamilton, and Tim Mayza.