ESPN | Jorge Castillo: The mood in the Yankee clubhouse after their ALDS exit was one of shock. After years of playoff disappointment, these Yankees fully believed they had finally constructed the kind
of complete roster that would bring New York its first World Series since 2009. Instead, it’s another postseason defeat, thoroughly dismissed by the Blue Jays in four games. “We all thought we were the team to win the World Series,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “But baseball is baseball.” Aaron Judge added “We had a special group in here, a lot of special players that made this year fun, but we didn’t get the ultimate prize.” That’s the sentiment that prevailed in the aftermath. A steadfast belief that this team could have done it, blunted by the bitter pill of one more crushing loss.
CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: What’s next after another playoff defeat? We’ll have plenty of time this winter to consider the Yankees’ next moves, but Axisa highlights the obvious questions the Yankees will have to answer during the offseason. The outfield beyond Aaron Judge is a major question mark with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham hitting the market, and with Jasson Dominguez and prospect Spencer Jones unproven. Also a major issue is the suddenly leaky bullpen, the relief unit regressing hard after years of Brian Cashman constructing top-tier bullpens through thick and thin.
The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: ($) Speaking of questions heading into the offseason: what happens to Yankees leadership? If I had to bet, the answer will be “nothing”, and Rosenthal agrees. The Yankees seem unlikely to shake things up, and even though much of the fanbase will want to see change after another early exit, the Yankees may point to another successful regular season as reason to keep things steady. There’s some merit to the idea; Cashman skillfully pivoted from the Juan Soto departure last winter, building a roster that led the AL in wins and run differential for a second-straight year, and Boone, though far from tactically perfect this October, was ultimately just let down by his pitchers this series, who gave up 34 runs to Toronto.
Baseball America | J.J. Cooper: Cam Schlittler was a bright spot in a dark week. The rookie right-hander did something that no pitcher has done in years: toss over 14 innings in a two-start span in the playoffs. He’s the first player to do so since Logan Webb in 2021, and just the 11th pitcher over the last decade. More impressive still, Schlittler one of only a few pitchers on that list to make it in his first two postseason starts.
