The 2026 MLB postseason schedule is just about locked in, and it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Yankees’ current roster to determine who will make the cut to kick things off.
The Rays clinched the AL East after defeating the Yankees in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, which means the Yankees will begin the postseason with the Wild Card Series against Boston. Unfortunately, it’s worth noting that the Yankees will be without Aaron Judge, who suffered a moderate grade right calf strain
not too long after his lengthy IL stint.
Before we get into the ins and outs of the Pinstripes’ complex hitting dynamics, let’s begin with the starting rotation. Cam Schlittler had a standout season, finishing out the regular season with a 1.94 ERA and a frontrunner for the Cy Young Award. He also racked up an astounding 1.16 ERA on the road, the second-lowest in American League history, only behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson, who recorded a 1.06 ERA on the road way back in 1913.
Schlittler will probably get the start for Game 1, and it’s likely that Max Fried gets the start in Game 2. Despite battling an elbow issue that limited him to 20 games this season, Fried finished the regular season with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The veteran lefty will look to bounce back after taking the loss in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Tampa Bay, where he only struck out four and gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in 6.2 innings.
The Game 3 starter, if needed, will likely be either Carlos Rodón or Gerrit Cole, both of whom have enough postseason experience to help propel the Yankees to the ALDS. Rodón, who was limited to 16 starts this season after struggling with lingering elbow issues from his offseason surgery, finished the season with a 2.67 ERA, allowing only 25 earned runs. Even if he doesn’t end up making the start in the Wild Card, he’ll make a nice addition to the bullpen. Cole, on the other hand, finished the regular season with a 3.63 ERA, his highest in the last five seasons. He began the season taking rehab assignments in the minors and first rejoined the team in May after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Aaron Boone recently added that he expects to see Cole start in the postseason, but it’s not definitive.
The question of whether Ryan Weathers will return for the playoffs remains unanswered. It would’ve been nice to see him get some reps or even a rehab assignment in before the end of the regular season, but his return for the postseason shouldn’t be ruled out.
The outlook for the bullpen is overall positive after adding a few notable starters to pitch relief, including Clarke Schmidt, who recently rejoined the majors after a nearly season-long stint on the IL. However, the Yankees may not take a gamble on Schmidt so soon after he cut his bullpen warmup short on Sunday against the Diamondbacks due to bicep soreness.
Looking at the position players, there’s a plethora of uncertainty about the state of the infield. Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his return from the IL during the second game of the doubleheader against the Rays on Tuesday, so he’ll likely be a solid weapon at second. Will Warren, who finished the regular season with a 4.02 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, has made enough of an impression that can put him in a relief role as well.
As for the outfield, Trent Grishamhas yet to make his return to the majors from the IL with a right hamstring strain. He’s not completely out of the question to make the cut, but Boone may rely on a different option. Spencer Jones has made an impact both on defense and at the plate, showing off his progress as the regular season comes to a close, so it’s likely he’ll earn a spot.
Who will play at third base is arguably one of the most circulated topics of conversation among fans going into the Wild Card. Boone relayed that he’s planning on putting Volpe at third this week and keeping George Lombard Jr. at shortstop, according to Talkin’ Yanks. If he can show off his agility and make clutch defensive plays, then it’s likely Volpe will stay at the position heading into the postseason. Amed Rosario and José Caballero are also options, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve impressed the front office enough to be considered starters.
It’s all up in the air until next week, but experimenting with a few changes this weekend against Baltimore will hopefully make it obvious where everyone will end up.
