3 Burning Questions for Yankees to Begin September: Bullpen Still Needs Answers Down the Stretch

With the final stretch approaching, plenty of things need to be ironed out ahead of the postseason.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone still has a few questions that need answers with 24 games remaining in the regular season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

September is here. The air is getting crisper, kids are starting school again, and baseball is entering the home stretch. About 24 games remain on each team's calendar, with so much still undecided. In the Yankees' case, they could be in any number of situations at the end of this month.

They entered Monday night's action with a four-game lead on the Red Sox for the top wild card and home-field advantage in the first round, but sit 4.5 games behind the first-place Rays for the division lead and a first-round bye.

However, after their 10-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, New York only has a three-game lead over the Red Sox in the wild card race. That said, there's still enough time for jockeying to take place, but for the most part, the Yankees know they'll be playing meaningful baseball after Game 162.

These next 24 games can still determine a lot, particularly with roster construction both now and in the postseason. Here are three burning questions the Yankees must answer in September.

Who can step up in the bullpen?

The New York Yankees are banking on ex-Kansas City Royals pitcher John Schreiber to give them some help out of the bullpen down the stretch. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Yankees made the interesting decision not to fortify their bullpen at the August 3rd trade deadline for a variety of reasons. Maybe prices didn't match up, maybe they believed in a unit that has been top-five in ERA all season long, or maybe they viewed internal reinforcements when players came back from injury as good enough.

Four weeks since the deadline, it's pretty clear it was an oversight. Injuries to Max Fried and Ryan Weathers have delayed Will Warren's likely insertion into the bullpen, and with Weathers' issues potentially keeping him out until the start of the postseason, we'll never truly get that super rotation. Add in Fernando Cruz's season-ending elbow injury, and you have a mess.

The Yankees have been active in grabbing as many aging veterans as possible to see if Matt Blake can pull one more rabbit out of his hat, signing Michael Fulmer, Justin Topa, and Eli Morgan. The former has gotten into two games, Topa's already been DFA'd and released as a stopgap, and Morgan is still in Triple-A. A fourth member was added to this group when Royals right-hander John Schreiber was claimed off waivers on Monday.

The current circle of trust contains three men: David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn. Outside of that, there's four weeks for others to prove themselves.

Tim Hill has looked really good lately, but his ghastly numbers against righties (.286 AVG/.870 OPS) limit him. Fulmer and Schreiber have interesting traits, but it'll take time for the Blake lab to take effect. Yerry de los Santos (when he returns after being optioned), Luis Gil, and Ryan Yarbrough can fill multi-inning roles.

There's also the injury door, where Clarke Schmidt and Weathers can fill in. The former has reliever experience in 2022, when he was a medium-leverage reliever into the postseason, while the latter has electric stuff that would play in any capacity. Could either (or both) show their worth down the stretch?

What's the best way to configure the lineup and bench?

Will New York Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario (left) be part of the postseason roster? He'll have the next four weeks to make his case. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the bullpen's construction is a big question, the Yankees will need to figure out how they want to manage their position players, particularly when Aaron Judge returns.

As of right now, it's pretty simple. Ryan McMahon was activated from the injured list to fill one of the two extra roster spots for September call-ups, but a tough decision is going to have to be made in the next two weeks when Judge inevitably returns. Some will have to go down... or will they?

Common logic dictates it'll be a battle between seldom-used platoon bat Amed Rosario and rookie outfielder Spencer Jones to stay on the roster, but the Yankees could also take advantage of their rather shallow bullpen by rostering 15 position players and just 13 pitchers, keeping everyone.

The bigger question might be what to do come playoff time. What's the best way to configure a bench for a Wild Card Series? Do you want speed? Do you want pinch-hitting options? Do you want versatility?

Assuming everyone returns to full strength, the only locks on the bench are a backup catcher, José Caballero, Heliot Ramos, and Paul Goldschmidt. Teams rarely roster 13 pitchers for a Wild Card Series, so who gets the fifth bench spot? That'll likely be ironed out soon.

Is Aaron Judge really the antidote for the offense's struggles?

The New York Yankees are patiently waiting for the return of injured right fielder Aaron Judge. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Prior to Judge going on the injured list as the calendar turned to June, the Yankees averaged 5.17 runs per game, the most in the American League. Since he went down, despite some good stretches, they've averaged just 4.06 runs per game (24th in the majors) prior to Monday night's opener against the Angels.

There are signs that the core guys they currently have are starting to turn the tide, but the team still isn't where they want to be, partially because they're still missing their captain.

When Judge returns, which could be as soon as next homestand, could it be as simple as a light switch turning back on to jolt this offense? Could guys like Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger find their April and May forms with the added protection? Is Judge going to look like himself? Will that even matter?

The single biggest question with the Yankees down the stretch revolves around the man they've staked their fortunes on for a decade. If he answers the bell, the sky is the limit.

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