Yankees Have Already Made One Mistake With Their Postseason Roster

The New York Yankees made the right call with Cam Schlittler, but can't say the same about their Game 2 or 3 starters.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees toiled over their decision about who would start in Game 1 more than they needed to. Max Fried is great and served as this team's ace all of 2025, but among their options, Cam Schlittler is having the best season from a starter since Ron Guidry in 1978.

While it isn't quite "Gator" because nobody is throwing 200+ innings anymore, the pitcher who wins the Cy Young and gets some MVP votes along the way should be the Game 1 starter in every series, as long as things line up that way.

What they didn't get right was leaving Carlos Rodón out of the rotation. It's not to say that Fried and Gerrit Cole can't shove. Everybody has seen their track record over the years as frontline starters. It's just that this season, Rodón has been the model of consistency in the rotation in ways that Cole and Fried haven't.

Since returning, Rodón hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a start. You would have to go back to August 1st, 2025, for the last time that Rodón did that. It was against the Miami Marlins. He failed to pitch more than five innings. However, he surrendered four earned runs and struck out nine batters.

Following Rodón's return from his second IL stint on August 18th against the Baltimore Orioles, he has been nearly unhittable. In 38 innings in that span, he has allowed just eight earned runs. He has struck out 39, walked 12, and allowed just four home runs.

Gerrit Cole and Max Fried's red flags

Cole is the Yankees' Game 3 starter, but he has had a propensity to give up the long ball. In his last four starts, he has allowed a home run. He has given up nine in total during that span.

Plus, Cole has been awful against the Red Sox since signing with the Yankees. In 15 games against Boston, Cole has allowed 54 earned runs in 82 IP. He has also allowed 21 home runs. This team clobbers Cole whether Rafael Devers is in the lineup or not.

The New York Yankees will need Gerrit Cole to be on his A-game if he has to pitch in a decisive Game 3. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Meanwhile, Fried has been better than Cole. He finished the season strong, but after his return from the IL, there were moments when it seemed like he couldn't put batters away.

That was the case against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched 3.1 IP, but he did manage to strike out seven. Of course, he pitched a gem against the Minnesota Twins after that, but his next start against the Rays had its red flags.

After throwing seven innings of one-run ball against Minnesota, Fried pitched into the seventh against the Rays but was hittable. He allowed four earned runs — something Rodón hasn't done in an entire calendar year.

In a win-or-go-home game, Rodón has more than earned his place in the rotation. The Yankees feel that Cole would be the better option in a Game 3, though. It looks like they went with the track record over what happened this year.

That said, if the Yankees do make it out of the wild-card round, they'll at least have Rodón ready to go in Game 1.

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