With the Yankees on an impressive run of mostly correct decisions, there’s some reason to leave them alone and just let the best team in the American League continue to roll. But they did raise serious doubt and leave room for suggestions (and even ridicule) following maybe the most inexplicable decision of this season, or any season.
So as usual, I’m here to help.
We still don’t know exactly who deserves the bulk of blame for the early, ill-considered intentional walk to Red Sox star Rafael Devers, but we do know it was not a move befitting three very smart people — Aaron Boone (USC), Gerrit Cole (UCLA) and Matt Blake (Holy Cross). They all offered some semblance of an explanation, but the only thing we understand for sure is they outsmarted themselves.
So for today we’ll ignore that the Yankees made arguably the best winter trade (Juan Soto) and also the best deadline deal (Jazz Chisholm) and offer our suggestions for how they get back to the World Series. Isn’t that where they’re supposed to be every year but haven’t been since well before the Core Four retired?
1. Swap Chisholm and Gleyber Torres in the lineup
This won’t happen for three reasons.
Torres is hot — he’s hit in 15 of 16 games (.328) — following five miserable months. And Boone obviously loves Torres. Beyond taking seven years to remind him to run hard (at least enough to make it stick), Boone is a true believer. How do we know? The manager offers verbal bouquets regarding all his players, but the ones about Torres are the furthest from reality.
Plus, the Yankees probably prefer the lefty-hitting Chisholm splitting righties in the middle of the lineup. (If that’s the main reason, I’d solve that by also switching Aaron Judge and Soto, as Boone once threatened to do.)
Anyway, I’d argue Chisholm is faster and a better baserunner, and thus a better fit for leadoff. He certainly shouldn’t ever be batting behind Giancarlo Stanton, a pure power guy who must run at three-quarter speed to avoid injury.
Even more to the point, Chisholm deserves more at-bats. He has an .889 OPS as a Yankee, nearly two hundred points higher than 2024 Torres (.697).
2. Rest Judge (a little at least), or employ him at DH more
The game’s best hitter and probable AL MVP looks like he’s getting yet another wind now with two home runs to win that weird Red Sox series. But he’s played in every game since June 20, mostly in center, which can wear anyone down.
The explanation for Judge’s early-September slump (no home runs for 16 straight games) has to be exhaustion. And that’s also very likely behind his occasional October struggles. (His very human .772 postseason OPS is well below his 1.007 career mark, and the last six series have not even been that good.)
The Yankees’ best chance to win is if their best player is at his best. I get their interest in winning the AL East to avoid the wild card round, but they do have a three-game lead now, and other options.
The Yankees have three other decent center fielders on their roster, so the defensive drop-off is negligible when Judge is the DH. There is obviously a lineup deficit when Stanton has to be on the bench. But having Judge at his most-rested best for October has to be the priority.
3. Employ Luke Weaver as primary closer
Clay Holmes is a solid closer who ran into some bad luck, but it’s not worth the distraction of bringing him back full-time and reminding everyone that he blew 11 saves. Weaver’s simply better this year (0.95 WHIP, 3.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio) anyway, so it’s not worth resurrecting this issue.
“Their bullpen is still a mess,” one MLB scout said, skeptically. “Even if Weaver closes, who’s setting him up? [Tommy] Kahnle? [Jake] Cousins? Holmes? I wouldn’t trust any of them.”
Well, there’s no choice about that now. And if that’s their biggest weakness, they’re still in decent shape.
4. Cole, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt should be the playoff rotation
The Yankees have made enough smart decisions that they have six viable October starters, but this is the quartet most likely to succeed. Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, is a given, especially with Devers not involved in October. Gil has looked superb at times.
Schmidt just got back, but if he gets Game 3, I wouldn’t protest. While Marcus Stroman (“he’s tiring,” says a Yankee person) and Nestor Cortes are generally solid, Rodon, Gil and Schmidt — whose ability nearly matches his confidence — are more likely to produce dominance. (One caveat: If it’s an opponent weak vs. lefties, start Cortes over Schmidt.)
They’re approaching October with a playoff-worthy rotation and shockingly good health throughout the roster (especially compared to the Orioles and others). They should have maybe their best chance since 2009 … if they make the right calls.