The New York Yankees will kick off the ALCS at home, hoping to secure a victory against the Cleveland Guardians to advance to the MLB World Series. The key will be managing the pitching from the mound. Recently, the Yankees’ manager announced the pitching rotation for the first four games.
According to Aaron Boone, Yankees manager, the starter for Game 1 will be Carlos Rodon—a decision that took some by surprise, but Boone confirmed it came down to a close choice between Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
On the other hand, Gerrit Cole has been chosen to pitch in Game 2. He is the number one option on the depth chart, but Boone decided to hold him back for the second game, possibly to lessen the pressure on him.
Clarke Schmidt will take the mound for Game 3, which will be played at Progressive Field, marking the Yankees’ first road game in the series against the Guardians. Finally, Luis Gil will pitch Game 4, also in Cleveland.
What about Marcus Stroman?
It’s clear that he will not be in the mix for the first four games, but Aaron Boone mentioned that the Yankees will add another pitcher for the ALCS against the Guardians, though he did not confirm if that player would be Stroman.
In the 2024 season, Stroman has an overall record of 10-9, with a 4.31 ERA and 113 strikeouts. His most recent outing with the Yankees was on September 25 against the Baltimore Orioles, where he struggled, allowing a loss of 9-7 after pitching just 3.1 innings.