New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler will likely win the American League Cy Young Award this season. As the Yankees prepare for the postseason, though, manager Aaron Boone has decisions to make. One of those decisions revolves around his Game 1 starter for the American League Wild Card series, as it is not guaranteed to be Schlittler.
“We’ll see. Not necessarily,” Boone said when asked if Schlittler would start Game 1, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “Whoever goes 1 or 2 doesn't affect the next series. So whoever goes 1 or 2 can pitch 2 and 5 in the next series, for example. So we'll decide what kind of makes the most sense, just matching up how we want to go with it. But Cam would certainly be one of those first two games.”
Boone has the “next series” in mind, which is something that could cause concern for Yankees fans. They may want Boone to place all of his focus on winning the AL Wild Card series, which will likely be played against the Boston Red Sox. Defeating the Red Sox without Aaron Judge — who is dealing with a calf injury — will certainly be a challenge.
Article Continues BelowNevertheless, Schlittler will start Game 1 or Game 2. It is worth noting that New York features other star pitchers in the rotation such as Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole.
Schlittler is scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, which would make him available for Game 1 next Tuesday. New York's rotation for the upcoming weekend has yet to be revealed.