Who Should be the Game 1 Starter?
It’s the age old debate, who should be the Game 1 starter for the Yankees in the post-season? This question has been a big topic of discussion within the last few weeks, when the starting pitchers went into a “slump”. With Luis Severino still a question mark as to when he’ll return, Domingo German has certainly stepped up into the Ace role. Severino will more than likely return prior to the port-season start; however, don’t anticipate him going more than a few innings at a time. With missing a full season and more than likely not pitching a lot of minor league games before being called back up, it’s fair to limit Severino to avoid further injury. This doesn’t mean we won’t see Severino start a game, but don’t anticipate him starting Game 1.
Although he is pitching better and currently has an 11–8 record, J. A. Happ will probably not be on the postseason roster. I would also anticipate the same for pitcher CC Sabathia. Not to downgrade the talent of both pitchers, but it’s crunch time. If one of them turns it around in the final 6 weeks, there is certainly a possibility on of them makes it on the post-season roster.
James Paxton has certainly improved in his last 6 outings, finding success with his back-door curveball and winning sixt straight starts. Does this mean we’re seeing the star pitcher James Paxton that the Yankees hoped to see when we signed him, warranting a possible Game 1 start? In my opinion, no. I would anticipate Paxton making an appearance for probably Game 3. The Yankees are also 12–2 when reliever Chad Green starts a game, so don’t be surprised to see the Yankees pull one of these moves in the post-season. If Severino is not well enough to start a few innings by then, I would anticipate the relievers starting Game 4 in a 7 game series.
So what about Game 1? The answer is simple, the Yankees will more than likely start Masahiro Tanaka and Domingo German will start Game 2. It may seem odd to pick Tanaka over German, who is having a phenomenal year while Severino is on the IL, but Tanaka has experience playing in the post-season and a pretty good record at that. Tanaka has a 3–2 record, pitching anto a 1.50 ERA, only allowing 5 runs in 30 innings, and an 0.80 WHIP. German has never pitched in a post-season game, so having a veteran like Tanaka pitching Game 1 might help relieve some pressure on German for Game 2. Of course, a lot can change depending on what game is home vs away. German tends to pitch better at home, so that could change the rotation slightly. For the post-season, I would anticipate the rotation as follows: Tanaka, German, Paxton, and then either Severino for a few innings or Chad Green and the relievers. Sprinkle in J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia (if needed), and we will have dominate post-season.
