The New York Yankees need to focus on the task at hand — beating a scrappy and perpetually underrated Cleveland Guardians team in the ALCS. With a 2-1 lead and home-field advantage in hand, however, one couldn't blame the average Yankees fan for looking ahead and thinking about a potential World Series matchup.
It won't get easier in the days and weeks to come. The Guardians aren't going down without a fight and the Yankees' World Series opponent would either be their cross-town rivals from Queens, or perhaps the most front-to-back talented team in the MLB. If New York does advance, the Yankees aren't necessarily guaranteed 'favorite' status in the final showdown.
That said, New York could get valuable reinforcements if it closes out Cleveland. The Yankees' pitching staff has been a roller coaster all postseason, with Gerrit Cole slipping in and out of ace form at the top. There is no denying the raw talent in the Yankees' rotation, but Luis Gil is unseasoned, Carlos Rodon is notoriously hot-or-cold, and Clarke Schmidt just does not have it this October.
The one name missing is Nestor Cortes, who has not played since Sept. 18 after suffering a flexor strain. If the Yankees are able to advance to the next round, however, the 29-year-old could end up back on the active roster.
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"He's more in play to me at this point," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters this week (h/t Mike Axisa, CBS Sports). "Now, he's got steps to go and he's got to continue to feel good and bounce back and things like that, but the way it's gone to this point has been encouraging. I think he's at least a realistic option (for the World Series). Not saying for sure, but the timeline lines up to where if things go well, he could definitely be an option."
The Yankees certainly aren't committing to Cortes this soon, but this is a positive development that could pay dividends on baseball's ultimate stage. Odds are the Yankees wouldn't throw Cortes immediately back into the fire as a full-on starter — he needs to settle in and ramp up first — but even if he's a long reliever or the leadoff for a bullpen game, Cortes' presence could help stabilize and reinvigorate the Yankees pitching staff.
Cortes has postseason experience, which is always useful this time of year. The Yankees' primary advantage all season has been overwhelming offense, but pitching could prove pivotal in a World Series matchup. Both the Mets and the Dodgers have some hammers in the heart of their lineups, so the Yankees wouldn't necessarily be shoo-ins to win a shootout. Instead, New York may need to come across victories the hard way — but limiting the opponent's output with strong performances on the mound.
In 31 appearances (30 starts) during the regular season, Cortes posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 162 strikeouts in 174.2 innings. The talented southpaw plays with a lot of fire, and he would be a welcome addition to the Yankees' arsenal in a potential World Series.
