The newly appointed American League Champions, the New York Yankees have been given a dance partner. Their World Series opponent will be the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees pulled a few strategies and stuck to them, leading to victory. There are very various key takeaways from this series to move over to the World Series.
Yankees ALCS Takeaways Are Crucial Towards A Competitive World Series Match-Up
The match-up the world was waiting for is finally here. An east-coast, west-coast showdown is long-awaited, and both clubs are powerhouses.
The Yankees maneuvered two crucial series this postseason, and the roster and lineup plan Aaron Boone and management executed paid off.
Yankees Starting Pitching Is A Key Takeaway In Itself
The beginning of the American League Divisional Series was rusty for Yankees starting pitchers. After the first two games, things were smooth sailing. In fact, the starting pitching was dominant.
The Yankees utilized four pitchers in this series and only needed to pitch Gerrit Cole once. The ability to manage Cole’s workload in this series is huge going into the World Series. Cole threw 4 and 1 / 3 innings in game two. His outing led to a Yankees win over the Guardians.
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt pitched game three for the Yankees, going 4 and 2 / 3 innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. After using six relievers, the Yankees fell in this one in a 5-7 loss.
Right-hander Luis Gil took the hill in game four for his first postseason appearance this year. Gil threw four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, walking three, and striking out three.
His efforts, along with five relievers in this game, led the Yankees to a win.
Keeping Marcus Stroman on the active roster was a good idea, with regards to depth, especially in the absence of Nestor Cortes.
A Key Factor In The Rotation Will Be Crucial
The most valuable pitcher in this series was clearly left-hander Carlos Rodon. The southpaw was a workhorse, showing excellence in his outings. He recorded two wins in the series against the Guardians.
In two outings, he totaled 10 and 2 / 3 innings of work, allowing three earned runs, one walk, 15 strikeouts, six ground-outs, and 19 fly-outs. His repertoire and pitch usage were highly efficient. Rodon will be an X-factor in the World Series.
Yankees Bullpen And Closer Role
Aaron Boone had done a magnificent job in managing the bullpen; the usage of relievers is a huge takeaway from this series. The Yankees averaged three relievers per game, reducing the load of the starters and ensuring their availability for later in the ALCS and now the fall classic.
Right-handers Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill were relied on heavily for mid-relief. Kahnle recorded four innings in three games and Hill recorded 4 and 2 / 3 innings in four games of work.
Lefty Tim Mayza only saw 2 / 3 innings in one game. The Yankees remain cautious with Mayza due to his ability to command and hit spots. He’s known to live in the wheelhouses of hitters and make crucial mistakes in these matchups.
Mark Leiter Jr was a late but beneficial addition to the roster, as his relief in game five made a huge impact. His 1 and 2 / 3 innings of work picked up an 8-6 win for New York. This saved arms and kept the supplement arms in the bullpen fresh.
Two Impactful Relievers Will Be X-Factors
Clay Holmes has gelled in his new role with emphasis and confidence. His mid to late relief has been strategic in the Yankees bullpen usage. Holmes picked up two wins in four relief appearances in the series.
His summons for relief is methodical and is hitter by hitter based. Holmes has found his home out of the pen and the Yankees have done a good job identifying his use outside of the closer spot.
The closer role continues to impress, other than one innocent blown save. Luke Weaver has emerged to be hit in the late innings and is trusted beyond belief. He’s picked up a save and a win in the ALCS, making that four saves this postseason.
Weaver has found a home in the ninth inning and beyond. A real test will begin on Friday when he’ll be tasked with defending against one of the top lineups in baseball. These two arms are a key takeaway from the success of this series, heading into the next.
