Yankees Open Playoff Push Behind Fried, Rodón

Judge and Stanton anchor lineup as New York faces Boston in Wild Card

BRONX, New York — The New York Yankees enter October with a roster built for the moment. Their Wild Card showdown with the Boston Red Sox marks the start of a short, unforgiving series where pitching and power will dictate survival.

Rotation backbone: Fried, Rodón and the rookie card

The Yankees’ postseason hopes rest on the arms of Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, two left-handers who anchored the staff when Gerrit Cole went down. Fried closed the year with 19 wins and an ERA under 3.00, showing sharp command down the stretch. Rodón piled up more than 200 strikeouts across 33 starts and gave the Yankees a reliable counterpunch every fifth day.

Together, they formed a one-two punch capable of controlling games from the outset. Both will start in the first two contests, with Fried lined up for Game 1 and Rodón for Game 2. If the series stretches, rookie Cam Schlittler is expected to take the ball in Game 3. The 24-year-old posted a sub-3.00 ERA in limited action, but his lack of playoff experience makes him a question mark under pressure.

The wrinkle is obvious: both Fried and Rodón are southpaws. That plays to the Yankees’ strength but also gives Boston a chance to stack right-handed bats and grind long at-bats. The margin for error is thin.

Power in the middle: Judge, Stanton and thunder

The lineup runs through Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, two of the most intimidating sluggers in the game. Judge finished the season with more than 50 home runs, a batting average over .330 and more than 110 runs driven in. Stanton, serving primarily as designated hitter, remains a game-changing force with one swing.

Supporting them are veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, who provide balance and on-base ability. When the Yankees roll out Judge in the two hole, Stanton in the cleanup spot and Bellinger tucked in between, they create the kind of middle order that keeps pitchers from breathing.

But October has its own challenges. Judge has faced playoff slumps before, and Stanton’s streaky contact rates can swing momentum. If the big bats are muted, the pressure falls on the rest of the order to step forward.

Keys, risks and outlook

Keys for New York:

Win the first two games and avoid putting the series on the rookie’s shoulders.
Score early to prevent the kind of late-inning tension that has haunted past Octobers.
Keep the bullpen steady, protecting slim leads when the starters hand over the ball.

Risks they face:

Boston’s lineup can wear down left-handers over multiple plate appearances.
A Game 3 could expose Schlittler’s inexperience.
If Judge and Stanton don’t deliver, the lineup may lack enough depth to carry the load.

The Yankees are built around a simple formula: dominant starting pitching and middle-of-the-order thunder. If Fried and Rodón do their part, and Judge or Stanton finds a moment, New York has the pieces to advance.