The Yankees are working hard to figure out which pitcher will start their Wild Card game. It’s not a decision Aaron Boone will make alone.
Aaron Boone is the New York Yankees manager, but that doesn’t mean he gets to make all of the big decisions for the team. In fact, he’s getting a lot of input from Brian Cashman and the rest of the organization about who should be his starting pitcher for the Wild Card game.
The choice will boil down to three obvious options. Either J.A. Happ, Luis Severino or Masahiro Tanaka will get the ball on Wednesday evening. The stakes can’t be higher for the Yankees. They either knock Oakland out of the postseason and advance to the Divisional Round or their season is over. Getting a quality, if not dominant start, from one of those three players would go a long way towards keeping the team’s quest for another World Series title alive.
The organization is certainly taking the choice seriously. Instead of making the choice by himself, Boone insists that “[Brian Cashman] and the coaching staff and the support staff really dove into” the decision on Sunday night. Boone might possibly have the ultimate decision, but it’s much more likely it will be a choice reached via consensus within the organization.
It’s also clear this will not be a choice made based on feel. Predictably, data and analytics will be a key factor in the process. That could give an edge to Happ and Tanaka. Both have enjoyed much stronger second halves than Severino.
On the other hand, Severino has the highest ceiling of the three starters. When he’s got all of his pitches working he’s borderline unhittable. That could lead sentiment within the organization to go his way when push comes to shove.
No matter what, don’t expect the team to announce its decision until the last possible moment. There’s no reason to give the Athletics advanced notice about who they’re going to match up against. Surprise will be a tool the Yankees try to use to their advantage ahead of Wednesday’s big game.