2. Aaron Boone
It isn’t just the Yankee players that will feel the pressure on Wednesday. The Wild Card game will also go a long way towards determining how the fan base and New York media perceive Aaron Boone in the immediate future.
Most rookie managers would be celebrated for leading a team to 100 regular season wins. Instead, Boone still takes a ton of grief from Yankees fans on social media. Some even claim they’d rather see Joe Girardi back in pinstripes for the game against the A’s. That’s a minority opinion, but Yankee fans are very curious to see how Boone will respond to such a high-pressure environment.
Every move he makes will be closely scrutinized. That will start with the players he chooses to make up his starting lineup. The pitcher he chooses to start the game will be his biggest managerial decision to date. Just how much rope he’ll extend to that starter will also be a major talking point of any type of close game.
In the end, Boone can succeed by keeping things simple. He doesn’t need to try to win this game with his managerial acumen. Instead, he needs to make sure he plays the percentages and puts his team into position to win. Boone can’t win this game for the Yankees, but the wrong move could cost his franchise their playoff lives.