SSTN Mailbag: Rodon's Start, Positioning, And Subway Series Chances!

Step 2 of the mission has been accomplished! Prior to the start of the series, I said that the Yankees were a significantly better team (on paper) than the Royals, which led me to say in multiple places that the Yankees wouldn't need to play their best baseball in order to win the series. That opinion proved to be correct. I don't think that the Yankees were firing on all cylinders during the ALDS, but the team came up big when it counted the most.

While many think of this team as the Judge and Soto show, other members of the team really won this series. The bullpen, maligned by all of us for much of the season, was fantastic in the ALDS. Special note must be made of Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver's performance. The two had their roles reversed in recent weeks, and many opined that maybe the Yankees should leave Holmes off of playoff rosters entirely, while some were skeptical that Weaver could close effectively. Those concerns were muted entirely during the ALDS.

After Game 2, many smart people called for the Yankees to pull Stanton from the lineup. Can you imagine if the Yankees had listened? Stanton took over Games 3 and 4 with great hitting and stunningly competent baserunning, with a stolen base in Game 3 and a stand-up double that looked as though it would be closer in Game 4.

At the top of the order, Gleyber Torres set the table beautifully for the big boppers after him. 5 walks in 20 Plate Appearances with a consequential homer and a double. Gleyber has been deserving of plenty of criticism this season, but he has quietly turned it on since late-June, and he's been excellent in the lead-off spot.

If the most maligned parts of the Yankee roster continue producing like this, there might just be a parade this season. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but the stars are beginning to align.

As always, thanks for the great questions and keep them coming to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. This week's SSTN Mailbag will read like an ALDS recap, with questions about Rodon's Game 2 start, defensive positioning, and the chances of New York getting a Subway Series! Let's get at it:

David asks: What do you make of Rodon's start tonight? He was so electric early on...then Mr. Hyde came out to play. What happened? Is this just who Rodon is at this point?

Rodon's start frustrated me beyond expectations. He was as good as any Yankee pitcher I've ever seen in the playoffs in the first inning. That's how good his stuff was. In particular, I haven't seen Rodon's fastball show that much life and velocity at the same time since he put on pinstripes. He was also very clearly amped up and toeing the fine line between perfectly energized and over-amped. For three innings, Rodon balanced on that line perfectly.

My opinion is very different than what I've seen elsewhere, and the days since seeing Rodon's 4th inning implosion live have not changed the opinion I shouted at the TV. I also hope Alan B. is reading, because part of my complaint is something that Alan has been talking about around here for two seasons. It's not something I generally think is a core problem, but on a micro-level, it became a problem in Game 2.

Rodon got hit around from the start of the 4th inning. Perez homered and Yuli Gurriel swatted a single. Massey came to the plate and quickly watched 3 straight balls go by. Here is where you need to move beyond numbers and statistics (something of which I am fond, as many of you know). From the time Rodon threw ball 2 to Massey, Wells should have popped up from behind home plate to try to calm his pitcher down, a pitcher who we know had his adrenaline pumping through his ears. That was mistake number one. After throwing a third straight ball, Rodon handled it himself, coming all the way back for the strikeout. Rodon was righting the ship, and he looked like he was in a good place.

Instead, Matt Blake didn't read the moment correctly, and popped out of the dugout for a mound visit ahead of Tommy Pham's at-bat. Whatever rhythm Rodon had found was gone the moment Blake came out to discuss the next hitter. From there, Rodon unraveled and the game was lost. Ultimately, it is still Rodon's job to get outs, but the Yankees consistently mis-read standard baseball situations to the detriment of performance. Feel and fundamentals have been in short supply in the Aaron Boone era, and this was a scenario where the coaching staff's inadequacy in that department negatively impacted the outcome of a critical game.

Rodon deserves blame for falling apart, but so does the Yankee coaching staff.

Brian asks: So...we have Jazz Chisholm at 3B when he's a 2B/CF, Jon Berti at 1B when he's never played the position in a professional game, and Dominguez isn't playing because he looked unpolished in LF, a position he's hardly played. Huh?!? What are your thoughts on this?

Obviously, framing it that way, it sounds pretty terrible. Chisholm was out of position early on in this series on a cutoff play, which brought up this topic again, and Boone's decision to play Berti at 1B drove the discussion into overdrive. However, it is also important to recognize that the MLB season is a war of attrition. Often times, the roster with which you enter the playoffs is not the one you planned on having at the beginning of the season.

The Yankees deserve some scorn for not figuring 3B out this offseason. I noted numerous times that the Yankees needed to go out and get an everyday 3B. The Yankees acquired Jon Berti at the end of Spring Training, and he promptly got hurt. Cabrera was overmatched as an everyday player, and there really weren't any good options down on the farm. The Yankees also had a severe early summer swoon offensively, so the front office knew they needed to do something. Again, there weren't any good traditional options available at 3B, further highlighting how shortsighted their offseason oversight was. Jazz Chisholm is a dynamic player who has provided a real spark, and the Yankees were able to get him for relatively cheap, considering his talent and years of team control remaining. Chisholm naturally played the left side of the infield coming up through the professional ranks, so the decision was made to give him a trial-by-fire audition. While he's had some clunkers, Chisholm has largely shown the skillset required to play the position, and he's improved markedly over at the hot corner. Given the other options, Chisholm at 3B makes sense, even if it's not ideal.

At 1B, Rizzo's continued injuries alongside LeMahieu's implosion left the Yankees with few options. Ben Rice will likely hit right-handed pitching eventually, even if he struggled in his first MLB action, but 1B is completely new to him, and his defense looked awful. Awful enough that it's tough to call Rice an option there in the playoffs. Context in discussing this topic is key. Rizzo and DJLM's injuries were predictable, and the Yankees should have planned better at the position, but the current reality cannot be ignored. Given that fact, finding out that Cabrera and Berti are excellent defensively over at 1B is a relief. Both are very athletic, instinctive athletes, and have managed to make the transition well.

I fault the Yankees for the Dominguez transition. Verdugo was counted on to be a high-contact hitter, and he's failed to deliver. The Yankees knew Verdugo was struggling, yet Dominguez still didn't play much LF at AAA when he was healthy this season. When the lights got the brightest, Dominguez showed his inexperience. That's on the Yankees for not preparing him for the moment. Dominguez gives the Yankee offense more depth and dimensions, and now he's wasted on the bench due to the team's stubbornness.

One other fault I find is with the Yankees' insistence on playing Verdugo against LHP. He can't hit lefties; he never has. Jon Berti is ideal in those scenarios, and he plays a fine LF (I've seen him do it). Against LHP, I would start Berti in LF and Cabrera at 1B.

Michael asks: What chances do you give the Mets and the Yankees of playing in the World Series against each other? I've been pulling for it and I think it just might happen!

The Mets have turned magical at just the right time of the season, but they will have a tough match-up on their hands with either the Padres or the Dodgers. The Yankees won't see a pushover in the ALCS either, but the AL Central is notably lesser competition than either NL West team the Mets will see in the NLCS. Statistically, we've got a 50/50 shot at a Subway Series, but the reality is somewhat less than that - 35, 40% chance? That's not nothing, and I'm rooting hard for it too!