NEW YORK — It remains to be seen who will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series for the Yankees.
Although Gerrit Cole is the favorite to take the mound Tuesday against the Guardians or the Rays at Yankee Stadium, manager Aaron Boone is leaving room for maneuver as the team ponders entrusting the first game of its postseason to Cuban Néstor Cortés or Dominican Louis Severino.
“The good thing is, with Gerrit, Nestor and Sevy, I feel really good about where they are and how we can line up from a starting standpoint against any team right now,” Boone said in an interview with ESPN’s New York broadcaster. 98.7. “So, it represents a decision right now, but I see it as a good decision to face.”
Boone previously had tapped Cole as his Game 1 starter, but backed off during the final regular-season series against the Rangers at Arlington.
“I think I know which way I want to go,” Boone said. “But I want to sleep on it, talk to different people before I finally make that decision. I am inclined to make the decision sooner rather than later.”
Cole finished the regular season 13-8 with a 3.50 ERA (111 ERA+), leading the majors with 33 starts and 257 strikeouts (a new franchise record, surpassing Ron Guidry’s 248 strikeouts in 1978), but the right-hander also led the American League with 33 homers allowed.
Cortes went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA (159 ERA+) in 28 starts, striking out 163 batters in 158 1/3 innings. Severino dominated in his final outing of the regular season, allowing no hits to the Rangers on Oct. 3 to finish with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts
Cole has pitched well against Cleveland (2-0, 1.42 ERA in two starts) and Tampa Bay (1-1, 1.07 ERA in fourth starts) this season. Cortes has also had solid starts against both teams, going 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA in two starts vs. Cleveland and 2-2 with a 3.28 ERA in four starts against Tampa Bay.
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Yankees still do not define their starter for Game 1 of the ALDS