Things I Think - Playoff Edition

By Andy Singer

September 29th, 2026

Let's Hope We See This Same Champagne Celebration In October!

After a long season, the playoffs begin today as the Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox. I have been working on a number of threads to turn into long form posts, but now that the playoffs are here, I think it makes sense to distill some of those threads into shorter, more relevant snippets. We have a lot to talk about when it comes to the Yankees, and I thought it would be useful to look at some of those topics in a single place.

Let's get at it:

On Austin Wells

Much has been written here and elsewhere about Austin Wells this season. If you look at his full season line, it isn't pretty: .186/.292/.332, 14 HR, .624 OPS. Wells' defense is excellent, so his WAR numbers aren't as disastrous as you would think, but that's just about as bad a batting line as anyone could have seen coming for Wells.

Looking at the full season line doesn't really tell the full story on Wells, though. Wells suffered through one of the worst first half performances I've ever seen at the plate, wrapped around a curious IL stint for migraines and nerve pain. Watching him hit in the first half, it was obvious to anyone that he wasn't healthy. His hitting mechanics were clearly changed to manage injuries, and he often released his bottom hand from the bat. Releasing the bottom hand from the bat only occurs when grip is an issue. Grip strength is one of the most important attributes a hitter needs to be successful.

Quietly though, Wells was much better this summer. From July 9th forward, Austin Wells hit .230/.348/.461, 10 HR, .809 OPS. Wells' 129 wRC+ (a statistic that identifies Wells' offensive performance as 29% better than leauge average) in that timeframe was tied for 6th best among catchers. Wells produced 1.9 fWAR during that timeframe, good for 5th among catchers (and he was right on the heels of 3rd place Carter Jensen who produced 2.1 fWAR). The best part? Wells likely would have been even better had be been able to take his breathers against left-handed pitching, against whom he's always been awful, but he was particularly bad against lefties this year.

I think it's reasonably clear that Wells' performance was hindered at the beginning of the season by circumstances outside of his control. It is also a real problem that the Yankees didn't find a viable right-handed hitting catcher to platoon with Wells (no, I don't consider Ali Sanchez viable). Wells showed pop in the 2nd half, with strong walk rates and enough contact to get on-base at a well above-average clip. Those traits remained stable month-over-month.

What does all of this mean? I think it means that Wells is a real asset for the Yankees heading into the playoffs. I don't think enough Yankee fans realize how good Wells has been since he either got healthy or fixed his mechanics (or both) at the plate.

As I say this, I of course noticed that Wells got whacked multiple times in the right shoulder by foul tips in the last week. One such shot brought him to his knees wincing in pain. Catchers, man.

The Yankees Line-Up Pitchers Correctly

I was very concerned initially by the whispers we heard coming into the Wildcard series. It sure sounded for a couple of days like the Yankees were going to line up one of Gerrit Cole or Max Fried to start Game 1 of the Wildcard series against the Red Sox. Cole and Fried are both excellent, though neither are the best starter on their own team.

Cam Schlittler should be the AL Cy Young winner this year, and he might even get some MVP votes. When the most important games are played, you need to find every way you can to get your best players on the field as soon as possible. Pitching Schlittler today also means that Schlittler is pitching on normal rest. I know that Schlittler is a bit better with an extra day of rest, but that's kind of like saying you prefer a 1969 Ferrari Daytona Spyder to a 1962 Shelby Cobra with a 289; we're splitting hairs, here. Schlittler on regular rest is still the best pitcher in baseball.

If the choice is between Schlittler and anyone else, I want Schlittler. I'm glad that the Yankees didn't overthink this one.

Thinking About The Infield

I've seen some recent reporting about the Yankee infield, and I can already hear the bellyaching from some corners of the Yankee Universe. Jazz Chisholm Jr. noted the other day that he would be upset if he didn't start the first Wildcard game. That quote is being taken out of context. He noted very specifically that as a competitor, you always want to play in the biggest moments and help your team win. I consider that a winning attitude, even if the first part of the quote is getting all the headlines.

The discussion brings up an interesting point, though. The Yankees are going to see at least two lefties against the Red Sox, and multiple players in the infield have huge platoon splits against lefties. Chief among them is 3B Ryan McMahon, yet somehow he's been immune from the public conversation regarding the lineup.

McMahon has quite simply been among the worst everyday players in baseball this year. It's an experiment that failed largely because his defense has regressed. Jose Caballero is the most likely guy to start at 3B given his experience there, but I'm not sure that's the best option. Cabby was overexposed with more playing time, and I'm not sticking him at 3B gives the Yankees the best lineup against lefties.

Anthony Volpe was quite good after returning to the big leagues. He was excellent defensively at 2B, but he only got one game at 3B. He only played there a few times at AAA. Having watched him there at AAA, I thought he looked solid. Prior to a jammed thumb, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was finally on the tear we all waited for all season long. I can't help but shake the feeling that the best Yankee lineup has Jazz at 2B and Volpe at 3B. Is it the absolute ideal defensive lineup? No, but I also think it remains strong.

In any case, I don't see a scenario where McMahon should be anything more than a matchup based pinch hitter in the playoffs.

Flying Under The Radar

You know who I think is flying under the radar? Carlos Rodon. He didn't pitch much in the 2nd half due to injury, but he was excellent upon returning. 38 innings with a 1.89 ERA, more than a strikeout per inning, and a walk rate that was significantly better than before he went down with injury. I think there's an argument to made that he's the 2nd best starter on the roster.

Since we know that Rodon doesn't line up to start in the Wildcard series, I think he'll be deployed as a bullpen weapon. Rodon's demeanor on the mound and his wipeout stuff play quite well in a bullpen role. It should be interesting.

Likewise, we watched Will Warren get some experience with bullpen innings this season, and he was more electric than I ever expected. His fastball ticks up 1-2 MPH, and his stuff that is hittable as a starter becomes bat-missers out of the bullpen. Warren might touch 98 with the adrenaline the playoffs bring.

I think Rodon and Warren will be huge in the bullpen in the Wildcard round.