For the New York Yankees, there’s no easing into October baseball. Just a day after outlasting the Boston Red Sox in a tense Wild Card matchup, the Yankees now head north of the border to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series. Game 1 at Rogers Centre on Saturday brings a classic playoff dilemma: the Jays know exactly who’s taking the ball, while the Yankees are still wrestling with uncertainty.
Blue Jays hand the ball to their ace
Toronto manager John Schneider didn’t have to think twice. He tabbed Kevin Gausman, the club’s veteran right-hander, to start Game 1.
“I’m ready to go. I’m fired up,” Gausman said Friday, his words as steady as his splitter.
The numbers tell the story of a season that might look uneven at first glance but proves his value on closer inspection. A 10–11 record doesn’t sparkle, but the 3.59 ERA over 193 innings shows reliability. Add in 189 strikeouts and it’s clear why the Blue Jays trust the 34-year-old to set the tone.
Gausman isn’t flashy, but he’s relentless. His ability to navigate tough lineups with poise is exactly what Toronto will lean on against a Yankees team that just found its stride in Boston. In four regular-season starts against New York, he went 2–1 with a 3.97 ERA, giving up plenty of baserunners but managing to limit damage when it mattered. The Yankees have seen him often enough to know what’s coming, but hitting his trademark splitter is a different story.
Yankees weigh Gil vs. Warren
The situation across the diamond is murkier. New York hasn’t announced its starter, torn between two very different arms. Luis Gil, last year’s American League Rookie of the Year, offers familiarity and upside but also raised some red flags in his second season. His strikeout stuff remains electric, but advanced metrics suggest a troubling regression.
Then there’s Will Warren, the talented righty whose swing-and-miss arsenal can make hitters look silly. His 4.44 ERA, though, tells the other side of the tale—command lapses and inconsistency that could be fatal in a short series.
Manager Aaron Boone has no perfect choice here. Ideally, the Yankees would counter Gausman with Max Fried or Carlos Rodón, but both are on short rest after the Wild Card grind. Even Cam Schlittler, the rookie who dazzled with poise against Boston, isn’t lined up for Saturday. That leaves New York to gamble on either Gil’s resilience or Warren’s volatility.
A matchup built on contrasts
Playoff baseball often comes down to contrasts, and this Game 1 matchup is a study in opposites. Toronto turns to a proven ace with postseason scars, while New York debates whether to roll the dice on youth. It’s like showing up to a heavyweight fight—one boxer walks in with years of championship rounds behind him, the other with raw knockout power but shaky footwork.
The Yankees, of course, don’t scare easily. Their lineup showed in Boston that it doesn’t take much to flip a game, and Gausman, while supremely talented, is no Garrett Crochet. Against him this year, New York found ways to grind out at-bats, drawing 12 walks in just over 22 innings. That patient approach will be crucial again, forcing Gausman into longer counts and mistakes.
What to expect Saturday
The Blue Jays will count on Gausman’s steadiness to give them an early advantage, while the Yankees hope whichever starter Boone selects can simply keep the game close long enough for the offense to strike.
No one expects an easy ride in October. The Yankees may be backed into a corner with their pitching plans, but corners are often where they’ve been most dangerous. Toronto has the upper hand on paper, but paper matchups rarely survive the chaos of October.
This opening game promises to set the tone: one side leaning on stability, the other rolling the dice. And in October baseball, both paths can lead to glory.