Can We Continue To Win With This Pitching Staff & Bullpen Mismanagement?

Can the Yankees actually stumble their way into October—and if they do, can they win more than a round before we all start doom-scrolling again? On paper, sure. They’ve got Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, who are about as close to playoff aces as you can get. But baseball doesn’t end after two games in a series, and the Yankees’ rotation has a neon sign flashing: “No. 3 starter wanted.”

Luis Gil? Fun, talented, but still gives you that feeling like you’re sitting on a plane during turbulence—not quite sure if you’ll land smoothly or end up white-knuckling the armrest. Cam Schlittler? He’s had his moments, no doubt. But last night in the 10-9 survival act against the Twins, he did his best impression of a gas can in a fireworks factory.

Fried and Rodón will get the ball for Games 1 and 2, but if the Yankees need a Game 3 hero, Schlittler’s in the running—though pitching like he did Tuesday night won’t exactly book him a postseason spot. After coughing up a nine-run lead and failing to survive the fifth inning, he admitted the obvious:

“You’re not going to get those opportunities when you walk five against a team that’s not even in the race,” Schlittler said after the game. “Just got to be better.”

Translation: He knows he blew it, and we all saw it too.

The offense, at least, decided to do their job. Ten runs, big swings, fireworks—fantastic. But of course, it came one night after the bats went completely silent. That’s the Yankees for you: one night they’re a juggernaut, the next they’re impersonating a beer-league softball team that showed up hungover.

Let’s be real, though—the bigger issue is the same one that’s haunted the Bronx for years: pitching. The bullpen is a nightly horror show, and Aaron Boone manages it like he’s picking names out of a hat. Between Cam wobbling, the relievers collapsing, and Boone pressing the wrong buttons, it’s like watching a team audition for “How Not to Survive October.”

So, back to the big question: do you really trust anyone not named Fried or Rodón in a playoff game? And how can this bullpen suddenly flip a switch when it’s been stuck in meltdown mode all year?

Honestly, I don’t see it. This team might claw into the playoffs, but getting past Round 1? That feels like pure fantasy.