WELLS PLAYS HERO, BOONE’S OFFENSE PLAYS DEAD

The Yankees lost Game 1 to Tampa Bay, 1-0, wasting five innings of one-run pitching from Gerrit Cole. Jonathan Aranda’s third-inning homer supplied all the scoring. Drew Rasmussen supplied the humiliation: eight innings, 10 strikeouts and one lousy hit.

Then Austin Wells decided he was trying to be a hero. With two outs in the eighth, he finally broke up the no-hitter—and promptly got thrown out stretching a double into a triple. He saw Luis Rojas’ stop signal after passing second and kept going. Congratulations: you rescued the Yankees from one embarrassment and drove them straight into another. Stay at second and give the next hitter a chance. That’s October baseball, not an audition for a highlight reel.

And Aaron Boone deserves scrutiny, too. He stacked the lineup with eight left-handed hitters, and Rasmussen carved it up. The supposed matchup advantage produced 23 swings and misses. At some point, having right-handed alternatives means actually considering a different look while there are still outs to work with.

Then Boone chose Giancarlo Stanton to pinch-hit for Ryan McMahon leading off the ninth—Stanton’s first plate appearance since April 24. He struck out. I understand betting on his October power, but asking a guy sidelined for five months to rescue a one-run playoff game is a hell of a gamble. Boone afterward said he liked the at-bat. Wonderful. Put that on the scoreboard.

Monday’s Game 2 has Cam Schlittler lined up to start. The Yankees need to give him actual run support and bring this series home tied. Expect pressure immediately: another loss means facing elimination in Game 3.

Boone needs better answers. Wells needs better judgment. And this lineup needs to remember that beating Boston didn’t finish the job.

HEY BOONE, DON’T SCREW THIS UP

The Yankees swept Boston, and I enjoyed every second of it. Now comes the harder part: beating Tampa Bay without turning their own dugout into the Rays’ greatest competitive advantage.

These Yankees—the misfits as I call them, the guys I’ve questioned all summer—have given us something worth rooting for. They handled the Wild Card round without Aaron Judge. Austin Wells contributed. Spencer Jones contributed. Suddenly, a lineup that too often looked like a collection of separate problems started playing like a team.

I want these misfits to win the whole damn thing.

That doesn’t mean Brian Cashman gets a summer’s worth of criticism erased by two October victories. I’m still tired of roster construction built around gambles, injury recoveries and the assumption that somebody will eventually figure it out. I still question the evaluations, the patience afforded certain players and the habit of selling hope as a strategy.

But the players have an opportunity now. Let them take it.

Tonight starts with Gerrit Cole. Game 1 begins at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with Cole facing Drew Rasmussen. Tampa went 55–26 at home, so walking into that building and expecting Boston’s surrender to carry over would be a mistake.

Cole brings a 10–9 record, a 3.61 ERA and 131 strikeouts. Rasmussen counters with 16–5, a 2.67 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Those numbers should get everyone’s attention.

Cole is rested. Now he needs to be sharp. There’s unfinished business after Tampa eliminated the Yankees in the 2020 ALDS, but revenge doesn’t retire hitters. First-pitch strikes, command and keeping the ball in the park do. Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda cannot be allowed to turn every inning into traffic.

And against Rasmussen, the Yankees need useful at-bats. Make him work. Move runners. Take the available run instead of waiting for the three-run homer that might never arrive.

Then there’s Wells. I’ve criticized him plenty, and his regular-season bat earned those questions. I really don't think he's good, but maybe he's on a hot streak. He had a good Wild Card series, and he deserves credit. In Game 1 alone, he delivered two hits, drove in a run and scored another while helping the Yankees pitchers overwhelm Boston.

Trent Grisham? I appreciate what he can provide offensively. I’m still watching him in the field. Does he take the right route? Make the clean play? Keep an extra base from becoming an extra run? October defense has to withstand scrutiny, especially against a team willing to pressure every small mistake.

And is Aaron Judge even necessary in this series?

It’s a provocative question, but the roster decision deserves one. A healthy Judge makes this team better. A limited Judge returning from a strained right calf presents a different calculation. Entering today, his availability remained uncertain, with a possible pinch-hitting role under consideration.

If he can help, use him. If he cannot run or defend effectively, don’t rearrange a functioning lineup simply because the biggest name is available. The misfits just showed they can win together. Respect that.

Ryan Weathers’ potential addition to the ALDS bullpen presents another test. I’ve questioned the Cashman gamble there, too. Making the roster is one thing; being ready for a tight October inning is another. Boone needs to know the difference.

Behind Cole, Cam Schlittler is slated for Monday’s Game 2, with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried the likely options when the series reaches New York. Those Bronx assignments remain unconfirmed, but there is enough pitching here to make this a real fight.

Which brings us to the question every Yankee fan eventually asks:

Will Boone mess this up?

Will he recognize when his starter is finished? Choose the reliever suited to the inning? Let productive players play? Or will we spend tomorrow discussing a decision everyone could see going wrong before it happened?

Manage the game in front of you, Aaron. Give these guys their best chance.

I’m rooting for Wells to keep hitting, Grisham to make every play, Cole to own the opener and the kids to keep bringing life into this team. But, Rasmussen is tough... and the Rays are home.

Let the misfits win.

I’d love nothing more than to spend November explaining how they proved me wrong.

SWEEP DREAMS IN THE BRONX!

The fat lady is singing and it's OVER! Boston can go back home and drink some Samuel Adams and start making their reservations on the golf course. As my boss likes to say, "it sucks to suck" and boy does Boston suck.

Losing is never easy but it hurts even more when the Yankees don't have Aaron Judge on the roster and they still spanked the Red Sox! That could've been an advantage for the Red Sox because we have all seen how different this team can be when there is no Judge but Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger stepped up and took care of business.

But that didn't matter. Even without Judge, the Yankees out scored Boston 18-2 and the starters had a miniscule 0.73 ERA. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried shut Boston down! It's the second year in a row the Yankees stomped Boston in the Bronx. The Yankees outplayed Boston in every aspect of the game. It's one thing to not be at full strength, and both sides arguably had some holes but the Yankees had more holes. The Red Sox had a door to walk through, but they couldn't make it happen. It was shut in their faces! Boston was lifeless and they had plenty of mistakes mixed in that it was their own downfall. Chad Tracey made some interesting decisions this series, and it didn't pay off. Now the Red Sox need to do a lot of self reflection. They didn't look like the same team that was breathing down the Yankees neck the second half of the regular season.

When the Yankees hit and pitch on all cylinders this team CAN beat anyone. If the Yankees continue to play the way they did in this series, they can beat Tampa in the ALDS, but they have to be consistent. They have to carry this into Saturday and they can't get complacent. 

So for now, I am going to enjoy this moment. We've been waiting to see this team click on all cylinders like this. It's a nice victory, but Tampa is next. The work is not done yet but it feels freaking fantastic to beat Boston. How SWEEP it is!

To the Boston fan who heckled me in the breakroom yesterday....I am lookin for ya! Watch out.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

SCHLITTLER DEALS, RICE FEASTS & BOSTON CHOKES

The Yankees beat Boston 9–0 in Game 1, and nothing improves a postseason evening quite like watching the Red Sox run out of answers.

Cam Schlittler was outstanding: 6⅓ scoreless innings, two hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts. Boston couldn’t get a runner past first against him. That’s command. That’s confidence. That’s a pitcher giving his teammates every reason to believe they’re winning tonight.

Then Ben Rice grabbed the spotlight and practically ripped it off the ceiling. Four hits. Two homers. Six RBIs. His fifth-inning solo shot created breathing room; his eighth-inning grand slam sent Boston looking for the exits. What a night for a guy who keeps giving this lineup some serious muscle.

And give Austin Wells his credit. All of it. His second-inning RBI single put the Yankees ahead before this became a blowout. Behind the plate, his successful challenge turned a first-inning pitch into an inning-ending strikeout. Later, his sacrifice fly brought home another run. Those contributions matter, and a monster night from Rice shouldn’t bury them. When Wells delivers, say so.

George Lombard Jr. added three hits and scored twice, while Paul Blackburn’s seventh-inning double play stopped Boston’s chance to make things uncomfortable.

Now comes the test: finish it. Max Fried gets the ball against Sonny Gray in Game 2. Keep the pressure on, keep getting contributions throughout the lineup, and make Boston’s stay in the Bronx a short one.

The Yankees and Boone had a mediocre lineup yesterday that played better than I expected, but they were banking on Cam to dominate and he did.  Tonight, we need to see if Gray will choke in the Bronx like he did when he was on the team.  Gray's better than he used to be... more confident. So... it will be a big test. 

COLE SHOULDER: DID THE YANKEES JUST DEMOTE THEIR ACE?

I'm not gonna lie, I am nervous about this Wild Card series. There are so many question marks with this roster right now. It's playoff time, so any unknowns add another monkey wrench to this season. This is the last thing we need when we are battling the Red Sox again.

We have several players in limbo right now. Everyone is waiting to hear if Aaron Judge is going to play in this series at all. But he's not the only person in limbo. The Yankees have decided to give the ball to Cam Schlittler for Game 1, read more HERE. 

The Cy Young hopeful is getting the ball against his hometown team in a spot that Gerrit Cole has held for six seasons. There's no doubt that Schlittler has earned it with his 14-6 record and 1.95 ERA, he's been the very definition of an ace, especially as Cole has worked his way back this season. Schlittler may have the number one spot not, but Cole didn't slide in behind at number two.

The Game two starter is Max Fried, not Cole. Yup, you read that correctly. Cole will get the ball for Game 3, if necessary. He will be the last chance for the Yankees to move forward. Earlier this month we asked GERRIT COLE-APSE: IS HE STILL AN ACE? after a rough outing. We all knew one day someone else would come up the ranks and change the rotation, especially after Cole missed all of last season.

Now we have Schlittler to set the tone for the series and no Carlos Rodon as a starter, even though he has been reliable and effective lately. It's a good problem to have, when you have a strong rotation that you don't have enough slots for all of your starting options. It's not something we are used to writing about. It's nice to have a strong rotation in a short series. It should be a big advantage for the Yankees, but a weird one when your once ace in Cole, would be pitching as number three. It's not something I would've even thought was a possibility.....but here we are.

This is a big series, and the Red Sox have been chasing us for months now and they want some revenge after we beat them in the Wild Card series last season. There's a lot on the line, and the Yankees look very different this time around.....I don't like different in the postseason. This better work.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STOP SELLING ME THE 2026 YANKEES. LET THEM EARN IT FIRST.

I love the Yankees. That is precisely why I am tired of being told how much I am supposed to love this 2026 Yankees team.

There is a difference between rooting for the uniform and swallowing every story the organization wraps around the men wearing it. I want them to beat Boston on Tuesday. I want them to win the World Series. But I am not going to pretend that 93 wins erase what I have watched for six months, or that a postseason berth turns every underperformer into a folk hero. A ticket to October is an opportunity. It is not a personality transplant.

The Yankees have won despite losing Aaron Judge for most of the season. That is real. Cam Schlittler and the pitching staff have given fans plenty to admire. Ben Rice has hit 41 home runs. There are players here who have earned their applause, and there is a reason to believe this club can win a short series. But a record cannot make me feel something the baseball itself has not made me feel.

And too much of this Yankee baseball has felt like a sales pitch interrupted by strikeouts.

Look, I'm about to go on a ramble, but that's why you come to Bleeding Yankee Blue, right? There is a difference between winning and believing. I know that doesn't make alot of sense, but let me explain.

We start here. Remember 1996? Derek Jeter hit .314. Bernie Williams hit .305 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs. Paul O’Neill hit .302 and drove in 91. Joe Girardi, the catcher nobody marketed as an offensive savior, hit .294. The club hit .288, scored 871 runs and struck out 909 times. It won the World Series.

Through 161 games this year, the Yankees were hitting .235, with 739 runs and 1,480 strikeouts. They had hit 223 home runs, 61 more than the entire 1996 team. Those are different eras with different league-wide offensive conditions; raw averages alone do not settle which lineup was better relative to its competition. They do tell you what it has felt like to sit through an inning. In 1996, a hit could become another hit. In 2026, you can spend a lot of time waiting for one swing to redeem a parade of empty at-bats.

The ’96 club had imperfections. O’Neill did not hit in that postseason the way he did in the regular season, and Girardi was no slugger. That is the point: nobody needed to pretend they were something else. You knew what those guys brought, you watched them bring it, and eventually they delivered the last win of the year. Affection followed the work.

This 2026 organization seems to want the affection up front. So, in short, stop telling me who to love.

Look, Anthony Volpe was a neat story to initially. Local kid. Homegrown shortstop. It practically wrote the promotional copy itself. Then the games kept happening. In 56 big league games this year, before his August demotion, he hit .240 with one home run. The Yankees handed shortstop to George Lombard Jr. That was an admission, in the language that matters most, that the old plan was not good enough. And thank god they made this decision.

Volpe did decent in Scranton. He hit .264 with an .906 OPS in 37 games, came back when Jazz Chisholm Jr. was hurt, and hit a grand slam in his return. I cheered the hit. I still refuse to be told that one big night settles three years of arguments about his bat. Volpe once again, and predictably, hasn't done a thing since.  Look, the bottom line and the point I am trying to make is a fan can wish a player well and reject the insistence that he is a cornerstone before his performance says so.

That is where the marketing grates. The Yankees can promote a young player. Of course they can. But they cannot schedule a fan’s emotional attachment like a bobblehead giveaway. When the image gets ahead of the player, every commercial, every reassuring quote, every invitation to believe feels less like celebration and more like an instruction to ignore your own eyes. And I think that's what bothers me most about this 2026 team. Much of it is like fake news.

Look at Austin Wells. Wells presents the same problem without the hometown fairy tale. He was batting .186 after Friday’s game. You can tell me about his defense and the demands of catching, and I will listen. You can tell me catching is hard, and I will agree. But you cannot ask me to watch a regular in the Yankees’ lineup struggle to get above .185 and act as though this is a minor aesthetic complaint. Girardi hit .294 for the 1996 champs. Nobody needed a brochure explaining why a hit from the catcher mattered.

The criticism belongs with the people who keep assembling and endorsing the roster, too. Wells did not draft himself. Volpe did not make himself the face of a campaign. The front office and the manager decide how long a bet gets to occupy the lineup and how they explain it to the people paying to watch.

It is my opinion that Brian Cashman has had years to build a club whose weak spots do not keep arriving as familiar surprises. His defenders can point to 93 wins and a playoff berth, and they are entitled to. He also deserves credit for talent that has helped this team survive Judge’s injuries. But that is not the end of the accounting. A general manager does not get graded only on whether enough of his bets hit to reach a Wild Card Series. He gets graded on the holes fans could see coming, on the cost of carrying them, and on whether October exposes them again.

How many seasons are fans supposed to watch the Yankees sell potential where production is required? How many times are they supposed to hear that a struggling regular is close, that a new piece might be the answer, that the next stretch will show what this club really is? Hope is part of baseball. Hope cannot be the entire roster-building strategy of the New York Yankees.

And do not confuse this complaint with a demand for nine .300 hitters. I am asking for a front office to look honestly at its own team, then speak with the same honesty to its fans. When a player is not producing, adjust. When a prospect has not become the star you promised, stop selling the promise as an accomplishment.

Aaron Boone has guided an injury-hit club to October. That matters. Players appear to trust him, and his handling of the staff has helped the Yankees keep winning. He has also made harder lineup choices this year; the demotions and changing roles show he might finally understand how to manage, but for me, I still don't truly see it. My problem is the gap between the action and the public language. Boone’s reflex is to protect his players, reassure everybody, and find the sunny side of another ugly night. I can understand why players appreciate that. Fans who just watched the same failed at-bat for the hundredth time are allowed to find it maddening. Leadership means more than absorbing criticism for the clubhouse. It means making the standard unmistakable.

Joe Torre’s calm felt like control because the club on the field kept backing it up. There was also accountability. Boone’s calm, at its worst, feels like a press conference held in a different ballpark from the game I just watched. There are nights when I want a manager to say plainly what every fan saw: this was not good enough, and the people who keep getting chances must earn the next ones.

That does not mean humiliating Wells or Volpe. It means refusing to treat honesty as disloyalty. When it comes to Boone, there is no accountability. It's called coddling.

Now, Willie Randolph knows what a champion looks like. He lived through the Bronx Zoo, coached the 1996 champions, spent time with this year’s club in spring training, and sees camaraderie and pitching that he believes can carry the Yankees to a title. I respect the firsthand view. He also said his teams were sharper fundamentally.  

The Bronx Zoo was not just a collection of personalities and good chemistry. The 1977 and 1978 Yankees won consecutive World Series. Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles, Ron Guidry, Randolph and the rest did their talking amid the circus by beating the people in the other dugout when the season was on the line. Randolph is entitled to see a resemblance in the room. I am entitled to say that the resemblance is incomplete until this 2026 team does the job.

I also wonder what, exactly, we are being asked to compare. The Bronx Zoo label was born from actual chaos, conflict, talent and championships. This team has an expertly managed image and an offense that can disappear for innings at a time. Calling them equal because they get along and have a deep rotation is like saying a movie poster is as good as the movie. Let me see the ending.

Here's my thing; the uniform is enough reason to root, but it's not enough reason to pretend. Does that make sense? 

I will be there on the couch for the first pitch against Boston. I will celebrate every Rice homer, every Schlittler strikeout, every Lombard play and every unlikely contribution from Volpe or Wells. 

But I am done letting the Yankees tell me that skepticism is a failure of fandom. Loving this team means caring whether the standards match the sales pitch. It means remembering the difference between a player with a great story and a player who has done the job. It means demanding more from Cashman than another clever explanation and more from Boone than another comforting one.

93 wins are real. So is the exhaustion of watching the organization try to sell us devotion to players who have not earned it yet. The 1996 Yankees earned theirs one at-bat and one October win at a time. The Bronx Zoo earned its place in history with championships.

These 2026 Yankees? They have a chance to change the conversation. Good. Let them. But until they do, stop asking me to fall in love with the advertisement. I am watching the games dude. I see everything.

That's my take.

--Robert Casey
Chief & Head Writer, Bleeding Yankee Blue

THE YANKEES HAVE AN ACE. WHY IS AARON BOONE HESITATING?

Cam Schlittler has spent the season making the hardest decision in the Yankees’ playoff rotation look easy. He is the American League Cy Young favorite, and the Yankees have a short Wild Card Series to win. Give him the ball in Game 1.

Yet when Bryan Hoch asked Aaron Boone whether Schlittler would start the opener, the answer was: “We’ll see. Not necessarily.” Boone explained that starting Game 1 or Game 2 would leave a pitcher available for the same potential starts in the Division Series. I understand the calendar. I also understand that you have to get to the Division Series first. 

This is what drives me crazy about Boone. A straightforward playoff call becomes a discussion of future matchups and hypothetical schedules. Schlittler has earned the opener with what he has done this season. In a best-of-three series, I want my best pitcher setting the tone before the Yankees have a chance to fall behind.

Then I would go to Carlos Rodón in Game 2. Rodón has put together a remarkably steady run, including 24 consecutive starts allowing no more than three runs as of September 12. That is the kind of reliability I want when momentum is on the line. 

Gerrit Cole’s name and résumé command respect. They should not make this decision for Boone. Cole recently allowed seven home runs across two starts, though he followed that stretch with a stronger outing against Arizona. That is a pitcher I still value. It is not, to me, the strongest case for handing him Game 1 over Schlittler. 

Does Boone worry about Cole’s standing in the clubhouse? Is he waiting for Brian Cashman and the front office to settle the order? I cannot know that, but I will bet it's one of them, cause the dude can't make hard decisions. Boone’s hesitation says it all. His job under playoff pressure is to make the call that gives the Yankees their best chance to win, even if an established ace has to hear that someone else goes first.

To me, this is the roadblock the Yankees keep running into. Boone can explain a decision ten different ways. When October arrives, I want a manager who sees what is in front of him and acts on it.

Start Schlittler. Follow him with Rodón. Make Cole part of the plan without letting his reputation dictate it. If Boone keeps managing for the series after this one before winning the series in front of him, don’t act shocked if the Yankees are home early, off hunting for the winter.

Boone, my friends, is the problem we have in October. That's the bottom line.  

YANKEES WALKED OFF IN ARIZONA AS VOLPE BEGINS ANOTHER FREE FALL

The Yankees didn’t just lose to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night. They let a winnable game slip away at exactly the wrong time.

Arizona beat the Yankees 5-3 when pinch-hitter Pavin Smith launched a two-run, walk-off home run off Michael Fulmer in the bottom of the ninth inning. The 391-foot shot came immediately after Fulmer issued a controversial leadoff walk to Ildemaro Vargas.

Just like that, it was over. A Boone decision. Remember this as we are entering October baseball.

Cam Schlittler once again did enough to give the Yankees a chance. The rookie allowed only three hits over six innings, surrendering three runs—but just one earned—while lowering his American League-leading ERA to 1.94.

The Yankees didn’t help him.

A Schlittler fielding error opened the door for Arizona in the fifth inning, and Jordan Lawlar made them pay with a two-run triple. New York eventually grabbed a 3-2 lead behind solo home runs from Heliot Ramos and Austin Wells, but the Diamondbacks tied it again before Smith ended it in the ninth. By the way, Wells? Batting .185. Why in the freaking world so I care about a solo homer from this guy once a week if he can't even hit consistently?

The loss dropped the Yankees five games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East with only eight games remaining. Yes, the Yankees have already clinched a playoff spot. No, that doesn’t make losses like this acceptable—not with the division and home-field positioning still hanging in the balance.

And while everyone talks about the walk-off, let’s not act like we don’t see what is happening with Anthony Volpe.

Over his last seven games, Volpe is batting .217 with a .280 on-base percentage and a .304 slugging percentage. He has five hits in 23 at-bats, no home runs and only two RBIs.

That is not production. Those are “not a Major League player” numbers.

Once again, Volpe put together a small stretch of respectable baseball, and Yankee fans immediately declared that he had turned the corner. The broadcasts celebrated him. His defenders rushed back out. Everyone wanted to believe the Yankees had finally been proven right.

Once again, they were fooled.

Now Volpe is free-falling right back toward the same offensive numbers that have followed him throughout his career. This is the problem with judging a player by a handful of games instead of the complete body of work. A hot week doesn’t erase months—or years—of inconsistency. You need to watch the long game.

The Yankees have protected Volpe, promoted Volpe and made excuses for Volpe. Other players are forced to earn their opportunities. Volpe is handed his and then given endless time to justify them.

Meanwhile, the lineup continues to disappear for long stretches. Three runs weren’t enough Saturday night, just as three runs frequently won’t be enough in October. The Yankees have excellent pitching, but even excellent pitching needs support. Schlittler gave them six strong innings, and they still found a way to lose.

Most Yankee outlets will focus on the drama of the walk-off and move along.

Bleeding Yankee Blue will focus on the problem that refuses to disappear. Anthony Volpe still isn’t producing—and pretending otherwise won’t help the Yankees win in October.

GERRIT COLE-APSE: IS HE STILL AN ACE?

There's two weeks left in the regular season and Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make two more starts in that stretch. If that doesn't make you nervous.....it should. He's set to pitch against the Diamondbacks and the Rays. The last thing I am comfortable with right now is Cole pitching against the Rays in a game that could mean the difference in winning the division or just being a Wild Card.

What the hell is going on with Cole? The guy that was once our ace looks like a shell of himself. It's hard not to ask some tough questions after watching him give up four home runs against the Padres and then three this past weekend against the Mets. This is definitely a problem that Matt Blake and the Yankees need to fix NOW.

The good news is, Cole knows he needs to make those adjustments, read more HERE. The bad news though? We are out of time to tinker with mechanics. Granted, Cole has historically been a quick study and has made adjustments quickly throughout his career but the Rays are around the corner. The Yankees are four games behind them and this four game series against them will be the difference between being a division winner or just securing an invitation to the postseason as a Wild Card. Everything is on the line.

So a short time line and a stumbling ace are not working in our favor. Ordinarily, we might be able to ride something out and exercise some patience but we don't have that luxury. Cole is faltering at the wrong time. Right now, the Yankees best starters are Carlos Rodon, Max Fried and Cam Schlittler and the guy that is supposed to be the ace looks like he is a fourth or fifth starter.

Meanwhile, Schlittler is a favorite for Cy Young (as he should be) and is pulling the weight that a Ace should. It's hard to watch the guy that has been the anchor of your rotation falter. It's a reminder that at some point injuries or just age catch up to you and at a newly 36 years old, could we be seeing the start of his regression?

I hope now is not the time for the regression that comes for every great baseball player. But I have to ask at this point....is Cole still our ace? Is he still the guy that we can count on or is there a new Ace on this team?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

SCHLITTLER OWNS NEW YORK

The Yankees didn’t need much offense today. When Cam Schlittler pitches like this, apparently two runs will do.

The Yankees beat the Mets 2-0 in the rubber game of the Subway Series, and once again Schlittler looked less like a young pitcher figuring things out and more like the guy everybody else is trying to figure out.

Six innings. One hit. No runs. Eight strikeouts. His ERA dropped to a ridiculous 1.95, best in the majors.

Ben Rice got things started immediately, launching his 38th homer of the season in the first inning. Austin Wells — yes, Austin Wells — finally escaped an ugly 0-for-20 skid by going deep in the third. Those two swings were enough.  Don't worry, this dude's still only batting .179.  Like how embarrassing.

And that’s really the story.

Schlittler shut them down. Rice keeps raking. Wells finally woke up. The bullpen finished the job.

Yankees win the series and improve to 86-63.

Unfortunately, Tampa Bay keeps winning too, so the Yankees remain four games behind the Rays in the AL East.

There’s not much season left.

Keep winning.

Keep pushing.

And maybe — just maybe — make Tampa Bay sweat a little.

JUDGE RETURNS & THE YANKEES KEEP ROLLING

Aaron Judge is back. Finally.

The Yankee captain returned Tuesday night after missing 100 days, and while he went 0-for-3, nobody cares about the box score right now. Judge is healthy, he’s in right field, and the Yankees beat Colorado 5-3.

QUICK HITS: Judge is back. That’s the headline. Now stay healthy.

Cam Schlittler shoved: 7 innings, 1 earned run, 10 strikeouts. The kid continues to be the real deal.
Ryan McMahon ripped an RBI double to put the Yankees ahead.
Heliot Ramos delivered the dagger — a three-run bomb in the eighth.
David Bednar closed it out for save No. 32.

The Yankees are 82-62. September is here. Judge is back.

Enough excuses. Go win the damn thing.

CAM SHOVES AS YANKEES TAKE THE SERIES

The Yankees beat the Angels 6–3 in 10 innings Wednesday night, taking the series and escaping Anaheim with another important win.

Cam Schlittler was magnificent. Eight innings. Two hits. One run. Nine strikeouts. No walks. He retired 20 of the first 21 hitters he faced and lowered his American League-leading ERA to 2.04. Schlittler didn’t merely give the Yankees a chance—he carried them until the offense finally woke up. The kid is becoming a great major-league pitcher right before our eyes.

Then came the 10th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Austin Wells slapped a two-run single into right field to break the tie. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice followed with RBI singles as the Yankees hung a five-spot on the Angels.

Tip your cap to Wells. It was a clutch hit in a big moment. But let’s keep the parade under control. Wells is still batting an awful, horrendous .190. One big hit doesn’t suddenly turn him into Jorge Posada or Thurman Munson. Those were championship catchers who produced when it mattered over entire seasons—not once every few weeks.

Celebrate the hit. Praise the moment. Just don’t confuse one clutch swing with greatness. Write that down.

This game belonged to Cam Schlittler. That’s a series win. Pack the bags and keep moving.

SCHLITTLER SLAMS THE DOOR ON BOSTON

Sometimes you don’t need 10 runs. Sometimes you just need Cam Schlittler.

The Yankees beat the Red Sox 1-0 Friday night, and Schlittler was the story. The kid went 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed just two hits and struck out eight, while picking up his 200th strikeout of the season. His ERA dropped to an AL-best 2.09.

And against Boston? Even sweeter.

The only offense came from Paul Goldschmidt, who launched a solo homer in the third inning. From there, the Yankees protected that one lousy run like it was the last cannoli at Sunday dinner.

Cody Bellinger made the play of the night, firing a 99.7 mph strike from left field to nail Ceddanne Rafaela at the plate and preserve the lead. David Bednar handled the ninth for save No. 31.

Final: Yankees 1, Red Sox 0.

Not pretty. Not explosive.

But beating Boston behind Schlittler?

Beautiful.

LOOK WHO'S CREEPING UP THE AL EAST!

This is getting interesting.

The Yankees beat Toronto 3-1, have now won nine of their last 13, and suddenly they're just three games out of first place in the AL East. Yes, these Yankees. Go figure.

Spencer Jones stayed hot, launching his seventh homer and going deep for the second straight game. Toronto even challenged it after Jones admired his work for a moment. Nice try. Still gone.

Cam Schlittler wasn't exactly cruising, but he battled through traffic and made pitches when he needed them. José Caballero added a sacrifice fly, Brent Headrick escaped a late jam and David Bednar finished it off for save No. 30.

But forget the individual numbers for a second. The Yankees are simply playing good baseball right now — and they're gaining ground.

That's what makes this 10-game homestand so important. They're home, they're hot and first place is suddenly sitting right there within reach. This is the major opportunity. Let's hope Boone doesn't mess this up.

Don't just make the AL East race interesting. Go take the damn thing.

CASHMAN BUILT IT. BOONE CAN’T FIX IT.

The Yankees lost to Toronto 4-1 Saturday. Four hits. One run. Two runs over their last 27 innings. Read that again.

This isn't a slump anymore. This is an offense with a missing-person report. And even the one run deserves some context. Spencer Jones led off the second with a single, stole second, and George Lombard Jr. brought him home with an RBI single to left.

There it was. 1-0 Yankees.

Enjoy it. That was the entire offensive highlight reel.

Cam Schlittler gave them 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball and struck out seven. Once again, Yankee pitching kept them alive while the offense showed up carrying pool noodles instead of bats. How many games are these pitchers supposed to win 1-0?

And then there's Aaron Boone. What exactly is he managing? Where are the adjustments? Where's the urgency? This offense keeps disappearing and Boone keeps showing up afterward with another explanation.

Enough. You're the manager. Manage. But this goes higher. Brian Cashman made his deadline moves, shuffled the furniture and supposedly improved the Yankees. So I'll ask the obvious question:

Did Brian Cashman actually make this team better? Because it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.

Toronto used seven pitchers Saturday. Seven. The Yankees countered with four singles and one lousy run. That's embarrassing. This is August. The Yankees aren't supposed to be "figuring it out." They're supposed to be gearing up for October.

Instead, we're wondering where the next run is coming from. That's why Yankee fans should be entering panic mode.

Blue Jays 4. Yankees 1.

Cashman built it. Boone manages it. And right now, this thing looks broken.

KING OF THE BRONX!

Every once in a while, a young pitcher takes the mound, and you can almost feel that something special is about to happen.

Friday night was one of those nights.

Cam Schlittler didn't simply outpitch the Phillies. He flat-out embarrassed one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. Twelve strikeouts. Zero walks. More than seven scoreless innings. Against Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and a lineup that can ruin a pitcher's evening in a heartbeat, Schlittler never blinked.

Think about that for a second.

This wasn't some rebuilding club swinging at bad pitches. This was a veteran team with legitimate World Series aspirations. And for most of the night, they looked completely lost.

That's what great pitching does.

Schlittler pounded the strike zone from the first inning, worked quickly, trusted his stuff, and attacked hitters instead of nibbling around the edges. His fastball exploded through the zone, his secondary pitches kept hitters guessing, and every time the Phillies looked like they might build a little momentum, Schlittler slammed the door shut.

You couldn't help but smile watching it unfold.

The Yankees have been searching for homegrown starting pitching they can truly build around for years. Fans have heard the hype before. They've watched prospects arrive with enormous expectations only to disappear just as quickly.

Cam Schlittler doesn't look overwhelmed. He looks comfortable. More importantly, he looks like he expects to dominate. That's a completely different mindset, and it's showing every single time he takes the ball.

The Yankees' offense didn't exactly make life easy. Paul Goldschmidt supplied the only run of the game with a solo blast, leaving almost no margin for error. One mistake could have changed everything.

Schlittler never gave the Phillies that opportunity.

He trusted his defense, trusted his catcher, trusted his stuff, and kept firing strike after strike. No panic. No free passes. No unnecessary drama.

Just baseball the way it's supposed to be played.

When Aaron Boone finally walked to the mound in the eighth inning, Schlittler left the mound after putting together one of the most impressive pitching performances we've seen from a Yankees rookie in a long, long time.

The bullpen finished the job, but make no mistake—this game belonged to Cam Schlittler. Maybe the biggest takeaway isn't the 12 strikeouts. Maybe it's how ordinary he made greatness look.

That's what separates good pitchers from potential aces. Great pitchers make elite hitters look uncomfortable. Great pitchers control the pace of the game. Great pitchers pitch like they know they're the best player on the field.

Schlittler checked every one of those boxes. The Yankees still have plenty of questions to answer as this season rolls along. There will be ups and downs. There always are. But one thing suddenly feels different. Every fifth day, the Yankees aren't just sending another starter to the mound. They're sending out a young pitcher who is beginning to look like he could anchor this franchise for years to come.

If this is the beginning of Cam Schlittler's story in pinstripes, baseball better start paying attention.

This kid is taking over.

CABALLERO WINS BIG & BOONE WILL PUT VOLPE BACK IN THE LINEUP TODAY

The New York Yankees desperately needed something positive after what can only be described as a disastrous stretch of baseball.

Entering their series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees had dropped nine of their previous ten games, watching their grip on the American League East disappear while fans grew increasingly frustrated with an offense that had gone cold and a team that simply looked lifeless. It wasn't just the losses—it was the way they were losing. Poor situational hitting, inconsistent defense, and an inability to generate momentum had turned one of baseball's most talented rosters into a team searching for answers.

Then came Monday night's 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay. On paper, it looked like the kind of win that could change a season.

José Caballero, facing his former team, delivered the game of his life by crushing two home runs and driving in four runs. Cam Schlittler dominated for eight innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight without issuing a walk. Ben Rice added a ninth-inning home run as the Yankees earned one of their biggest wins in weeks. Despite striking out 17 times as a team, New York made the few hits it managed count—all three of them left the ballpark.  By the way 17 times striking out in one game for one team is HORRENDOUS. But what are the Yankees doing about it? 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There was another storyline that immediately caught my attention.

Anthony Volpe wasn't in the starting lineup. Instead, Aaron Boone handed the shortstop job to José Caballero, and of course, he should have.

The result? Caballero responded with arguably the biggest offensive performance by a Yankees shortstop this season.

Now, here's where my opinion begins. I don't expect this lineup change to last. In fact, I fully expect Anthony Volpe to be right back in the lineup today.

Why?

Because, in my view, this follows a pattern we've seen from Aaron Boone over the past several seasons. Whenever pressure begins mounting around Volpe's struggles, Boone will occasionally sit him for a game. If the Yankees happen to win, many fans naturally focus on the victory itself rather than questioning whether the lineup looked different for a reason. Then, almost immediately, Volpe returns to his everyday role.

That's not reporting—it's simply how I've interpreted Boone's handling of the situation over time. Many fans see it differently, but from my perspective, Boone has consistently shown an extraordinary level of commitment to Volpe regardless of his performance. It's creepy to be honest.

I believe it traces back to the Yankees' evaluation of Volpe as a franchise cornerstone. The organization invested years promoting him as the future face of its infield. If Volpe ultimately fails to become that player, it raises uncomfortable questions about the Yankees' scouting, player evaluation, and development process. Again, that's my opinion.

Organizations rarely admit they were wrong about a highly touted prospect, especially one they've marketed as heavily as Volpe. In my view, continuing to play him every day becomes easier than acknowledging that the original evaluation may have missed the mark. Monday night's game only reinforced that belief for me. They're all in on it.

The Yankees finally removed Volpe from the lineup. Caballero stepped in. The offense immediately received an unexpected spark. Does one game prove Caballero should become the everyday shortstop?

No, but it should. But the Yankees don't work that way. One great night doesn't erase an entire season of statistics, nor does one poor stretch define a player's career.

But it does raise a fair question: If replacing Volpe for one night produced one of the Yankees' best individual offensive performances from the shortstop position this year, why isn't there more Caballero at SS?

I expect Boone to return to Volpe. If Volpe is back in today's lineup, it won't surprise me at all. Tons of us fans will point to Caballero's huge night as proof the Yankees found a spark. This is a fact Cab brings the energy. But while we are all distracted with the win today, I'll be watching to see Boone immediately return Volpe, with his extended struggles, back at Short and the excuse was "we just needed to rest him". For me, that's become one of the defining stories of this Yankees season.

Not because Anthony Volpe can't become a productive major league player. He might, but I doubt it. No, there's more to it.  In my opinion, Aaron Boone has reached a point where his commitment to Volpe appears unwavering, regardless of what the results on the field suggest.

One win over the Rays was badly needed. Whether Boone actually learned anything from it is another question entirely.