Here’s how the Yankees look heading into ALDS vs Red Sox
The Red Sox will host the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALDS Friday night.
With the Yankees defeating the A’s Wednesday night, the Red Sox now know their opponent for the American League Division Series that begins Friday night at Fenway Park. Here’s a closer look at the AL wild-card winners.
The Yankees finished the season 100-62, eight games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox won the season series, 10-9, including a four-game sweep at Fenway Park Aug. 2-5 that saw them seize a 9½-game lead and left the Yankees focusing on the wild card.
Hitters to watch
■ Outfielder Aaron Judge returned to the lineup in the last two weeks of the season, but he does not appear to be the same hitter he was before he got plunked by a pitch and chipped a bone in his right wrist July 26. Still, Judge finished with 27 home runs and 67 RBIs in 112 games.
■ Giancarlo Stanton led the team with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs, and had a slash line of .266/.343/.509 in his first year with the club after coming over in a trade with the Miami Marlins last offseason.
■ Rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar had the highest batting average on the team at .297 to go with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs. He has been subpar defensively, though, and could be replaced in the late innings by Neil Walker.
■ Shortstop Didi Gregorius played in last weekend’s series against the Red Sox after injuring his wrist and appears to be healthy enough to play in the postseason.
■ Rookie Gleyber Torres solidified second base.
■ Catcher Gary Sanchez has struggled defensively and saw his playing time decrease in the second half, but manager Aaron Boone seems ready to go with him in the postseason.
■ Andrew McCutchen was acquired from the San Francisco Giants while Judge was injured, and appears to have displaced Brett Gardner in left field.
Pitchers to watch
■ Luis Severino went 19-8, but likely will not be available until Game 3 at the earliest after starting the wild-card game.
■ J.A. Happ was acquired at the trade deadline and went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA. He would appear to be the likely choice to pitch Game 1 since he has given the Red Sox fits throughout his career.
■ CC Sabathia (9-7) and Masahiro Tanaka (12-6) figure to round out the playoff rotation.
■ Closer Aroldis Chapman was bothered by tendinitis in his knee for part of the season, but he closed out the season strong.
■ Zach Britton had a good September and provides a nice option as a bridge to Chapman, along with Dellin Betances.
■ Chad Green, David Robertson, and Jonathan Holder have all been effective out of the bullpen and are ready for action.
