Because of the response I received last year for my ponderings on last year's World Series, I decided to do the same for this year's MLB Postseason run. I'll drop some quick ponderings on the Yankees and their playoff run here. Because, well, I don't do "response videos".
Yeah, still a words guy. Still a nerd.
Nonetheless, who knows? If the Yankees drop a quick two to the despised Boston Red Sox, this might be a quick wrap-up. Orrrrrrrrrr, we're looking at a collection of thoughts for a World Series title.
I'll calm down.
Dropping some ponderings below - thanks in advance for following along...
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Game 1
Red Sox d. Yankees, 3-1
(BOS leads series 1-0)
And. Here. We. Go. [in your favorite Joker voice]
Yankee fandom is likely going to be in full insufferable panic mode after this loss. I'm expecting the usual takes of "it's Boone's fault" and something to do with Cashman, and other bad takes on why "they trust anayltics too much".
We just got beat.
Correction: we got dominated by a Garrett Crochet.
That's the headline.
Other thoughts:
- Call me a Boone apologist, I don't care, Fried definitely showed signs of laboring in his last inning. I don't understand those who believe in pulling a pitcher after he's done, and not being preventative in playoff baseball, by doing so before he hits the wall.
- I'm pretty sure Grady Little would have loved in-depth analytics in Game 7 of 2003. Random, I know...
- Fried was absolutely great, nonetheless.
- Crochet is fun to watch...you know, when he's mowing down someone else's squad.
- Crochet is an absolute monster.
- Luke Weaver leaving that fast ball up after having an 0-2 count isn't getting enough attention.
- I understand the numbers, but I definitely am in the camp of trying to get the best players in the game in the playoffs.
- I understand Rosario for McMahon, but removing Jazz felt like getting too cute.
- I really thought we were going to win it in the 9th inning. Bases jacked. No outs. Not one run. Ugh.
- Aroldis Chapman at 37 is still a problem for the league - He's a Hall of Famer.
- Short series stink.
- I'm confident in Rodon...and Schlittler in Game 3 can be interesting.
Game 2
Yankees d. Red Sox, 4-3
(Series tied 1-1)
The game was different than what we've become used to. They definitely won in a manner that we haven't seen in a very long time: athleticism and pushing runs across on the base paths.
My biggest takeaway, besides the obvious of Jazz's insane speed, was not even Yankee-related: Cora managed this game like their season was on the line. From removing Bello early to handing the ball to Whitlock for a "go get 'em" appearance, Cora very much knew they stole one in Game 1, and are in trouble in Game 3.
Other thoughts:
- Carlos Rodon doesn't get enough love. It wasn't a terrible start. He's been great all year, and this outing was enough - what you want out of your starters.
- Ben Rice might be one of my favorite Yankees players in a very long time.
- I don't have much confidence in the Yankees' bullpen right now.
- Fernando Cruz getting hype was great stuff.
- Jazz's diving play at second was amazing. He's so incredibly dynamic.
- I'm not sure I understand how Nate Eaton didn't score...he very much should have. I very much thought he was on his way once Rice dropped the ball. How did he not score?!
- The obvious - Jazz's run reminded me of Griffey running in 1995 on the Edgar MartÃnez double down the left field line. And...he wasn't running at top speed on the pitch (though he should have been).
- Bednar's reliability has been completely unappreciated. Where would this team be without him?
- Series tied - this series has been fun.
- Short series still stink.
Game 3
Yankees d. Red Sox, 4-0
(NY wins series 2-1)
Wow. I'm not sure words can thoroughly articulate what we just saw! Dominance! Schlittler was absolutely dominant! In my lifetime, there are a few playoff performances that immediately come to mind that are in this stratosphere of lore and legend. Here is my brief ranking (get your own list if you disagree):
- Roger Clemens vs. Seattle Mariners (Game 4 of 2000 ALCS) 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 15K
- Andy Pettitte vs. Atlanta Braves (Game 5 of 1996 World Series) 8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 10K
- Cam Schlittler vs. Boston Red Sox (Game 3 of AL Wildcard) 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 12K
Other thoughts:
- Cam Schlittler was amazing.
- It isn't discussed enough, but the Yankees won this series with defense, great at-bats, and timely hitting. Very different than the homer-or-nothing offense we've become used to.
- Austin Wells has put together some great at-bats, which have changed this series.
- Speaking of gamechangers, how about Volpe's defense?
- Remember when this fanbase wanted him gone?
- I might be Giancarlo Stanton's biggest fan (I love the dude) - that double was cringe. Kudos to him for owning up to it. He might've been a little buzzed, too...
"Kids at home, don't do that. Future opponents, please do that." pic.twitter.com/zhoC5qTuq8 https://t.co/3KOhMTkO0C
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 3, 2025 - That's two nights in a row that Aaron Boone went with the feel of the game.
- Does Cashman get cred...you know what, too soon.
- What a euphoric feeling - Cam Schlittler was amazing. Did I say that already?
- It's a short series, a Wild Card win, but I'm not sure if this fanbase could have taken a first-round exit and yet another playoff loss to the Red Sox. A lot of the joy is because of Schlittler's performance, combined with relief.
- Ryan McMahon's catch was awesome. He's been a joy to watch defensively all year.
- Connelly Early paired with Garrett Crochet is not going to be fun for years to come...
- Blue Jays...here we come.
- Finally, slaying the Red Sox and Celtics in 2025 has been amazing. Love my teams. Go Knicks!
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Game 1
Blue Jays d. Yankees, 10-1
(Tor leads series 1-0)
Well, that was...something??
Awful sounds too harsh, but the score would indicate that assessment. Whatever...
The game came down to Aaron Judge's at-bat against Kevin Gaussman, who was great in his start. Judge had a very typical-Judge at-bat until the final pitch, which was soooo un-competitive! So unlike Judge! Flailing Swinging at that splitter low and outside - like wayyyyyyy out of the zone! - was shocking to see, more so, deflating for the remainder of the game.
Stanton getting blown away by 102mph gas was the cherry on top of an inning that decided the game.
The vibes were gone after that inning, and from the box score, that was evident.
The rest of the game felt like an uphill battle as Toronto did what they've done all year - bat-to-ball and made their opponents defend.
Ehhh...sure, throw this one on the board for the sake of the series, but mentally, throw this one in the trash. Come out tomorrow and get the split in the Six.
Other thoughts:
- Kevin Gaussman bent and didn't break all game.
- The Yankees' game plan was to swing early and be aggressive, which finally worked in the sixth inning. By then, so many outs were eaten up. He really uses that splitter effectively.
- Louis Varland was throwing gas!!! Dude was jacked up in that spot. 102mph to throw Stanton a seat in that crucial sixth was impressive.
- Ben Rice looked overmatched by those splitters all game.
- It felt like Luis Gil had an extremely short leash going into the game. He made two mistakes early, but I felt like he had enough stuff to keep the Yanks in the game. I wasn't a huge fan of going to the pen so early, more so because of the unreliance right now of arms to innings.
- I remain worried about the Yankees' bullpen.
- Overthrowing Cruz is going to catch up to us. Coval looked great.
- We're likely to see Warren pitch some important middle innings in this series.
- Remember when Weaver was our closer? Wow...
- Volpe's defense continues to be amazing this postseason - where was this version all year?
- The Rogers Centre is a tough place - such a great home-field advantage. I've been there, and it's awesome. Kudos to the Blue Jays fanbase.
- Shohei Ohtani is outright ridiculous!
Game 2
Blue Jays d. Yankees, 13-7
(Tor leads series 2-0)
I don't think there is much to articulate here.
Trey Yesavage dominated. What's another level above that? Whatever it is, that's what he did.
Embarassed. But it's not over.
The season is on the line the rest of the way. Go get Game 3 and the tide (and pressure) shifts a bit (hopefully). One game at a time. All that cliche stuff.
Carlos Rodon with the ball to save the season...as we all knew it would be.
Other thoughts:
- Cam Schlitter's Wild Card performance was dominant. I've never seen anything like what Trey Yesavage just put on us today. Unbelievable.
- So, there is this dude, Yesavage, Crochet, and Early in the AL East. Ugh...
- Vlad Guerrero's Grand Slam, you saw it - and felt it - coming. You just did...
- That ball was nuked.
- Daulton Varsho had some day, huh?
- Aaron Judge's error didn't crush the Yankees (as some are trying to pin on him), but it definitely didn't help his own postseason narrative.
- By the way, those in the fanbase trying to create a narrative that he doesn't come through in the Postseason should check his numbers this Postseason. Why do we always have to come up with these extreme narratives?
- The Blue Jays' home-road split is borderline ridiculous. More reason to think this series isn't over.
- I think the Yankees will have nightmares in their sleep seeing splitters come at them.
- Varsho just hit another one.
- Trey Yesavage's splitter is a big problem. One of which the Yankees have not solved. Literally.
- That's a narrative that has facts.
- There is so much pressure on the New York Knicks for New York sports. LGK.
Game 3
Yankees d. Blue Jays, 9-6
(Tor leads series 2-1)
Well, that certainly was a roller coaster of emotions!
Aaron Judge is special. So incredibly special.
To do what he did tonight with a 100mph fastball inside - keeping his hands in, and the ability to launch that ball and keep it fair - is a testimony to how gifted he is at this beautiful thing called baseball.
The "moment" narratives and takes are dumb. Period. Especially considering he's had big moments like this in the playoffs already. Did we forget his big homerun off of Emmanuel Clase JUST LAST YEAR?!
Mannnnnn, some fans just say stuff for argument's sake! Whatevs.
Big night! Let's keep it rolling tomorrow...because, well, we have to.
Other thoughts:
- Carlos Rodon, my dude - what happened?
- Rodon isn't the kind of guy who shies away from the big game. He pitched okay in the Wild Card series against Boston. Tonight, his stuff read flat. Topped out around 93mph. It's concerning anecdote buried beneath all of the good vibes.
- Our starting pitching has been trash this entire series. We're much better than what we've seen from that group.
- Vlad Guerrero just opened the door and sat in a room with the likes of David Ortiz and Rafael Devers as Yankee killers.
- I wasn't deterred from the 6-1 deficit early on since the game was still so young. However, it was very deflating to once again watch Toronto swat the ball all over the field while swiping extra bags to my admiration, which thus annoyed me.
- It makes for good talk in today's "sports talk culture", but I truly believed the Yankees getting some runs on the board in Game 2, even when it still felt like it wouldn't make much of a difference, was a good thing. Visualization is a thing in sports. See the ball through the basket. Seeing yourself or teammates put the ball in play. Those "garbage time innings" weren't for nothing!
- Jazz yawning wasn't (and still isn't) a good look. My guy, take a nap tomorrow!
- Toronto diving into their pen a day before a "bullpen" game is, in the words of Joe Girardi (and one of my favorite sayings ever), "not what you want".
- I agree with Alex Rodriguez when he said this on the Fox Sports post-game, "How do the Blue Jays have a scheduled 'bullpen game' for Game 4 when they had a bye in the first round?"
- What happened to the game I love?
- What happened to Anthony Volpe? He's back to being awful Volpe.
- I'm curious to hear the mistakes that Boone made tonight from the "fire Boone brigade".
- Or is that only when we lose?
- Because he was great tonight.
- Baseball is so baseball. How good has Devin Williams been for this team thus far in the Postseason? That was a gutsy 1.1 innings he tossed. Same for Cruz and Doval to hold the game at 6-1. They were great among so many others in what was a shining night for the bullpen.
- But wow...Judge's homerun was a thing of beauty.
- Let's get Schlitty tomorrow! Yup, just had to go with the obvious Shit-Schlitt pun...yeah, you get it.
- Rookie pitcher on the mound with the season on the line...just like we all thought leaving Spring Training.
Game 4
Blue Jays d. Yankees, 5-1
(Tor wins series 3-1)
Welp...that's it, folks!
I wish this ride lasted longer, but what we saw tonight was what we've seen all year from this Yankees team - the inability to put the ball in play, especially against leftty arms.
And oh yeah! Judge did his thing to no avail.
It's a tough game to lose, especially considering that Toronto went the bullpen route, and Schlittler battled and still provided quality innings and kept the game close.
There were moments and opportunities...and yes, there was a crucial error.
Again, we've seen this all year.
I know it's now part of the fanbase to hate on the team we're supposed to love (I still don't quite get it), but I'm not there yet in complete meltdown or anger. I'm not as devastated as I thought I would be that the season is over. I'm not sure I truly believed this team would go far. Yet, I very much believe it's a better team than last year's World Series team.
Make it make sense!
Regardless, I'll punch the keys on the off-season stuff at another time...
Other thoughts:
- It just always felt like we were constantly playing catch-up...again, the Blue Jays jumped out in front. I think we were...
- Toronto just hits the ball, mannnnnn! Bat-to-ball. Exit velo and contact metrics be damned! And it's kind of refreshing to watch.
- Grisham disappeared in the Postseason. He's been great all year. But the leadoff spot (if you still believe in the traditional purpose of the role) has been a bugaboo and rotating door since...maybe, DJ LeMahieu.
- Speaking of, did he just disappear??!
- Vlad Guerrero with yet another RBI and clutch hit...smh.
- Volpe must be glad the season is over.
- Devin Williams as well.
- Kudos to every single one of the pitchers who came in tonight for Toronto. I love me some bullpen love, and that is worthy of it.
- Of course, our only offense of the night was a random Ryan McMahon home run. Of course. *slaps leg*
- A-Rod always preaches an old-school approach. A lot of the time, my guy is cringe (and I'm a big A-Rod guy, but he really is awkward to a fault that he's hilarious). However, he is soooooooo right in regards to his comments (criticism?) on the Yankees in the Post-game show. Batting average, putting the ball in play, and playing great defense accounts to championship baseball.
- Finally, all of this boils down to this simple truth - The Toronto Blue Jays are the better team. Period.
Prepare yourselves for the same old "fire Cashman" and "get rid of Boone" reactions.
I'll have more thoughts once we head into the Winter Meetings.
Enjoy the remainder of the MLB Postseason...and of course...
It's hoops season - Let's go Knicks!