By admin 
Contrary to popular belief, the New York Yankees are not dead in the water because Aaron Judge went down. A team with Judge will always be better than one without him, but if they plan on making any noise, it will be on the backs of their pitching. They have four horses ready to go who are proper Game 1 starters under any circumstance.
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However, these are the three most important Yankees headed into the postseason for various reasons. Their roles as starters, pen arms, and sluggers could decide how deep this team goes into the postseason.
3. Ben Rice
When Juan Soto left for the New York Mets, it felt like the Yankees had a tall order to fill in his production at the plate. Nobody could have expected how good Ben Rice would be, though, and in many ways, he has mitigated that loss. A 40+ homer season in year two without Soto has been nothing short of a godsend.
Without Judge, Rice’s role as the lineup’s best hitter is even more important. One thing Rice can’t do is have a lackadaisical October like he did last year, when he had four hits in 21 plate appearances, with eight strikeouts.
This team needs the version of Rice who has scorched baseballs all September. In 100 plate appearances this month, he has a 195 wRC+ with six homers and 11 RBI. He hit .333/.450/.605. That kind of production can swing a postseason series if he is this exact hitter in the next few rounds.
2. David Bednar
The Yankees bullpen is in flux. Brent Headrick’s arm looks fatigued, with a dip in velocity. On top of that, injuries to Fernando Cruz, Ryan Weathers, and Clarke Schmidt have thrown whatever plans they had into flux. Boone is at a point where he’ll need every arm to come out of the pen flawless, but if there is one guy they need most, it’s their closer, Bednar.
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This will be Paul Blackburn’s first foray into high-leverage postseason innings, so despite the question marks around Bednar, he needs to be the model of consistency in that bullpen. If he isn’t, it could ultimately be their undoing.
1. Cam Schlittler
You might have to go all the way back to Ron Guidry in 1978, the last time the Yankees had an ace of this caliber leading their rotation. Schlittler is the quintessential Game 1 starter, and he’ll be on the mound for that first game in the Wild Card series against the Red Sox.
In a seven-game set, Schlittler should be ready to go in games one, four, and seven. Those are all games the Yankees should win on paper, too, and they would need another big-game performance from Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, or Carlos Rodon to come away as winners in the ALCS or World Series if they get there. Schlittler being lights out can be what carries them deep in the postseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as 3 Yankees Who Will Be Crucial in Helping New York Make a World Series Run.
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This story was originally published September 28, 2026 at 3:00 AM.