Post Season Rotation

[SkyBlueWaters]

 

Odorizzi has 10 IP this season, all of it while returning from injury before taking a liner in the chest and getting injured again.

 

All health being equal, I will take Odorizzi in a single game over Dobnak almost every time.

 

Agreed. Odorizzi is a savvy vet. And with our depth in the rotation, if a starter gets in trouble in the middle innings, I could see Jake coming in to settle things down for a few.

 

Dobnak's pitching to contact, against a top-tier offense, in a playoff game, scares me. 

[stringer bell]

If they can reset their roster after the first round, I think Maeda, Berríos and then Pineda would be how I would go. There would be no need to carry additional starters unless the need was felt to have a long man due to injury or getting knocked out early. 

 

Maeda has more often than not started with more than five days rest, so I would start him on Wednesday the 23rd as his setup for the opener for the playoffs. Starting Berríos on Friday would give him four days rest to go on Wednesday. Same for Pineda--start him on Saturday so that he has four days before a possible Game 3 playoff start or Berríos and Pineda could switch spots.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

If they can reset their roster after the first round, I think Maeda, Berríos and then Pineda would be how I would go. There would be no need to carry additional starters unless the need was felt to have a long man due to injury or getting knocked out early. 

Yes, they can reset their roster after each round.

 

BUT, with a 28-man roster (and a special 29th spot for a 3rd catcher in case of concussion), there's probably ample room for a 4th starter, even if they're just used out of the pen or in case of emergency.

 

You can replaced an injured player within the series -- but then they're ineligible for the next series too. So only having 3 starters for 3 games in 3 days could come back to bite you, if one of those starters came down with a temporary illness on game day or something.

[umterp23]

Taxi squad of 5 players in play for playoffs I believe so if that is the case, then you can carry fringe guys for situational as you state based on injuries, etc.  There are no rest days once a series starts until you get to the WS round where the traditional off day (2 of them ) appear.  So once a series starts, then you let it rip for x amount straight days. Let the paper strategy commence

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Taxi squad of 5 players in play for playoffs I believe so if that is the case, then you can carry fringe guys for situational as you state based on injuries, etc.

According to this article:

 

https://www.nj.com/yankees/2020/09/yankees-postseason-taxi-squad-options-opting-out-youre-either-all-in-or-youre-not-brian-cashman-declares.html

 

It sounds like there is a 40-man postseason player pool, different from the 40-man roster. 28 of those will be on the postseason active roster, but the other 12 will have to remain quarantined at the team's alternate training site, ready in case of injury to one of the 28.

 

And I haven't heard of any changes to the postseason injury replacement rules, so if you want to swap out an injured player for an alternate player, the injured player will have to miss the duration of the current series and the entire next series. (And only pitchers can replace a pitcher, and position players must replace a position player.)

[umterp23]

 

According to this article:

 

https://www.nj.com/yankees/2020/09/yankees-postseason-taxi-squad-options-opting-out-youre-either-all-in-or-youre-not-brian-cashman-declares.html

 

It sounds like there is a 40-man postseason player pool, different from the 40-man roster. 28 of those will be on the postseason active roster, but the other 12 will have to remain quarantined at the team's alternate training site, ready in case of injury to one of the 28.

 

And I haven't heard of any changes to the postseason injury replacement rules, so if you want to swap out an injured player for an alternate player, the injured player will have to miss the duration of the current series and the entire next series. (And only pitchers can replace a pitcher, and position players must replace a position player.)

How would a alternate site work for 12 pool guys?  Do they stay at home in St. Paul for the neutral site games and then have to hop on plane to California?  Just curious

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

How would a alternate site work for 12 pool guys?  Do they stay at home in St. Paul for the neutral site games and then have to hop on plane to California?  Just curious

That's the way the article sounded. I'm guessing MLB wants ample replacements ready, but MLB doesn't want that many players in their CA/TX bubbles? I'd say that would be an advantage for teams closer to CA/TX (shorter flight for replacements) but there are so few injury replacements during the postseason, it probably won't make any difference.

 

Once the Twins are done playing in Target Field (hopefully after the first round), I suppose the 12 pool guys wouldn't have to be in St. Paul anymore and they could use Target Field instead.

[twins1095]

 

Agreed. Odorizzi is a savvy vet. And with our depth in the rotation, if a starter gets in trouble in the middle innings, I could see Jake coming in to settle things down for a few.

 

Dobnak's pitching to contact, against a top-tier offense, in a playoff game, scares me. 

 

On the flip side, the extreme downward vertical movement on Dobnak's pitches makes me more confident that other teams aren't going to tee off and break games open with a HR against Dobnak... which is what I want in a playoff series. I'd be worried that Odorizzi, with his propensity to pitch at the top of the zone, if he isn't perfect... gives up a couple of bombas which we cannot afford.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

On the flip side, the extreme downward vertical movement on Dobnak's pitches makes me more confident that other teams aren't going to tee off and break games open with a HR against Dobnak... which is what I want in a playoff series. I'd be worried that Odorizzi, with his propensity to pitch at the top of the zone, if he isn't perfect... gives up a couple of bombas which we cannot afford.

No, the downside of Dobnak is that he allows weak contact and still gives up eight hits and four runs in 5 IP.

 

It's the nature of a contact-heavy pitcher. Some days, you'll be dominant. Other days, you'll do nothing wrong and get knocked around because the baseball gods don't like you that day.

 

There's a reason why baseball prioritizes missing bats in pitchers. They are more reliable and less prone to fluctuation by getting BABIPed in any single performance.

 

I'm not bashing Dobnak, he has a place on this roster next year and I hope he does well... but I have little to no confidence in him in a single game performance.

[Battle ur tail off]

 

On the flip side, the extreme downward vertical movement on Dobnak's pitches makes me more confident that other teams aren't going to tee off and break games open with a HR against Dobnak... which is what I want in a playoff series. I'd be worried that Odorizzi, with his propensity to pitch at the top of the zone, if he isn't perfect... gives up a couple of bombas which we cannot afford.

 

Pitch Dobnak at all in the playoffs an expect to get beat. He will get hit and hit hard against a tough postseason roster. 

[Battle ur tail off]

This shouldn't be that hard. 

 

Maeda(been fantastic this year), Berrios(best stuff of all of them but hasn't been a shutdown type at all during postseason), Pineda(most consistent over the course of a couple years. 

 

Then pitch them again next round. Use Hill if a 4th starter is needed. Put Dobby or Odo in the bullpen to use if any of those guys get knocked out early. Or if you get up big and need to rest your horses. 

[stringer bell]

OK for the balance of the regular season (four games) they start Maeda, then Berríos, then Pineda? The finale would be Bailey or Odorizzi? What happens to Hill? Does he take a trip to St. Paul to throw against the possible replacements? The team does have a chance to win the Central and needs wins to clinch a #4 seed regardless.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

OK for the balance of the regular season (four games) they start Maeda, then Berríos, then Pineda? The finale would be Bailey or Odorizzi? What happens to Hill? Does he take a trip to St. Paul to throw against the possible replacements? The team does have a chance to win the Central and needs wins to clinch a #4 seed regardless.

I'd go Maeda, Berrios, Pineda, Odorizzi. Hill throws on the side, Bailey doesn't factor into my decision at all.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

OK for the balance of the regular season (four games) they start Maeda, then Berríos, then Pineda? The finale would be Bailey or Odorizzi? What happens to Hill? Does he take a trip to St. Paul to throw against the possible replacements? The team does have a chance to win the Central and needs wins to clinch a #4 seed regardless.

My guess is that if Sunday's game is meaningful -- can win us the division or home field -- then Hill would start it.

 

Although even if it's not meaningful, I suppose Hill could start for an inning or two as a tune up for a bullpen role during the wild card round. (Could see Odorizzi, Bailey, or even Dobnak follow him, as well as any other relievers who need a tune-up.)

[Otto von Ballpark]

Maeda/Berrios/Pineda officially confirmed: