by Shortly after the Dodgers released their World Series roster, the Yankees did the same, officially announcing the 26 players who will play for the club in the Fall Classic.
The only change the Yankees made to their ALCS roster was replacing the infielder Jon Berti for left-handed pitchers Nestor Cortes. Cortes landed on the injured list in late September with a flexor strain in his pitching arm and was unavailable for the ALDS and ALCS. However, he continued to work toward a possible return, even telling reporters (including The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty), “If I have a ring and then a year off from baseball, then so be it.”
He’ll likely only be available out of the bullpen, but manager Aaron Boone is certainly pleased to have the All-Star hurler back in some capacity. Cortes made 30 starts this season with a 3.77 ERA and 4.02 SIERA over 174 1/3 innings. The Yankees entered with an 11-man pitching staff against the Royals in the ALDS and a 12-man pitching staff against the Guardians in the ALCS. By replacing Berti with Cortes, they now have a maximum of 13 pitchers. This seems like a wise decision; Boone will need as many options as possible to keep this strong Dodgers lineup in check.
It’s not necessarily shocking that Berti was the underdog considering his poor performance so far in October. In four games, he had two singles and a walk in 12 trips to the plate. That being said, one would have thought that his elite sprint speed and ability to play all over the infield would help him keep his spot on the roster. Berti is the fastest player on the team, making him a strong asset as a late inning pinch runner. The Yankees also have an abundance of outfielders including Trent Grishamwho has not yet been used in a game this postseason. In the meantime, Oswaldo Cabrera is now the only infielder on the bench.
On another noteworthy point: Mark Leiter Jr. stays in the squad instead of Ian Hamilton. Hamilton was ruled out of the ALCS due to a left calf strain and therefore was unable to rejoin the team for the World Series.
The full list:
- Right-handed pitcher: Gerrit Cole, Jake Cousins, Luis Gil, Clay Holmes, Tommy KahnleMark Leiter Jr., Clarke Smith, Marcus Stroman, Luke Weaver
- Left-handed pitcher: Nestor Cortes, Tim Hill, Tim Mayza, Carlos Rodon
- Catcher: Jose Trevino, Austin Wells
- Infielder: Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe
- Outfielder: Jason DominguezTrent Grisham, Aaron Richter, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo
- Utility: Oswaldo Cabrera, Jazz Chisholm Jr.
