Well, last night was a blast, wasn’t it? The only nitpick I have is that I’d have liked more offense than a couple solo shots, but Ryan Weathers was great, David Bednar was nails in relief, Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided the pop, and—oh yeah—the Yankees’ youngest shortstop since Derek Jeter looked years beyond his age (which is younger than this very website). As the late Stuart Scott would say, George Lombard Jr. was cool as the other side of the pillow in his MLB debut, making excellent plays on defense and even making his first career hit a 392-foot homer. That’s the dream, isn’t it?
So where does one go from here? It’s baseball, so you know the answer: right back to the grind. The Yankees have a series to hopefully win against the Cardinals tonight, with Lombard back in the lineup at the six. There’s no rest yet for the weary on this long stretch of games on 13 consecutive days, though they will at least have an offday tomorrow. The Rays and Red Sox both just keep winning, too, so the Yanks can’t take a beat just yet.
For today’s question, we’re falling back a bit on an old cliché: X-factors. Yeah, yeah, they’re a little silly, but they’re fun to consider. The definition is in the eye of the beholder, but generally, it’s not someone (or something) that you would typically expect to be decider. It’s too easy to say that Aaron Judge’s health and recovery from his rib injury are the biggest X-factor in the Yankees’ 2026 fate. Although it may literally be true, it’s not the spirit of the exercise!
I’ll get us started. This is just a gut instinct that I’m coming up with while writing this, but two guys who keep popping up in my head are Paul Blackburn and Clarke Schmidt. It’s no secret that the Yankees have given a lot of bullpen work to David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Fernando Cruz late in ballgames throughout 2026. Headrick and Cruz rank second and fifth in the majors in most games pitched with 58 and 54, respectively, and Bednar leads MLB with 42 games finished across his 46 appearances.
The trio needs a little breathing room, and though the Yankees perhaps regrettably stood pat on bullpen aid at the Trade Deadline, Blackburn has helped provide it in recent months as he’s ascended the pecking order, transforming from a middle/long relief option to someone now accustomed to short relief himself. His potential has been apparent, and it’s vital that he keeps it up. Schmidt keeps coming to mind as well as a former starter who can be a boon to the bullpen once his Tommy John surgery rehab is complete. The 2024 playoff rotation member has already said that he doesn’t have time to come back to start, but that he’s hopeful of returning to the mound in the big-league bullpen this year. Schmidt has pitched in relief earlier in his career, too, so it’s not a totally unfamiliar role.
Now, it’s not wise to count on someone coming back from Tommy John, especially since Schmidt’s procedure was done just 13 months ago. Setbacks happen all the time, and this is also Schmidt’s second Tommy John. It’s very possible that he doesn’t pitch in 2026, or that he throws a few innings and isn’t that good, so they nip it in the bud and have him focus on 2027. Schmidt is getting closer to a rehab assignment though, so for now, let’s dream. (And if it doesn’t work out, then Blackburn can be the X-factor on his own.)
Today on the site, we’ll have Jeff, Jeremy, and Sam write up our post-Trade Deadline/monthly check-ins on the NL East, NL Central, and NL West, respectively. Sam will also write up the birthday of the owner who made them the Yankees perhaps more than anyone else: Jacob Ruppert. Madison will tackle the Rivalry Roundup, and Peter will discuss a pair of excellent trips to the dish by José Caballero and Ryan McMahon for our At-Bat of the Week feature.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
TV: Amazon Prime Video, Cardinals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
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