2022 AL Division Series: Yankees vs. Guardians schedule, how to watch, preview, more

After getting a few extra days of rest, the Yankees will begin their hunt for a World Series ring on Tuesday as they host Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians. 

The Yankees earned the bye thanks to their clinching of the AL East and the new playoff format implemented by Major League Baseball. The Guardians arrived on Monday for their pre-series workout at Yankee Stadium after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in a two-game sweep of the Wild Card Series. 

Here’s how you can catch the action: 

2022 AL Division Series: Yankees vs. Guardians schedule, how to watch

How will the break impact the Yankees?

When the Yankees take the field on Tuesday, it will mark the first time they’ve played a game since Oct. 5 when they finished their regular season in Texas. New York finished the year 3-3 in their final six games and the break is sure to have helped give the players some much-needed downtime after a grueling season and playing seven games over a six-day period. 

The Yankees had been banged up as the year came to a close, so the extra days to recover surely helped get a few of their players back to playable shape. The Guardians come into the series having to have played through two games with the Rays after a finishing the season on a red-hot stretch.

The question becomes what is the better option, getting the time off or keeping the momentum going?

“There’s definitely always momentum involved when you’re on a great winning streak,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said. “And we had a great October to start as well. With that being said, I don’t think anybody would be upset about getting a bye and not having to play 15 innings against Tampa. But, you know, it ended up giving us a little bit of that momentum so we have to try and carry that forward.”

How will the Guardians pitch Aaron Judge?

Now that the regular season is over, the walk parade for Aaron Judge is sure to come to a bit of an end. Still, how aggressive opposing pitchers will be against the Yankees slugger is still unclear.

It’s no secret how much Judge can make teams pay when he’s given the opportunity. His 62 home runs during the regular season only added to an already dangerous season at the plate, which saw him bat .311 and accumulate 131 RBIs.

Cal Quantrill will get the ball for Game 1 for Cleveland and he told reporters on Monday that he would manage Judge’s at-bats, but that he wasn’t focused solely on one batter. Pitching coach Carl Willis was a little more direct when he said that they would attack the baseball star when he was at the plate. 

“We don’t want to back down from anybody. And at the same time, you know, we are not going to be stupid. I can’t think of a better word for it,” Willis said. “The situation will certainly dictate how we pitch to him, but there are going to be times that we have to, and we’ll be prepared to do that.”

How will the Yankees’ bullpen hold up?

While there has been plenty of chatter in the days leading up to Game 1 about who would start on the mound, the bullpen has to be an area of concern for New York. With Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes returning from injury, the Yankees will get some help, but there will be a bit of a non-traditional look to the ‘pen. 

Aaron Boone hasn’t gone with the traditional roles for some of his relievers, especially when it has come to a defined closer. There was also the question of how much trust he has in using Peralta and Holmes, specifically, in high-leverage spots. 

“Wandy’s good to go and totally comfortable,” Boone said. “Clay, I feel like he’s going to be. … I mean yeah they’re both going to have to, for us to realize our goals, they’re going to be in some big spots. And have to get some big outs.”