Yankees: There are some surprises on official 28-man Wild Card series roster

The Yankees have released their roster for the 2020 Wild Card series.

The New York Yankees are set to take on the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night in the Wild Card series with Gerrit Cole on the mound and the expected stacked lineup behind him.

But fans were still waiting for the 28-man postseason roster to drop to see what other tertiary/backup players would be contributing to the team for this high-stakes three-game stint on the road.

And we have to say there are some big surprises. The Bombers are carrying 15 position players and 13 pitchers. Take a look:

This is how we roll. @HankookTireUSA #NYYforNY pic.twitter.com/haHb4dLCHU
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 29, 2020

Three catchers. Erik Kratz will be on the roster, perhaps to serve as an emergency backup or to catch Deivi Garcia in a potential do-or-die Game 3?! We don’t know. But he’s here and will be ready to go when called upon. Such is the beauty of carrying 28 whole men. Makes this thing a little easier.

As for the pitching staff, we could say Nick Nelson is a bit of a surprise given the outstanding performance of Miguel Yajure. Even Clarke Schmidt probably would’ve been a better option. But that’s not our call.

There’s also no Miguel Andujar on the position player side, which is a bit of a surprise, yet understandable because Tyler Wade’s speed and defensive versatility are more valuable. If we’re being honest, Wade won’t be sniffing the field unless there’s an injury or the Yanks need a pinch-runner. That means Andujar wouldn’t see a single inning with the game in reach.

The #Yankees are carrying 13 pitchers for the Wild Card round. Erik Kratz makes the roster as a third catcher. Mike Ford will be on the bench. Miguel Andujar & Thairo Estrada are not.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) September 29, 2020

One could call Mike Ford a somewhat head-scratching addition given his .135 average and .496 OPS in 29 games this year. We know Luke Voit is dealing with “foot stuff” and Ford is a left-handed bat, but come on. The only justification here to use Ford is if the Yankees are up 15-1 and want to give Voit a rest.

But there you have it. That’s the 28-man Wild Card roster that we will see in action tonight. How do you feel about it?

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The Yankees have released their roster for the 2020 Wild Card series.

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