3 biggest Yankees storylines heading into Opening Day

The Yankees Are Starting Who?!

When the Yankees signed Carlos Rodón over the offseason, it cemented the starting rotation as the best in Major League Baseball. But now, after Gerrit Cole's Opening Day start, the Yankees are turning to Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán for the second and third games of the season -- something nobody expected two months ago.

Entering Spring Training, it was unclear what roles Schmidt and Germán would play for the Yankees in 2023. However, after it was revealed that Frankie Montas would miss most of 2023, the Yankees opened a competition for his spot in the rotation between the two.

Despite the competition between the pitchers seemingly just starting, both "won" a spot in the rotation when it was announced that Rodón would also start the season on the IL. Now, with Luis Severino also on the IL and Nestor Cortes getting a late start in Spring Training because of a hamstring injury, Schmidt and German are now crucial rotation pieces.

Both pitchers have a lot to prove in 2023, and their starts against the Giants are vastly important.