Yankees reveal ALDS roster (with surprise), spot-on Game 1 lineup vs Royals

Hit with unfortunate injuries to Nestor Cortes and Anthony Rizzo right before the start of the postseason, the New York Yankees needed to make some tough decisions before the ALDS against the upstart Kansas City Royals.

Many were wondering what the pitching staff and infield would look like, but it became clear as hints started to drop, the last of which came from YES Network's Jack Curry on Friday night.

The biggest news is that Oswaldo Cabrera will be starting at first base in Game 1. Fans were hoping for that because he's deserved more playing time after stepping up defensively and remaining a clutch bat throughout the year.

The surprise? Duke Ellis made the ALDS roster. The Yankees are going with 11 pitchers during this round of the playoffs thanks to the spaced out schedule that allows their starters to get proper rest. But Ellis' inclusion left Marcus Stroman at home after the right-hander finished the 2024 season so badly that he couldn't be trusted to log high-leverage innings in October.

Other than that? Ben Rice is here, as expected following Rizzo's finger fractures, while Trent Grisham and Tim Mayza live to see another day.

Yankees reveal ALDS roster (with surprise), spot-on Game 1 lineup vs Royals

Game 1 of the ALDS starts at 6:38 p.m. ET on Saturday evening and manager Aaron Boone went with a lineup few can complain about. If you were lobbying for Jasson Dominguez to get the start in left field, we apologize. It'll be Alex Verdugo in Game 1, which is probably the right call because of Dominguez's shaky defense that closed out the year.

Otherwise, this is exactly how you'd like to see the Yankees head into battle for their first playoff matchup. Set the tone with this deep lineup and make necessary adjustments along the way.

It's Gerrit Cole vs Michael Wacha. Cole finished out the season on his highest note yet, buzz-sawing the A's and O's to the tune of 15 2/3 innings pitched, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks. Wacha has historically pitched well against the Yankees, specifically Aaron Judge, so we'll be eyeing that matchup very closely.

New York will need to neutralize Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez if they want to handle business swiftly. KC only scored three runs in their Wild Card sweep of the Orioles, so it's not like they're coming into the ALDS with momentum the Yankees need to be on high alert for.

That's it. We'll save the analysis for later. Settle in for Game 1 and let the Bronx crowd bring the energy as we hope the Yanks give us anything but a massive letdown.