Yankees reveal Game 2 starter and fans are oddly treating it like a shocker

The best option for the New York Yankees, in the upcoming World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers is -- in my professional estimation -- winning every single game.

While that is unlikely to occur, the best path forward for the Yankees is to at least operate as if that is their intention. The team's best starter, Gerrit Cole, is set to pitch Game 1 and lead the way. That is what an ace does. By logic, their second-best starter should be on the mound for Game 2. It would make sense to maintain continuity and start the guy who toed the rubber second in the ALDS, with everything lined up once again.

That's why it was a bit perplexing when, at the team's World Series press conference on Thursday, there was an air of surprise amongst the fanbase when copilot Carlos Rodón announced he'd be starting.

Rodón ... is this team's No. 2 starter, so ... that tracks?

Yankees to start Carlos Rodón in World Series Game 2 vs. Dodgers

Of course, there are layers to this guaranteed-to-be-imperfect science. Rodón has been much better at home (9-2, 3.11 ERA) than on the road (7-7, 4.69 ERA). Sure. Unfortunately, the Yankees do not have homefield advantage in this series. That cannot be changed. So, your options are either to start your second-best pitcher in the second game (Rodón), then hopefully start him in Game 6 or on three days' rest at home in Game 5, or hold him back for Game 3, then line him up for ... yikes, the most important game of the season on the road in Game 7?! In that scenario, you're both limiting his potential contributions and maximizing the chance of him starting a winner-take-all game at a place where he's less than comfortable.

This is also not to mention that we've seen Rodón dominate a home start this postseason (ALCS Game 1), implode during a home start this postseason (ALDS Game 2), and comport himself competently in a road start this postseason (ALCS Game 5). Both the solid ALCS performances came against a team that mashes lefties in the Cleveland Guardians. We've seen it all! We don't know what to believe!

In all, the Yankees have decided that they'd like Cole and Rodón to be available in Games 1, 2, 5 and 6. That's the crux of the call, one that follows the Yankees' standard operating procedure all year long. There's certainly a reasonable counter, but ... it's not like this is a stunner, by any means.

Game 7, if it happens, would be all hands on deck anyhow. Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Cole vs. Walker Buehler and the entire Dodgers' backlog? We'll take our chances.