The Yankees just got Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton back from injuries, so are they in better shape to reach the World Series over Houston?
The New York Yankees are currently a better team than the Astros.
They have every key player healthy not including Luis Severino and Miguel Andújar, but Gio Urshela has played like an All-Star this season at third base so it’s almost like Andújar is not even gone.
On the other hand, the Astros are missing their center fielder and leadoff man George Springer in addition to their star shortstop Carlos Correa.
José Altuve has yet to get her going as he just got back off the Injured List after being sidelined since May 10th with a hamstring strain.
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Although the Yankees have beat Houston in every game of the series, they have yet to face Justin Verlander or Gerrit Cole, the two Houston aces.
The Yankees don’t have a true ace, so they are definitely at a disadvantage if these two were to matchup in the postseason.
My question was if the Yankees will advance to the World Series over the Astros, and in October Correa and Springer will definitely be healthy.
I know that Severino would likely be healthy but you can never be too sure that he will be pitching like an ace after having an arm problem.
These two offenses might be equal each other out in the postseason as each lineup doesn’t have a hole in it.
You could argue that Houston’s catcher, Robinson Chirinos, has been more consistent at the plate than Gary Sanchez.
The big question assuming if both teams are healthy going into October would be the pitching.
As I mentioned the Astros have two aces and one that can pitch like an ace at times in Wade Miley, while the Yankees have multiple pitchers that could be aces but haven’t proven it in the playoffs other than Sabathia, although he did it a decade ago in the World Series.
New York’s bullpen is the best in the league, but I assume Houston will acquire a bullpen piece to shorten games.
A.J. Hinch already has a lockdown closet in Roberto Osuna and arguably the best 8th inning arm in baseball right now in Ryan Pressly.
Houston’s starters have the ability to go what New York’s can’t and that is pitch deep into games.
So even if Aaron Boone is happy that he has a million bullpen arms, they can’t have a bullpen game every postseason game, especially if they want to go deep into the postseason.
As of right now if rosters are fully healthy and the Astros and Yankees were fighting for a World Series berth, I would give the advantage to Houston because they have a deep rotation and an underrated but deadly bullpen to shorten games.