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NEW YORK — With just days remaining before the American League Division Series, Alex Verdugo found himself unable to definitively discuss his position on the Yankees’ roster, offering instead a verbal shrug. He had seen a decrease in playing time during the last month of the regular season, leaving him without clear answers.
Ultimately, not only did Verdugo secure a starting position in the playoffs, but he also shone brightly. He delivered the decisive blow in a hard-fought opener, hitting a go-ahead single in the seventh inning that propelled the Yankees to a 6-5 triumph over the Royals in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday evening at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s not always going to be the big guys who come through,” Verdugo remarked. “Everyone must contribute. Every at-bat, every pitch holds significance in the playoffs. This is the type of baseball that excites me.”
Verdugo’s hit off Michael Lorenzen brought Jazz Chisholm Jr. home, marking the fifth lead change of the match—the most in a postseason game, as noted by the Elias Sports Bureau. This followed Chisholm’s successful steal of second base, which stood after a video review.
“I kind of lost focus the moment he swung,” Chisholm commented. “I just went for it. I didn’t check for any signals; I was solely focused on scoring.”
In all best-of-five postseason series, the team that wins Game 1 has historically gone on to win the series 109 out of 152 times (72%). In Division Series under the current 2-2-1 format, teams that win Game 1 at home have advanced 37 out of 51 times (73%).
Verdugo also prevented at least one run with a sliding catch on a pop fly from Michael Massey in the fourth inning, briefly juggling the ball before securing it in his bare left hand. This play validated manager Aaron Boone’s intuition that the seasoned player could make a significant impact in the postseason.
“He is an exceptional all-around player,” Boone stated. “He has faced some tough patches, but that reflects his potential. It’s not merely about past performances; it’s what you’re capable of achieving in the future.”
Boone appeared to contemplate the decision to utilize Verdugo over rising star Jasson Domínguez for several days, though Verdugo suggested that the decision had been made well before the first pitch on Friday.
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“This is where we’re at,” stated Verdugo, who finished with a .233 batting average, 13 home runs, and 61 RBIs across 149 games. “Now it’s time to truly get out there and perform well.”
