The New York Yankees announced their 26-man roster for the American League Division Series on Saturday, and there was a notable omission.
Opting to go for more bench space with 15 position players, the Yankees are carrying only 11 pitchers.
That meant limited space between the starting rotation and the bullpen, which led to starter Marcus Stroman and reliever Mark Leiter Jr. being left off the ALDS roster.
Leaving Letier Jr. off the roster isn’t as much of a surprise considering his struggles since joining the Yankees at the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
In 21 appearances with the Yankees this season, Leiter logged a 4.98 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and nine walks in 21.2 innings pitched.
Stroman, on the other hand, is a bit surprising. His struggles during the second half of the season likely led to the Yankees feeling as though they need more put-away stuff.
His 16.7% strikeout rate was tied for the worst mark in MLB among pitchers with at least 150 innings in 2024. His lack of experience out of the bullpen also hurt his chances to make the roster for the five game series.