Yankees at Athletics: 5 things to watch and series predictions | Sept. 20-22

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees travel to Oakland to take on the Athletics for a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum starting on Friday…

Preview

Will Juan Soto be 100 percent?

The Yankees lost their series finale to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon, but the biggest story was the health of Soto.

The right fielder made an incredible catch in foul territory but slid into the wall, banging his knee. He was in visible pain but finished the game.

Afterward, Soto said his knee wasn’t bad at all, but that it was stiff. He will get some X-rays done and his status for Friday is up in the air. With the Yankees having already clinched a postseason berth, and with a four-game lead in the AL East, the team could be conservative and give Soto a day off.

We’ll need to watch how many games he plays this weekend and how effective he will be at the plate and in the field.

How will the bullpen be deployed?

In addition to Soto, the Yankees had to be careful with RHP Jake Cousins after he suffered right pec tightness in Thursday’s game.

Cousins said he may need a few days off to recover. He has been one of Aaron Boone‘s most trusted relievers. Without him, we’ll have to see how the Yankees skipper deploys the bullpen.

Clay Holmes pitched two days in a row to end the Seattle series, so he won’t be available until Sunday at the earliest, so who will close and be the bridge? Marcus Stroman pitched a few innings on Tuesday night to get his second career save, so he could be an option this weekend. Luke Weaver is also a name to watch.

Boone was asked about Weaver becoming the de-facto closer for the team over the last week or so and while the skipper didn’t outright say it, actions speak louder than words. How often will Weaver be used to close out games this weekend? If he’s used a lot and is effective, the Yankees may have found their closer for the postseason.

Can Gerrit Cole bounce back?

Cole’s last time out was an adventure. He held down the Red Sox for most of the game but he intentionally walked Rafael Devers with the bases empty and imploded from there.

Cole is scheduled to pitch the series opener on Friday, so we’ll know early on how he bounces back from that poor performance. Before that hiccup, Cole had been solid, allowing just four runs over his last 17 innings pitched (three starts).

In five career starts at the Oakland Coliseum, Cole has a 2.30 ERA and a 1.085 WHIP.

Anthony Volpe needs to get going

It’s been a disappointing sophomore season for Volpe. While he’s improved from a year ago, though with less power, he’s nowhere near where the Yankees thought he’d be.

So far, Volpe is slashing .245/.292/.367, and earlier this week Boone finally benched his young shortstop for a game.

Volpe returned for the final two games of the Seattle series, where he went 1-for-7 with three strikeouts.

The 23-year-old is the Yankees’ future at the position so they need for him to show some life — especially as he enters his first postseason.

In three games at the Coliseum, Volpe is 7-for-12, so maybe a trip to Oakland is what he needs.

Need to build AL East lead

The Yankees enter this weekend’s series four games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for the division lead, with a magic number of six.

Once the three-game set with Oakland is done, the Yanks host the Orioles for three games. While it’s unlikely the Yankees clinch the division before then, they can make it very difficult for the O’s by winning the Oakland series.

Baltimore is hosting the red-hot Detroit Tigers this weekend, so they could have their hands full. And while the A’s are playing much better baseball in the second half, they are still a team the Yankees should handle.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge

With the uncertainty surrounding Soto, Judge will be needed more than ever. That could also backfire as Oakland pitches around Judge even more with Soto not in the lineup. But I believe the captain will get his chances to do damage and deliver.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Gerrit Cole

It’s rare for Cole to have two clunkers in a row, so it’s a safe bet he’ll find his groove and resolve to shut down Oakland .

Which Athletics player will be a thorn in Yankees’ side?

Brent Rooker

The 29-year-old outfielder is having a career year. He’s batting .304 with a career-high 38 bombs.

He seems like the sort of guy who will take Yankees pitching deep at least once this weekend.