The Yankees have 19 games left to play this season and the AL East may still be up for grabs, but with an eight game lead in the Wild-Card chances are pretty good that they’ll make the playoffs. Yesterday, I decided to take a look at the playoff roster. Today, I am going to look at where the pitching staff falls for the remaining 19 games and the first round.

Sept 13: CC Sabathia
Sept 14: Ivan Nova
Sept 15: Phil Hughes
Sept 17: A.J. Burnett
Sept 18: Sabathia
Sept 19: Andy Pettitte
Sept 20: Ivan Nova/Javier Vazquez
Sept 21: Hughes
Sept 22: Burnett
Sept 23: Sabathia
Sept 24: Pettitte
Sept 25: Nova/Vazquez
Sept 26: Hughes
Sept 27: Burnett
Sept 28: Sabathia
Sept 29: Pettitte
Oct 1: Nova/Vazquez
Oct 2: Hughes
Oct 3: Burnett

Game 1: Oct 6: Sabathia
Game 2: Oct 7: Pettitte
Game 3: Oct 9: Hughes/Burnett/Nova/Vazquez
Game 4: Oct 10: Sabathia (three days rest)
Game 5: Oct 12: Pettitte (full rest)

Of course injuries and/or rain could throw this entire rotation off track. But the way I have it mapped out works and makes sense. It also looks pretty good for the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. Sabathia and Pettitte each get two starts with only one other starter needing to go in game three.

 

For those wondering here is the schedule for the second round of the playoffs:

Game 1: Oct 15
Game 2: Oct 16
Game 3: Oct 18
Game 4: Oct 19
Game 5: Oct 20
Game 6: Oct 22
Game 7: Oct 23

If Sabathia pitches in game four of the ALDS, he would be able to pitch game one of the ALCS on normal rest, but would need to go on short rest twice to pitch in games four and seven.

The Yankees wouldn’t necessarily need a fourth starter for this series either, but after the first time through every starter would be pitching on short rest. I didn’t map this out because there are too many potential variables that could throw things off.

The World Series is laid out the same exact way with back-to-back games, an off-day, three games in a row, another off-day, and concluding with back-to-back games.

If Sabathia pitched in game seven of the ALCS, he wouldn’t be able to start again until game two of the World Series and that would be on short rest. The World Series starts on October 27.

Here is the complete MLB 2010 playoff schedule.

Related Stories

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com