CC Sabathia, a Hall of Famer, predicts who will start for the New York Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series (ALDS). In a discussion on the Peacock studio show on Wednesday, Sabathia shared his thoughts following the Yankees’ victory over the Boston Red Sox in the AL wild-card series.

Host Ahmed Fareed mentioned that Gerrit Cole is prepared to start on Saturday against the Rays in Tampa Bay. Sabathia agreed, adding that Carlos Rodon would likely follow. He noted that the Yankees are in a strong position with two standout pitchers ready for the first two games.

Sabathia, who played for the Yankees from 2009 to 2019, appeared in 18 postseason games with an 8-4 record and a 3.42 ERA. Now a studio analyst for NBC Sports, he did not expect the Yankees’ pitching to overpower the Red Sox as they did this week.

The Yankees had a streak of 26 scoreless innings against Boston, the longest they have ever achieved in the postseason against one team.

The streak ended in the Yankees’ 9-2 win over Boston, but the Red Sox failed to stop their rivals from advancing to Tampa. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried gave up one run in 12.1 innings over two wild-card games. Both pitchers will be rested and available to start Game 3 if needed by Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

No one, including Sabathia, would be surprised if Cole is chosen for Game 1. In 2024, Cole had a significant postseason impact, pitching in five games and achieving a 2.17 ERA. Although he missed 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, Cole returned in 2026, ending the regular season with a 10-9 record and a 3.61 ERA over 22 starts.