The New York Yankees are on the brink of postseason elimination following a 13-7 loss vs. the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALDS. The defeat has manager Aaron Boone scrambling to find solutions to keep the club’s playoff hopes alive, including a lineup shakeup ahead of Game 3.
According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Boone is considering making one or two lineup changes for Game 3 in anticipation of facing Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber. Boone noted that Bieber touts a heavy reverse split success in 2025 and career-neutral splits.
Castillo insinuated that one key lineup change could see New York swapping left-handed first baseman Ben Rice for veteran and former MVP-winning right-hander Paul Goldschmidt.
Aaron Boone said he could make one or two lineup changes for Game 3 vs. RHP Shane Bieber. He noted Bieber’s heavy reverse splits in 2025 & neutral career splits. Given that, there’s one obvious possibility: Paul Goldschmidt over Ben Rice. Goldschmidt is 3-for-6 career vs. Bieber.
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Through four games this postseason, Rice is batting .267 with one home run and three RBIs, while Goldschmidt has four four hits in seven at-bats, to the tune of a .571 batting average. Going with Goldschmidt is a risky move, but on the verge of squandering what is to be believed as a roster capable of winning the organization’s 28th World Series, Boone is trusting the analytics.
Against left-handed bats this season, Bieber has been tremendous, surrendering just two home runs and holding the opposition to a .156 batting average. Against right-handed batters, the former Cy Young winner is much worse , giving up six home runs, a .297 batting average, and a .936 OPS, according to ESPN.
As mentioned by Castillo, Goldschmidt holds a .500 career batting average against Bieber in six plate appearances. However, the at-bats took place in 2021 and 2023. Since then, Bieber has battled his way back from Tommy John Surgery, and Goldschmidt has seen his production against right-handers steadily decline.
In 2021, Goldschmidt hit .279 with 10 home runs in reverse split opportunities. In 2023, he saw those numbers dip to a .259 batting average and 20 home runs. Now in 2025, Goldschmidt is hitting .247 with three of his seven home runs coming against right-handers, according to Baseball Savant.
The New York Yankees are desperate, and Aaron Boone can feel the pressure of yet another postseason letdown. Behind in the series 2-0 and needing three consecutive wins to save the season, the skipper is reaching into his bag of tricks, hoping for a miraculous comeback.
