AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 12, 2022

Aaron Boone

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. I'd like to know, what turned Jonathan's season around? The second half he's been very good. I'd like to know what turned it around.

AARON BOONE: Well, he just got off to a little bit of a slow start and then had the shoulder impingement. Once he got that out of there, I think he just came back and started pitching the way he's very much capable of. You know, we saw it all year last year. He was one of the dominant relievers in the League.

So you know, I think it was kind of a short sample at the start where he was scuffling a little bit. But we also felt like, you know, it was a matter of time before he would turn that around. And then once he got through the injury, he really started pitching well for us.

Q. How good is it to know all the injuries you have in the bullpen, that's one guy you can rely on?

AARON BOONE: I mean, it's huge. He's a great pitcher, and as we've talked about a lot -- you know, I know people feel like we have a lot of questions down there; fair. We don't have the "this guy is the closer" and all these certain roles.

But I do feel like right now, even though we have experienced some attrition down there, we have a lot of really talented options down there and Lo is right in the middle of that. If we are going to get far in this, he's going to have to get a lot of big outs for us.

Q. As a former hitter, when there's a pitcher like Nestor who can disrupt timing and change arm slots within an at-bat, how much more difficult does hitting become when you don't know what's coming?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I mean, that's always the first thing people talk about with Nestor. But I still think that takes away how good a pitcher he is. Because in reality, he does those things as a one-off now and then. He may do that two, three, four times in a 100-pitch outing; whereas, for the most part, he's very traditional and what he does is he executes.

His fastball plays up. For me as a right-handed hitter, his ability to cut the ball and have a real presence on the inside part of the plate, but then, you know, be able to go away and use both sides of the plate to keep you honest. You know, he'll slow you down with the slider. I feel like his changeup has become a little bit more of a factor as the year has gone on.

But, you know, I think Nestor's success is more a product of stuff, and then commanding both sides of the plate and then having, you know, a fearless way about him on the mound.

Q. You also mentioned the other day that you were leaning towards using a three-man starting rotation. With the possibility of rain tomorrow, would that change anything with your plans as far as the starting rotation goes?

AARON BOONE: Well, depending on how long the series goes, it would have to, yeah.

Q. Are you concerned that you would have to play four games in a row and how that would affect the starting lineup and the pitching rotation?

AARON BOONE: It would probably affect the pitching rotation if you went five games and you had to play four in a row, sure. The lineup, no. I mean, we play -- that's what you do in baseball is you play every day. Shouldn't affect that. That's more who we are going up against, matchups, things like that.

Pitching, it could change a little bit of what you do.

Q. A lot of talk about 'Nasty Nestor' this year, but what is it about him that draws the fans to him and that makes him so appealing?

AARON BOONE: I think his personality. He looks like you and I. You feel like you could relate to him. You feel like you could probably do what he does -- you can't (laughter).

I mean, he, in a lot of ways, was an underdog, was a low-round pick that wasn't a prospect necessarily that's kind of found his way to, you know, being an All-Star pitcher. So that is I think story people can get behind.

He's got a way about him when he pitches as far as -- I think everyone gets that competitive, fearless, he's out there playing a game and having a fun, like you designed it. He lives that.

And then I think the little things that he does with his delivery from time to time, people can rally around that. I think he's just very relatable.

Q. Nestor said he would be comfortable pitching Friday if there was rain and even potentially pitching Game 5. Is that something that you would consider?

AARON BOONE: I would consider him being an option in that kind of scenario. You know, how much he'd have them there.

But with this team, there are lefties and stuff for -- if you had him in an inning scenario, a couple-inning scenario, that would be pretty valuable.

But, you know, if he goes Friday, you know, hopefully we're not in a Game 5 situation, but if we are, we'll see. I mean, he would maybe be in play but I wouldn't -- not necessarily as a traditional starter.

Q. Nestor was in here and said he goes out there and tries to approach it like it's the last time he's going to pitch. How do you describe his demeanor on the mound and that edge he pitches with?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I think he combines all those things as far as he's had to scratch and claw for everything he's gotten. He's risen from the ranks of non-prospect to prospect to -- when he first started coming up with us, it was, you know, kind of on the shuttle, bulk out of the pen, spot start here, and all along the way, he's continued to become more and more of a polished, better pitcher.

And then, I think he combines that, I'm going to treat this like the last game I might ever pitch; he's competitive as heck, but he has a lot of fun doing what he's doing. I think it's a real -- I think people can learn a lot from Nestor about the way he goes about things.

Like this is the highest league in the land. You know, now you're in the playoffs. You're on the biggest stage, and he just has a way of -- and I think what simplifies it is he's super competitive and he knows how to have fun playing the game. Sometimes I think you can lose that fun part of it when you're playing at this level, and that's important to have.

Q. What does it say about his regular season that he was able to put himself even under consideration to start Game 1?

AARON BOONE: I mean, you know, he was an All-Star the whole year, and I think you go back to the second half of -- more than the second half of last year. You know, when he entered the rotation last year, he pitched like an All-Star.

So this has been going on for about 16 months now where he's been one of the best pitchers in the League. So yeah, I mean, he's put himself -- you always feel good about handling the ball to Nestor.

Q. What are the challenges of facing Bieber tomorrow?

AARON BOONE: Great command. You know, we've seen his fastball velocity tick up a little bit as the season's gone on. You know, he's not necessarily overpowering in that manner, but you watch his delivery and his arm stroke, so he creates deception, which I think allows his stuff to play up.

But then, you know, he can really command it at an elite level. He's one of the best pitchers in the League for us, and I think it starts with really having elite command.

Q. What is it like getting the first one, and do you think it sets the tone or can set the tone for a series, and even the whole postseason?

AARON BOONE: Well, I mean, you always hope that. But you know, we also -- and whether we won or lost yesterday, we're in the turn-the-page business. You enjoy that. A playoff victory is a big deal, and especially in Game 1 of a series, to grab it is big.

But today you move on from it. And we've got a workout today, and now it's on to the next one. You know, series, playoffs, can go all sorts of different ways. You try and rack up wins as you can.

Q. Did you have a chance to review the Donaldson fly ball, and your thoughts on the play?

AARON BOONE: Weird play. He thought it went over the fence. We are shaking hands at first. The music goes off. I think just a weird play.

Q. Any need to discuss?

AARON BOONE: No.

Q. Thinking back to that Oswaldo Cabrera catch last night in the fourth inning, what did you see on that play, and were you expecting him to make it all the way in foul territory with the fans there like that?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I have the perfect view of that play. Down that left field line, I'm right in line from where I stand. As that ball is going up there with a slice on it, I'm feeling like he's got a chance with this ball. Felt like he approached it very well. Was very much under control. And then you never know how the crowd comes into play and things like that.

Just a really under-control play, and more of the same of what we've seen ever since we brought him up.

Q. How different of a feel is there this year with the defense you guys have out there? I know it's been a trend all year but pretty staggering last year to this year, the improvements you've made?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, yesterday we make a little bit of a slow start, we make an error there in the first inning. And as that game unfolded, I think you really saw our defense kind of take over and show what they have shown all year.

Such an important part of the game. J.D. makes a couple good plays over there at third. Rizzo was great all night. Obviously the plays in the outfield. But that's who they are and what we are capable of, and if we are going to get to where we want to go, it's going to be an important ingredient.

Q. Before this season, Oswaldo Cabrera had played over 500 Minor League games in the infield, and had only played one game in left field before you guys called him up. Curious what about him specifically made the organization trust that this 23-year-old kid with almost zero experience in a corner outfield spot would be able to kind of be up to the task in October in Yankee Stadium?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, all right. Well, we love his makeup. So in spring training, we felt like if we ever had a need in that kind of utility-type guy at any point in the season, even though he had not experienced even a ton of AAA yet at that point, just his makeup suggests that, well, this guy is going to be able to handle this. Then he had injury during the year, so missed some time. And when he came back, he started playing really well. Didn't play a ton of outfield but did some work out there.

So it was a little bit of, let's do it. You know, when he got up here, and the need all of a sudden arose for a right field start, it was like, you know, player development felt like he would be able to handle it. Myself and our staff, again going back to what we think of his makeup, felt like he's not going to be overwhelmed by this, even though it may not be perfect.

You know, he goes out in that first game, I think it's the first or second inning, robs a home run, makes a great play, I remember going to the foul line -- it was in right field -- makes a play.

Then the need arose in left field and we are thinking okay, it's left field in Yankee Stadium and what is that going to look like and it's been more of the same.

Credit to him. He's very mature. He's a very confident baseball player. He works really hard. He processes information really well. You've seen that, I think offensively, too. I feel like he's made really good adjustments as these couple months have unfolded. He's just a really good player, and he plays the game with a lot of confidence, with a little bit of a swagger to him, and just he's a really good worker, too. Like he gets after it, and you know, he's not afraid.

Q. That decision to have him try that out is not something you would have done with every guy in the minor leagues?

AARON BOONE: No.

Q. That's something that's specific to him?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I think one of the things is -- you know, because he has not played a lot of infield. Like this is a really talented infielder. This guy can defensively really play the infield, all spots.

I think there was some comfort in knowing that he had at least done a fair amount of work in the outfield, even though it was not a lot of game reps, and the feeling was that he moves naturally out there and things like that.

But yeah, then it was the makeup of saying, let's rip the Band-Aid and put him out there and the rest is history.