After finishing the regular season strong, James Paxton will open the American League Division Series against the Twins on Friday night in the Bronx.
Aaron Boone announced on Thursday morning that Masahiro Tanaka will start Game 2, and Luis Severino will start Game 3 on the road at Target Field.
Big Maple will be making his postseason debut on Friday. Down the stretch, he went 11-0 with a 2.51 ERA, holding batters to a .177 average. In his final start against Texas, Paxton left the game early with “tightness” in his glute.