Who Starts Game 1 for Yankees in Toronto

Highlights

• Manager Aaron Boone has not named a Game 1 starter.
• Luis Gil has playoff experience and pitched well vs. Toronto in September.
• Rookie Will Warren went 9–8 with a 4.44 ERA in his first season.

The New York Yankees are headed north for the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. While the champagne was still cold and popping in the clubhouse, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was already facing the first big question of the series. 

Who will start Game 1. 

 Boone told SNY’s Andy Martino after beating the Boston Red Sox that they would not start ace Max Fried on short rest Saturday. 

That means, Game 1 in the Rogers Center on Saturday it will be either Luis Gil and Will Warren on the mound.

 Both pitchers are rested. Both had strong stretches this season. But each offers a different profile against a Blue Jays club that went 8–5 against New York in 2025, including 6–1 at Rogers Centre.

Here are the cases for each.

The Case for Luis Gil

Gil brings the bigger stage experience and, more importantly, some success against Toronto. On Sept. 6 in the Bronx, he threw six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven in a 3–1 Yankees win. It was one of his sharper outings down the stretch, and it came against the exact lineup he would see in Game 1.

Gil’s stuff can overwhelm when he’s locating. Against a power-heavy Blue Jays lineup, that swing-and-miss upside could keep pressure off the Yankees’ bullpen. In a series opener on the road, Boone may prefer Gil’s more established arm and recent head-to-head performance.

His past playoff experience wasn’t exactly stellar. In two appearances, Gil only went four innings and he had a 6.75 ERA in those starts.