Gerrit Cole has a 2.15 ERA since skipping a start for rest in early August. He'll throw like a playoff ace. The Yankees' bullpen is rested and fixed (thanks to Luke Weaver). And the team overall is much better than the Royals. A multi-run win is the most likely outcome.

A once-familiar postseason matchup renews for the first time in 44 years following a five-year span in which the Yankees and Royals met four times in the ALCS between 1976-80. Underestimate the Royals at your own peril, however; pitching was brilliant in the Wild Card Round vs. the Orioles, and Michael Wacha was a season-long pleasant surprise for KC with his 13-8 record and 3.35 ERA. Wacha was still throwing hard in September when he posted a 2.60 ERA in five starts. Note Gerrit Cole's numbers were not appreciably better than Wacha's this season, especially at Yankee Stadium, where Cole posted a 4.31 ERA this season. Play Royals on Money Line

The Yankees have been sitting for a week. The Royals just beat the Orioles two games to zero with the Orioles scoring one run for the series. That's more of the Orioles stigma in the playoffs, being lousy and losing 10 straight than the Royals being transformed. The Royals won that series with three RBIs, no home runs, and hitting .219 which is above the average they hit in the last two weeks of the season when they were the worst hitting team in baseball at .190. The Yankees beat the Royals 5-2 in the regular season. Michael Wacha has allowed 5 earned runs in his last two starts. Gerrit Cole has allowed one earned run in his last two starts, both wins. Yankees win.