There is no one I would rather hand the ball tonight than Gerrit Cole. In seven career ALDS starts, the Yankees ace is 6-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 70 strikeouts across 47.1 innings, meaning Cole strikes out almost 40 percent of batters faced when pitching in this round.

Cole, who didn't make his first appearance until June 19 because of elbow inflammation, went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts. He was particularly sharp in his last two outings, allowing one run, four hits and two walks in 15 2/3 innings in which he struck out 12.

The state of the Yankees, some key matchups, and Royals Bobby Witt Jr.'s take on two Yankees captains as the best-of-five series gets underway.

The New York Yankees don't yet know their opponent for the American League Division Series, but they do know who will be taking the mound at the start of

Gerrit Cole flashed a smile. On the eve of Game 1 of the ALDS, the Yankees ace considered his answer to a short, but not necessarily simple, question: What would winning the World Series mean to him?