AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS BLUE JAYS

October 8, 2025

Nathan Lukes

Yankee Stadium

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. You guys have been so good this year at kind of turning the page after games like last night. How did you guys go about that last night and this morning, and what are kind of the general vibes around the team right now?

NATHAN LUKES: It's over with. That's one thing that's really good about this team is we're good at turning the page. Clubhouse is where it needs to be, and we're ready to go.

Q. Last time you guys faced Cam Schlittler, you were very effective against him. I'm just wondering what you liked in that approach and what you'd like to bring into today's game?

NATHAN LUKES: He's one helluva pitcher, one of the best fastballs in the league. It just so happened the last couple times we faced him, he didn't quite have command over it, but today we expect him to have it, and we expect to hit it.

Q. In these playoffs, both at home and then yesterday here in New York, how is the atmosphere and the environment compared to what you'd expect coming in? What's it like to feel that?

NATHAN LUKES: We thought Toronto was a little bit louder, but New York, when they started scoring some runs, it started to get a little bit louder. Regardless, it's amazing to play under all this noise. It's fun.

Q. Batting near Vlady in the lineup, we see what Vlady does every day, but as a teammate, as a guy who has a pretty good view of what he's been doing lately, what impresses you most about him as a baseball player?

NATHAN LUKES: He clears his mind, just from how he kind of ended the season into then going into playoffs. He's turned it around. He's the leader right now.

Q. Along those lines, just watching Vlady and Judge, two dominant hitters in sports, just kind of punching, counterpunching there, for you what's it like watching that play out over the course of the series?

NATHAN LUKES: It's two of the best going head to head. Obviously I'm taking Vlady today, and it's just been fun to watch.

Q. When you're in one of these postseason series, similar I guess to the regular season but maybe a bit more intense because you're probably seeing different usages, when you're seeing relievers multiple times in close proximity, how does do you use that extra information? How does that impact your at-bats over the course of a series?

NATHAN LUKES: We see the shapes of the pitches. We get to see them over and over again. Regardless, we have the video, whether we've faced them once, twice, three times. So it's on us to do the homework.

Q. You've been very candid about when you were batting leadoff, you weren't all that comfortable. What's it like to have Springer in front of you and then Vlady behind you, and how much do you have to be aware of the type of at-bat you're taking knowing that Vlady's behind you?

NATHAN LUKES: I mean, being sandwiched between those two, it's just kind of a dream come true. As for like the other day when I hit the two-run double, it was just either strike out or do not ground into a double play. The way Vlady's going right now, it's just I need to get him into the box.

Q. In speaking with Davis, he said playing left field or in the outfield at Yankee Stadium, there's a lot of words and things said to some of the outfielders. He tries to have fun with it. What is your experience with Yankee fans, playing in the outfield?

NATHAN LUKES: Pretty much the same. I start by turning my Instagram to private. That way I don't give them any more ammo, but I try and give them some baseballs, try and have some fun with them.

When they're this loud and rowdy, it's kind of hard to single out the voices, which is kind of nice. But when they're not as loud, those voices tend to get in your ear a little bit.

Q. After ten years in the Minor Leagues, and I'm sure you've thought about this kind of experience, how does reality compare to what you thought it might be playing in your first postseason?

NATHAN LUKES: It's everything that I've seen on TV. Just growing up, watching these games, watching the playoffs, the World Series, it's everything I thought it would be.

Q. You've had so much success this year, but you've had success everywhere you've played. Have you done anything differently this year than what you've done for the majority of your career in the minors?

NATHAN LUKES: Not a whole lot. It's just a matter of kind of given the opportunity and running with it. I don't want to go back.

Q. Nathan, was there a moment or a swing or a play where you knew not only am I a Big Leaguer, but I'm an everyday Big Leaguer?

NATHAN LUKES: Oh, man, I don't even know. There's plenty. I'm trying to think to the beginning of the season. Any swing that helps the team, I guess, every RBI, every sac bunt, drag bunt, squeeze, hit and run, kind of they all just blend together.