The New York Yankees chartered into unfamiliar territory last season, finishing 82-80 (4th place in the AL East). While the 2023 season was a disappointment, the Yankees still secured their 32nd consecutive season with a winning record. They last finished below .500 in 1992 (76-86). The Yankees also missed the postseason for just the 5th time since 1994. This postseason inactivity led to a plethora of offseason activity, as the Yankees look to get back to their winning ways in 2024.
The Yankees made the biggest splash (not named Shohei Ohtani) this offseason, acquiring Juan Soto via trade from the San Diego Padres. The world is excited, rightfully so, to see how many home runs Soto will hit over the short, right field porch in Yankee Stadium (314 feet).
Trent Grisham, an afterthought in the Soto trade, will be a solid defensive replacement/pinch runner late in games. The Yankees also found themselves as rare trade partners with their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees sent a handful of mid-level prospects Boston’s way in exchange for Alex Verdugo. They were also active in free agency, bolstering the starting pitching rotation with the addition of Marcus Stroman. Let’s preview what the 2024 Yankees should look like when they step up to the plate on Opening Day:
3B - D.J. LeMahieu, R
RF - Juan Soto, L
CF - Aaron Judge, R
1B - Anthony Rizzo, L
2B - Gleyber Torres, R
LF - Alex Verdugo, L
DH - Giancarlo Stanton, R
C - Austin Wells, L
SS - Anthony Volpe, R
LeMahieu is dealing with a bone bruise on his right foot and could potentially start the season on the Injured List. If that were to happen, we could see the batting order get shuffled around while also seeing Oswaldo Cabrera man the hot corner to start the season.
The Yankees’ prized acquisition this offseason has the great pleasure of “setting the table” for Aaron Judge. This should help boost Judge’s r.b.i. numbers. And while Soto’s talents don’t carry question marks, his home run totals and IF he will sign with the Yankees long-term do.
The ceiling is endless for Aaron Judge. When healthy, we’ve seen Judge make history, hitting 62 home runs in 2022 (AL record). And health is the key for Judge. When he’s a fixture near the top of the batting order, he positively impacts the entire lineup, and the proof is in the numbers.
In 2023, the Yankees went 57-49 with Judge and 25-31 without him. All signs are pointing to Judge starting the 2024 season fully healthy.
Anthony Rizzo has gotten off to hot starts in his previous two full seasons with the Yankees. His 2023, however, was derailed by a concussion suffered in May that wasn’t fully discovered until September. While Rizzo sat out a few Spring Training games with a potential back injury, he appears to be fully healthy and ready to go for Opening Day.
Gleyber Torres has been featured in trade rumors for the past two seasons. With a surplus of middle infielders, and a need for pitching, it feels like Torres has almost been shipped out the door 1,500 times. And despite the constant ringing in his ears, Torres has become one the Yankees most consistent hitters. Torres has hit at least 20 home runs and stolen at least 10 bases each of the past two seasons, and since he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2025, I wouldn’t expect a dip in his production anytime soon.
Alex Verdugo’s stats are not going to jump off the page, but he will be a welcomed upgrade over the revolving door that existed in left field in 2023. If Verdugo can bring consistency, plus-defense, and his career .281 batting average to the lineup everyday, fans may overlook the fact that he’s a Boston Red Sox import.
Health. That is the only cause for concern for Giancarlo Stanton. If he can find himself in the lineup at least 130 times, he should be able to send 35+ home runs out of the stadium this season.
The Yankees seem ready to find out if Austin Wells is fit to be an everyday catcher, however, he may fall into a platoon with Jose Trevino. While that may be the best plan for the Yankees in 2024, they hope Wells is the everyday catcher of the future.
At first glance, Anthony Volpe had a disappointing season, batting .209 while striking out 167 times in 541 at bats. However, upon taking a closer look, Volpe had one of the better rookie seasons in recent history. He became the first rookie in Yankees’ history to notch a 20-20 season (21 home runs and 24 steals). And Volpe is already a plus-defensive shortstop, winning the AL Gold Glove at shortstop.
If Volpe can cut down on his swings and misses, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him batting leadoff for the Yankees at some point in 2024.
Carlos Rodon
Marcus Stroman
Nestor Cortes
Clarke Schmidt
Luis Gil (Named 5th starter on 3/24/2024)
**Gerrit Cole (IL)**
While hopes are still high for the Yankees in 2024, losing Cole to injury for a minimum of 2 months wasn’t part of the original blueprint. Cole is dealing with nerve inflammation and edema in his throwing arm, and while surgery is not expected, Cole has been shut down from throwing for approximately one month. If the Yankees hope to make a run at the 2024 World Series, they will assuredly need their ace on the mound in the near future.
The Yankees added Marcus Stroman to the middle of their rotation on a 2-year, $37 million contract. The 31-year old has been a solid, consistent pitcher throughout his career, making at least 25 starts in each of the past three seasons. Stroman’s 3.65 career e.r.a. will be a welcome addition to this rotation that will be all hands on deck while Cole remains sidelined.
Yankees’ Managers, Aaron Boone, named Nestor Cortes the Opening Day starter this year. Cortes would love to bounce back from an injury plagued, disappointing 2023 season. After sporting a 2.44 e.r.a., winning 12 games in 28 starts in 2022, Cortes only managed 12 starts last season to the tune of a 4.97 e.r.a.
Cortes joins Carlos Rodon as pitchers who need to rebound and take the ball every 5 days if the Yankees are going to compete in a talented AL East this season.
Clarke Schmidt was fully stretched out last season, starting 32 games for the Yankees. He has the stuff to take the next step, but he hasn’t yet found a way to put it all together. He’ll have a long leash this season as long as Cole remains sidelined.
And if you want to talk about electric stuff, look no further then Luis Gil. Gil has a plus-fastball, and he has shown it this Spring Training earning the 5th starter spot. He’ll need to out pitch Clarke Schmidt to stay in rotation when Cole returns, and that is not the craziest thing you’ve heard today.
Jose Trevino, C
Ben Rortvedt, C
Oswaldo Carbrera, INF/OF
Trent Grisham, OF
Jahmai Jones, UT
The Yankees bench depth will struggle to start the season. This isn’t due to a lack of talent, rather due to the injury bug traveling through the clubhouse. Oswald Peraza, a utility infielder, looks set to start the season on the IL, providing an opportunity for Jahmai Jones to get a look at the major league level. Jones has had short stints with three different teams since 2020, and he will need to impress over a small sample size if he hopes to stay with the big club after D.J. LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza are fully healthy.
Closer - Clay Holmes
Setup - Jonathan Loaisiga
Ian Hamilton
Clayton Beeter
Luke Weaver
Caleb Ferguson
Victor Gonzalez
Nick Burdi
Clay Holmes is set to fill the closer role to start the season while Loaisiga will slide into the setup role. Loaisiga has that electric stuff normally reserved for closers, so if Holmes were to falter, the Yankees have a solid contingency plan. Hamilton has shown great stuff in Spring Training, and they have plans to use him in high leverage situations this season. Primarily a starter in the minors, Beeter has made the roster and will operate out of the bullpen. The Yankees are excited to see how he adjusts, and also hope they can rely on Beeter to bridge the gap to Loaisiga and Holmes.
Brian Cashman and the front office’s roster construction has been phenomenal throughout the offseason. And despite the injury bug hitting the Bronx before the season has even started, the Yankees still have lofty expectations in 2024. The majority of the Yankees success will depend on how long Gerrit Cole remains sidelined. It might sound like hyperbole, but I assure you it is not. Cole and Judge are the dual engines that drive this team forward. Without them, they’ll fail to reach the finish line.
Let’s take a look at some of the popular bets you can place on the Yankees:
World Series (+900)
Win American League (+450)
Win AL East (+165)
Total Wins (Over 90.5 -115 // Under 90.5 -105)
Judge MVP (+700)
Soto MVP (+550)
Cole CY Young (N/A)
Rodon CY Young (+4000)
Aaron Boone AL Manager of the Year (+1200)
**Odds per FanDuel Sportsbook (as of 3/24/2024)**
As Opening Day approaches, let’s get ready for an exciting season. This is a great time to check out New York’s best MLB sportsbooks. Whether you’re backing your favorite team or looking for promising odds, these platforms offer plenty of options to make the season even more thrilling.
