New York Yankees 2023 Preview

The Bronx Bombers enter 2023 with World Series aspirations in the quest to break a 14 year drought.

Saturday, February 18th

Credit: Google Images

Another year has passed without the Yankees at the top of the baseball universe mountaintop. The total currently sits at 14 years which is beginning to mirror the drought the tram suffered from 1978 to 1996. There are kids in middle school that have not been alive for a Yankees championship. Following a (4-0) exit in the American League Championship to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros, the Yankees enter 2023 with the same goal as every year which is to get back to and ultimately win the World Series.

With that being said, let us delve into some key questions surrounding the Bombers in 2023:

Was extending Brian Cashman the correct move?

The Yankees, namely owner Hal Steinbrenner, elected to give General Manager Brian Cashman a contract extension. This decision raised the eyebrows of many, and while I am against the move I am not surprised. It feels that at this point Cashman definitely has a lifetime contract, or can step down on his own accord whenever he sees fit if he has had enough. Cashmans comments in the past have made clear in the eyes of many that the team doesn't care anymore about winning the ultimate prize, instead being satisfied with Postseason appearances. This goes against the very core of Yankee baseball, and this mentality will have to change.

What to make of the resigning of Aaron Judge?

In a move that many suspected would happen all along, the Yankees paid their man and did so in a big way as they have likely locked him up for the rest of his career. Furthermore, Judge was named the 16th Captain in New York Yankees history the last of which was Derek Jeter up until his retirement in 2014. Yankee fans are eager for an encore of Judge’s last season in which he broke Roger Maris’ 61 year mark of 61 home runs as he hit 62. The Yankees will desperately need another quality season from Judge as a team that did little else to make the lineup better from last season. Iit was nice to see Judge get the MVP that had previously eluded him in 2022.

Position holes and answers?

The two positions where the Yankees will have the most eyes on entering Spring Training in Tampa, Florida are shortstop and left field. At short, it will either be the veteran IKF, Oswald Peraza who got some looks last season, and top Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe who has been ranked Top 5 in the MLB overall Top 100 prospect pipeline for most of the past couple seasons. The Yankees not signing a star free agent shortstop such as Xander Bogaerts or Trea Turner shows their desire to look internally and how they highly value their top prospects.

In left, it will either be Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Cabrera. Hicks, to the chagrin of many, has a legitimate chance to capture the starting role. Cabrera was relatively solid last year, and will give Hicks a run for his money as a younger player with higher upside regarding the different points the two are at in their careers.

The Carlos Rodon signing and its significance?

Carlos Rodon was a major signing for the Yankees as it filled a hole that the Yankees have been looking for for years: A solid number 2 starter to slot behind ace of the staff Gerrit Cole. Rodon was filthy last year for the Giants, and also has a proven track record when on the field. If he can stay healthy, the Yankees’ rotation matches up with anyone else’s in the league including Houstons and figures to be the main strength of this team. I love the idea of a Cole-Rodon-Severino-Cortes Jr. rotation come October, should the Yankees qualify.

Have the Yankees finally caught up to Houston following many years of playoff exits to them?

From a rotation standpoint and bullpen standpoint, I think that the Yankees can finally match up and slay the beast. However, the lineups still remain night and day. Houston’s lineup is littered with talent that can do it all: put the ball in play, hit in the clutch, etc. On the other hand, the Yankees remain a bit too righty-centric and home run or bust based on the roster they are putting out. The Yankees also have “dead wood” positions such as third base where Josh Donaldson will remain for this season. It will be tough pitching to the likes of Alvarez, Altuve, Tucker, and Abreu. Thus, I still think the Yankees are a couple hitters away. A key player to watch will be LeMahieu, as he is a big x factor if he could ve ½ the player he was in 2019. The loss of Benintendi will hurt, as despite barely playing he fits the mold of a high average, good contact ratio hitter that the Yankees still so desperately need.

Position by Position breakdown for the 2023 New York Yankees (Statistics are from the 2022 season):

Catcher

Starter: Jose Trevino (.248 AVG., 11 HR, 43 RBI, .671 OPS)

Backups: Kyle Higashioka

1st Base

Starter: Anthony Rizzo (.224 AVG, 32 HR, 75 RBI, .818 OPS)

2nd Base

Starter: DJ Lemahieu (.261 AVG, 12 HR, 46 RBI, .734 OPS)

Backups: Gleyber Torres

Shortstop

Starter: IKF, Oswald Peraza, or Anthony Volpe

IKF statistics from last season as starting SS: (.261 AVG, 4 HR, 48 RBI, .641 OPS)

Third Baseman

Starter: Josh Donaldson (.222 AVG, 15 HR, 62 RBI, .682 OPS)

Left Field

Starter: Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Cabrera

Aaron Hicks (.216 AVG, 8 HR, 40 RBI, .643 OPS)

Center Field

Starter: Harrison Bader (.250 AVG, 5 HR, 30 RBI, .650 OPS)

Right Field

Starter: Aaron Judge (.311 AVG, 62 HR, 131 RBI, 1.111 OPS)

Designated Hitter

Starter: Giancarlo Stanton (.211 AVG, 31 HR, 78 RBI, .759 OPS)

Starting Rotation

1. Gerrit Cole (13-8, 3.50 ERA, 257 K, 1.02 WHIP)

2. Carlos Rodon (14-8, 2.88 ERA, 237 K, 1.03 WHIP)

3. Luis Severino (7-3, 3.18 ERA, 112 K, 1.00 WHIP)

4. Nestor Cortes Jr. (12-4, 2.44 ERA, 163 K, 0.92 WHIP)

5. Domingo German (2-5, 3.61 ERA, 58 K, 1.16 WHIP)

Closer

Clay Holmes (7-4, 2.54 ERA, 20 SV, 65 K, 1.02 WHIP)

Other Key Bullpen Options

Tommy Kahnle, Michael King, Jonathan Loaisiga, Ron Marinaccio, Wandy Peralta, Lou Trivino, Grey Weissert

Pitcher to Watch: Carlos Rodon

Rodon enters year 1 with the Yankees following a 7 year/$162 million contract. Last year was one of the best of his career, and he brings a stellar pedigree to the table. Yankee fans should be excited to see him pitch, especially following Cole in the rotation every fifth day. He is likely to be a huge part in the Yankees potentially winning number 28 this year.

Hitter to Watch: DJ Lemahieu

The easy pick here is Judge, but I am going with LeMahieu. The Yankees need a full season of production from him, as one of their top of the order players that excels at putting the ball in play when healthy. If the Yankees can get a similar version of 2019 LeMahieu (far-fetched but remotely possible), that would be a huge positive impact and difference maker for the club.

Yankees Current Top Prospects:

1. Anthony Volpe, SS (21)

2. Jasson Dominguez, OF (20)

3. Oswald Peraza, SS/2B (22)

4. Austin Wells, C (23)

5. Everson Pereira, OF (21)

Best Case Scenario

The starting rotation lives up to its billing as the Yankees have 3-4 starters that all win 15+ games. The bullpen is sold throughout the year with Holmes, Peralta, King, and Kahnle staying healthy for the entire year unlike last year. Ditto for Lemahieu. Aaron Judge has a great encore to his great season last year despite slightly diminished power numbers. Rizzo and Donaldson hit for higher averages. Volpe or Peraza live up to the hype and solidify themselves as the starting shortstop of the future. The Yankees win the AL East clinching a bye as the #1 or #2 seed, roll through the AL Division Round, finally defeat likely Houston in the AL Championship Round, and ultimately win the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009.

Worst Case Scenario

Injuries, Injuries, and more Injuries. The Yankees have key players that are unable to stay on the field. Judge regresses significantly. Stanton repeats his second half of 2022 which was horrible. Cole, Rodon, or both are either injured, ineffective, or both. Cashman fails to require a solid contact top of the order type hitter at the deadline. The Yankees miss the playoffs altogether for the first time since 2016.

Likely Scenario

The Yankees claim the division title. The team qualifies for the Postseason. As has been the case the last few seasons, the Pinstripes win a playoff round before ultimately falling in the ALCS to the arch nemesis Astros falling to them again as we have grown all too accustomed to. The home run or bust mentality continues to be doomsday.

Predictions

Win Total: 98

Division Finish: 1st

Playoff Seed: 2nd

Playoff Result: Lose in the ALCS