The Yankees have hit one other spring coaching milestone, holding their first full squad exercise on Monday. Later this week, they’ll play their first exhibition recreation of the spring, tangling with the Phillies in a split-squad recreation on Saturday.
The actual factor will likely be right here earlier than you understand it — March 30 to be precise — and the Yankees have grand aspirations as soon as once more. While the American League is far more prime heavy than its extra wholly spectacular cousin within the National League, there are nonetheless a handful of fearsome groups within the AL that would crush the Yankees’ desires within the postseason.
With all due respect to the Rays (who all the time give the Yankees hassle), Angels (make the playoffs first, then we’ll discuss), and Rangers (nonetheless very a lot within the experiment part), these are the groups that signify the largest impediment between the Yankees and their first World Series since 2009.
Houston Astros
It all the time begins and ends with Houston.
The crew that has thwarted three of the Yankees’ final six playoff runs stands to be very annoying as soon as once more. Even with some acquainted faces now out the door — Justin Verlander, you will have heard, is a New York Met, and Yuli Gurriel, one of many different holdovers from the 2017 championship crew, was not retained — the Astros ought to nonetheless be considered the favourite to win the American League.
They changed Gurriel, who was atrocious final yr, with three-time All-Star Jose Abreu. A metronome within the White Sox’s lineup for the final 9 years, Abreu hit .304 with 40 doubles final yr. All he’s ever achieved is hit, and though this will likely be his age-36 season, there’s nothing that factors to him slowing down.
The rotation definitely takes successful by shedding Verlander, however Framber Valdez has anointed himself as one of many ten or so finest pitchers within the AL. Cristian Javier confronted 39 hitters within the ALCS and World Series and solely let certainly one of them get successful. Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. and Jose Urquidy is a again finish of the rotation that different groups would kill for. On the place participant aspect, October god Jeremy Pena confirmed as much as camp looking noticeably jacked, sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker are nonetheless younger sufficient to theoretically get even higher, and perennial MVP candidate Alex Bregman stays at third base.
None of that even mentions Jose Altuve, or their terrifying bullpen. The Astros are going to maintain dominating till someone stops them, and the Yankees haven’t had sufficient to try this for the final six years.
Toronto Blue Jays
Is this the yr the youth motion in Toronto delivers the division crown?
As all the time, the AL East will likely be a massacre, however the Blue Jays have each cause to consider they will win it. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are the definition of a dynamic duo, one half of which persistently seems on the prime of the exit velocity leaderboard, the opposite has led the AL in hits for every of the final two seasons.
Hitting is just not the Blue Jays’ drawback. They have been eradicated from the playoffs final yr in a recreation by which they scored 9 runs. Toronto will go so far as their pitching takes them, and a bounceback yr from Jose Berrios (who spent the primary season of his seven-year, $130 million contract being one of the vital erratic pitchers within the league) may very well be the distinction between the Jays grabbing a Wild Card spot once more or hanging an AL East banner.
With Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman, the highest of the pitching workers is in good condition. Chris Bassitt, maybe probably the most consummate third starter in Major League Baseball, was introduced in to supply much-needed depth and stability. It’s the again finish of the rotation and the bullpen — which ranked tenth out of 15 AL groups in Wins Above Replacement final yr — that can decide the Blue Jays’ final destiny.
Seattle Mariners
The crew that knocked Toronto out of the playoffs in autumn additionally added certainly one of their higher hitters.
Teoscar Hernandez, he of the 57 homers and .840 OPS since 2021, provides the Mariners some thump to assist shining star Julio Rodriguez. If Rodriguez performs as much as his potential, he may completely problem for the MVP. Same goes for pitcher Luis Castillo and the Cy Young award. Smaller pickups like Kolten Wong, AJ Pollock and Tommy La Stella inject some veteran presence to a crew that made the playoffs with a particularly younger roster in 2022.
An enormous query for the M’s is that if their bullpen can preserve the usual that’s helped the crew win 90 video games in consecutive years for the primary time for the reason that first George W. Bush administration.
Minnesota Twins
Does conserving Carlos Correa, signing Joey Gallo and buying and selling for Pablo Lopez, the underrated ex-Marlin who’s been shrouded in obscurity for his total profession, make the Twins the category of the AL Central?
Only time will inform, and realistically talking, Minnesota is just not on the identical stage as the primary three groups on this checklist. Their division is extremely winnable although, and like everybody else right here, they will make in-season strikes on the deadline geared towards making certain postseason success.
But the Twins have additionally famously misplaced their final 18 playoff video games, 13 of which have come towards the Yankees. The Twins look formidable sufficient to take part within the playoffs, however so far as the Bombers are involved, they don’t pose a lot of a menace.
Cleveland Guardians
This AL Central squad, then again, gave the Yankees the whole lot they might deal with within the Division Series 4 months in the past. Cleveland addressed their infirm offense by inserting Josh Bell into the center of the order, however this iteration of the Guardians is all about pitching.
Had just a few extra breaks gone Cleveland’s means, specifically not having to start out Aaron Civale in a winner-take-all recreation, they’d have superior to play the Astros within the ALCS. The sequence proved that the Guardians and Yankees weren’t as far aside as many prognosticators (and the crew’s payrolls) would have urged.
As far as AL contenders go, the Astros are the crew that makes use of their may to instill worry, however these Guardians play a model of old fashioned ball that may be simply as infuriating to cope with.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com