2024 Yankees Season Preview

Upon the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the time is finally here for Baseball. As most teams have pitchers and catchers reporting this week, it seems to be the perfect time to look at how the Yankees Roster looks heading into Spring Training.

Starting Pitching

1. Gerrit Cole

2. Carlos Rodon (L)

3. Marcus Stroman

4. Nestor Cortes (L)

5. Clarke Schmidt

6. Luis Gil

This rotation has a lot of questions surrounding it, Rodon and Cortes both have talent on the mound, but their performances in 2023 certainly leave some cause for concern. Rodon's 2024 debut was pushed back until July, due to an injury in Spring Training, and proceeded to pitch to a 6.85 ERA in 64 innings and 14 games, abysmal. Cortes on the other hand started 2023 off well, accumulating a 3.49 ERA and a 3-2 record in his first five starts. Cortes' next 6 starts following that were very lackluster, pitching to a 6.68 ERA until an Injury effectively shut him down for the rest of the season. It is worth noting however that both Cortes and Rodon's injuries could have been a major factor in their performance on. the mound, as both pitchers 2021-22 numbers were miles above their number in 2023.

Now comes the second pairing of Starting Pitching options, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. Both Schmidt and Gil are fairly inexperienced in the MLB, with Clarke having completed his first ever full season at the MLB level just last season, and Gil only having 7 appearances on an MLB mound. Clarke Schmidt entered 2023 with only 5 career MLB starts, and the beginning of that year was definitely anything but smooth, posting an ERA of 6.84 in his first 6 starts of 2023. But as the season progressed Clarke seemed to at least slightly figure something out, grinding out an 4.23 ERA from April-September, giving hope that he can figure something out in order to be an solid anchor to the lineup in his 2nd season as a starter. Now comes (in my opinion) the odd one out, Luis Gil. Gil made his MLB debut in 2021 with insane promise on what he could evolve into. In 6 starts Gil amassed a 3.07 ERA through 29.1 innings on the mound. At only 23 years of age, it seemed as if the Yankees might have found a future star that could lead the rotation along with Cole and Cortes in 2022. However things didn't go much to plan as Gil started 2022 in the minors, amassing an ERA above 7 in six starts, before eventually tearing his UCL and missing the rest of 2022 and 2023 recovering from Tommy John. Gil will likely have to prove that he's capable of returning to his 2021 level competitively in both Spring Training and AAA-Scranton if he wants to make an impact at the MLB level this season.

The last two of the Yankees Starting Pitching options are two guys that seem to have consistent seasons every year they take the mound. Gerrit Cole's 2023 was nothing short of spectacular, winning the AL Cy-Young award, as well as leading the AL in ERA, innings pitched, and starts. Cole has had a terrific season every year since arriving in the Bronx in 2020, with an accumulated 3.08 ERA, 664 innings, and a 51-23 record over 4 seasons. Marcus Stroman on the other hand, has everything to prove this year. 2024 will be Stroman's 10th season at the MLB level, but his first donning the Pinstripes in the Bronx. Stroman started his career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 where he had a handful of good seasons, including an all star appearance in 2019, weeks before being dealt to the Mets at the trade deadline. Since sitting out the 2020 season, due to covid, Stroman has been one of the most consistent pitcher in the MLB, throwing at least 130 innings each season, and totalling an ERA of 3.02 for the Mets in 2021, 3.50 for the Cubs in 2022, and 3.95 for the Cubs in 2023. Although Stroman has never finished inside the Top-8 in Cy-Young voting, he has only had one season with an ERA above 4.00 since 2017 (2018 he had an ERA of 5.54 in a season where he was placed on the Injured List 3 different times).

Overall, the Starting Rotation for the Yankees has a lot of questions surrounding it. Do Cortes and Rodon bounce back after injury? Do Clarke and Gil have breakout seasons? Do Cole and Stroman stay consistent to what we expect? This Starting Rotation in my eyes is very volatile and realistically i wouldn't be surprised either way if it ended up being the best rotation in baseball or the worst, and that's specifically why I give this position grouping a C+.

Bullpen

• Scott Effross

• Ian Hamilton

• Clay Holmes

• Tommy Kahnle

• Jonathan Loaisiga

• Caleb Ferguson (L)

• Ron Marinaccio

The 2024 bullpen looks to be fairly strong on the back end, with Holmes, Loaisiga, and Kahnle all coming off great years in 2023. However it feels like the bullpen has a huge hole with the Yankees having traded Michael King away for Juan Soto in December. Clay Holmes has been the closer for a couple of years at this point, and has done a solid job, although at times has been anything but a sure thing. It certainly feels that the Yankees missing out on Josh Hader creates a problem for the Yankees in terms of closing out games. But with that being said having Holmes, Loaisiga, and Kahnle in the late innings of ball games is something any manager would want to have in the pen.

Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton, Ron Marinaccio, and Caleb Ferguson are all guys that can really take this bullpen from good to great, but each has their own questions surrounding them. Effross is a brilliant young pitcher that the Yankees acquire from the Cubs in 2022. At the age of 28 Effross threw 56 innings for both the Cubs and Yankees, with a 2.54 ERA, with 4 saves and 16 holds, excellent numbers. However towards the end of the season Effross tore his UCL and got Tommy John Surgery, causing him to miss the rest of 2022, and all of 2023. Now once again healthy, Effross could be a huge part of this Yankees bullpen with his elite slider/sinker combo that is tough on lefties. Ian Hamilton's 2023 was in stark contrast to Effross', after years of struggling in the minors, paired with (potentially career-ending) injuries the 28 year old (which i was shocked to learn) finally worked his way onto a big league roster full time. Hamilton's first season throwing more than 8 innings in a season was a surprising one, 58 innings, 2.64 ERA, and 2 of his first career saves. Hamilton was someone most fans hadn't even heard of until being called up to the Yankees big league squad in April, and certainly was a pleasant surprise. Now, the question with Hamilton is, was 2023 just a one hit wonder, or can he do it again in 2024?

Ron Marinaccio had a similar question facing him in 2023, after having a terrific rookie year out of the bullpen in 2022. Ron's rookie campaign saw him throw 44 innings to a 2.05 ERA, and a role as one of the back-end bullpen pieces for the Yankees in 2023, which would initially go to plan. Ron's first 14 appearances of 2023 made it look like he might be one of, if not the best bullpen pitchers for the Yankees, with an ERA of 1.65, however things slowly started to take a turn as over his next 11 games he would post and ERA of 7.59. Ron eventually righted the ship, but not enough to keep him from being sent down to AAA at the end of July. Currently the hope for Ron is that he was able to figure out what what went wrong for him in the second half of the season, and was able to work on it during this past offseason.

Caleb Ferguson is the lone lefty reliever that I see will have a consistent spot on the MLB roster this year, which could be cause of concern. The 27 year-old lefty was recently acquired from the Dodgers and was pretty successful in his appearances at his old club, with a career ERA of 3.43 in 207 innings pitched. Ferguson did a great job in the middle relief role in 2023 with 17 holds, but the high leverage situations seemed to be a problem as he had 5 blown saves. Despite his late inning woe's Ferguson seems to be a great option for lefty-lefty matchups, as well as a bridge in the 6th or 7th inning to the back end of the Yankees bullpen.

The Yankees bullpen in 2024 seems to have a solid foundation, however a lack of depth beyond the top 7, along with the possibility of either a bad year, or injuries could set the bullpen up for failure in 2024. The losses of both Wandy Peralta and Mike King are evident, and creates a possibility that the Yankees bullpen might be filled with AAA pitchers once the injury bug hits the bullpen as it does every year. However guys like Nick Ramiriez, Yoendrys Gomez, Luke Weaver and Matt Krook could step up and fill that void, especially under the guidance of Pitching Coach, Matt Blake, who has been known to get the most out of his pitchers. The lack of a true closer is another problem that the Yankees should have addressed this year though, especially with perennial All-Star Josh Hader on the free agent market this past year. Even though Holmes may be one of the better bullpen pitchers in the MLB, his history to occasionally have terrible outings, and the Yankees lack of depth beyond their top 7 relievers is a reason as to why I give the Bullpen Staff a B rating for 2024.

Catcher

1. Jose Trevino

2. Austin Wells (L)

3. Ben Rortvedt

Another Yankee coming off an injury plagued 2023 is catcher Jose Trevino. Trevino had a great 2022 season, earning his first ever All-Star appearance, along with both Gold Glove and Platinum Glove honors, however 2023 was much different. Trevino's defense was solid as usual to start the year however a nagging wrist injury held him to a slashline of .210/.257/.312. Initially trying to play through the injury, the Yankees and Trevino decided to shut him down after only appearing in 55 games during 2023. A healthy Trevino in 2024, could be huge for the yankees as he provides excellent defense, and a clutch hitting out of the bottom of the order.

Austin Wells in 2024 will be taking over as the backup catcher after the Yank's traded away Kyle Higashioka for Juan Soto. Wells, doesn't quite have the same defensive ability behind the plate but the power at the dish he showed during his first 19 games in the big league last year give Yankee fans reason to believe he could be a huge factor in 2024. Wells' 4 home runs in 70 ABs from the left side of the plate adds some much needed power from the left side of the lineup the Yankees have been missing for years.

Ben Rortvedt, a fellow left-handed batting catcher is likely to be in AAA for much of the year. With great defense and some pop at the plate he could fit in very well with the team in a situation where either Trevino or Wells were to go on the IL.

With all options in mind, the platoon between Wells' offense and Trevino's defense has a lot of potential in 2023 and gives them a B- at the position in 2024.

First Base

• Anthony Rizzo (L)

It may start to sound a bit like a broken record, but Anthony Rizzo is yet another Yankee that had 2023 cut short due to injuries. Rizzo got out to an extremely hot start at the beginning of 2023 hitting .304/.376/.505 and 11 Home Runs through the Yankees first 55 games of the season. But, after a hard collision at first base with Fernando Tatis Jr. Rizzo had to be taken out in the 7th inning of the May 28th matchup. What followed in the wake of this event was the most inept medical evaluation of all time, as Rizzo would bat .172/.271/.225 with only one Home Run for the next two months, until he was benched after the Yankees discovered he had suffered a concussion. How anyone part of a professional sports team's medical staff could "miss" a concussion, and allow a player to struggle in the lineup for 60 days is beyond me. Nonetheless Rizzo, now healthy, looks to perform to the level he was at in 2023 before his injury, but coming back from a severe concussion at the age of 34 is anything but a sure thing, and why I give the Yankees a B rating at 1st base.

Second Base

• Gleyber Torres

Unlike the rest of the team, Gleyber Torres had an outstanding 2023, putting up his best year since his sophomore season in 2019. A .273 average, .800 OPS, and 25 HRs in all but 4 games for the Yankees, Torres was statistically the most consistent hitter for the Yankees, including both a 12, and 15 game hitting streak at different points in the season. One criticism of Torres offensively was always the problem he had with walks and strikeouts, striking out almost 22% of the time, and walking in only about 8% of his plate appearances. Torres' hard work throughout the 2022-23 offseason however seemed to pay off as he cut his K-rate down to 14.6% (in the 91st percentile) and his increased BB-rate to 10%, Although he is prone to the occasional defensive blunder, Gleyber has proven to be one of the best second basemen in the entire MLB. Heading into a contract year, Gleyber seems primed to drive up his market price this season, and I expect him to have a career year similar to his 2019 season, and exactly why I give the Yankees a A- at the position.

Third Base

• D.J. Lemahieu

D.J. Lemahieu had an excellent start to his Yankee career, finishing Top-5 in MVP voting in both 2019 and 2020. However, since the start of the 2021 season he hasn't been the $15 million dollar a year third baseman that they've hoped for, hitting .265 with an OPS of .721 over that time period, respectable numbers, but not the type of numbers that you expect from a guy who hit .336 over a two year span just a few years prior. DJ for the time though hasn't been too awful for the Yankees just yet. But entering his age 35 season, the Yankees can only hope that he doesn't regress once again in 2024, and that uncertainty, along with the lack of a replacement option is why the Yankees get a C+ at third base.

Shortstop

• Anthony Volpe

Depending on how you look at it Anthony Volpe either had a great, or terrible rookie year in 2023. Volpe showcased both his power and speed all throughout 2023, hitting 21 HRs, and stealing 24 bases on 29 attempts, two aspects that the Yankees expected out of him. On, the other side of the ball volpe absolutely outperformed all expectations as he won Gold Glove at the SS position, the first rookie to ever win a gold glove at the position. The one downside to Volpe's 2023 was his batting and on base abilities. Volpe batted an abysmal .209 at the plate on got on base .283 of the time, not great for a top prospect. However, at the young age of 22 Volpe is still developing as a hitter, and now that he knows how much power hes got, one can only hope that this offseason would be a great platform for him to work on his hitting and on base. With that in mind the Yankees earn a C+ at the position for now, however I would expect a strong batting season from Volpe this year, that could end up surpassing my expectations.

Outfield

• Aaron Judge

• Juan Soto (L)

• Alex Verdugo (L)

• Jasson Dominguez (S)

Here is where things get juicy for the Yankees. Arson, I mean Aaron Judge has been nothing short of amazing since his rookie season in 2017, putting up a career OPS of .982, and averaging 50 home runs per 162 games. However, the only problem for Judge has been staying healthy for a 162 of those games, being placed on either the 60 or 10 day Injured List every year of his career, except for the two seasons he finished Top-2 in MVP voting.

Joining the 2022 AL MVP in the outfield this year in future MVP Juan Soto. Heading into his age 25 season, Soto already has amassed 3- straight All-Star appearances, 2 Top-5 MVP finishes, over 750 hits, 150 HRs and is on the verge of entering the 500 RBI club. Soto, has the eye, power, and contact skills of a future HOF'er that will translate extremely well into this New York offense, paired with some help from the short porch out there in Right Field, the only question with Soto is his ability on the defensive side of the ball where he is a below average outfielder. But his career slashline of .284/.410/.524 shows that whatever he lacks defensively will absolutely be made up for when it's his turn at the plate.

Soto, wasn't the only left handed outfielder that the Yankees made a trade for this past offseason, acquiring Alex Verdugo from their rival, the Boston Red Sox. Despite the fans disdain for Verdugo, (that was characterized in a 2021 incident while Verdugo was a Red Sox) he seems to be a perfect fit for this Yankees offense. The 28 year old outfielder has put up some borderline All Star numbers for the Sox over the past 3 seasons with a batting average of .278 and an OPS of .751. Then one area of his game that has been holding him back however is his power, having never hit more than 13 in a single season, but, aiming for the short porch of Yankee Stadium instead of the cavernous no-fly zone of Fenway Park is exactly why I think Verdugo fits perfectly into the Yankee lineup, adding some much needed contact, and the potential to hit 20 HRS.

For years Yankee fans have been hearing about "The Martian" Jasson Dominguez. Signed out of the Dominican Republic at the age of 16, Jasson earned his name "The Martian" because scouts and coaches claimed that his talent couldn't be from Earth. The hype surrounding Jasson only escalated as he shot through the minors and up the prospect ranking charts. Finally on September 1st of this past year, Jasson got the call up to the MLB for his first MLB game at the age of 20. What ensued was "Martian Mania", facing first ballot HOF pitcher Justin Verlander, Dominguez hit a home run, on his first ever swing as a Major League player. Dominguez would go on to hit to a .257 average, .980 OPS and 4 Home Runs in his first 8 games, until he would injure his arm in a devastating throwing injury, that would require UCL surgery. However, Dominguez was able to show that he absolutely has future MVP caliber talent, paired with elite speed in CF that could make a huge impact on the MLB in years to come. Currently as it stands however, Dominguez will likely miss the first month or so of the season in 2024, before returning back into the lineup once his arm heals.

The Yankees outfield in 2024 might be one of the best in the League, with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, 2 of the favorites to win the AL- MVP this year, paired alongside with All-Star caliber hitters in either Alex Verdugo or Jasson Dominguez. My grade of the Yankees outfield this season is an A+ and will likely be the main source of all of the Yankees success this season.

Designated Hitter

• Giancarlo Stanton

When the Yankees traded for Giancarlo Stanton after his MVP winning season during the 2017-2018 offseason, they thought they were getting a .270 hitter who could hit 40 homers a year and play good defense everyday in LF. What they have gotten has been anything but that. Since 2019, Stanton has been off the field almost as often as he has been on the field due to injury after injury. While he's been on the field, he's definitely shown that he has the power that the Yankees had hoped for hitting 94 homers since the start of 2021, however his low average of .231 and on base % of .318 over that time period is definitely not what the Yankees wanted out of Stanton. Heading into 2024, Stanton's previous year saw him hit, .191 with an OPS of .695, a season that is below replacement level, with a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of -0.8. It's hard to tell for sure if the aging Stanton can bounce back to the level needed for the Yankees and his constant injuries sure seem to be another things that will hold him back in 2024.

An interesting concept arises when Jasson Dominguez returns from injury however. Healing from a throwing injury back in September means that Dominguez will be able to hit in the lineup, before he is able to play defense again, bringing up the question of who is the odd man out? The opening day lineup will likely have Verdugo, Judge, and Soto manning the outfield while Stanton is the DH, however if Stanton struggles mightily, like he often does, while Verdugo goes out to bat .280-ish with about 8 HRs through the first 2 months of the season, would the Yankees be willing to bench Stanton in favor of either Dominguez or Verdugo, when Jasson returns from injury? It's an interesting concept that could prove whether or not the Yankees are serious about winning in 2024, or not.

In conclusion, the aging Stanton still has some pop in his bat, despite the lack of much else, but the possibilty of moving the DH spot around once Dominguez comes back gives the Yankees a C+ at the position

Bench

Not much about the Yankees bench is known yet, as for spring training hasn't even begun yet, but we can take a look at some of the Yankees have currently on their 40 man roster, along with some Non-Roster spring training invites.

• Oswaldo Cabrera (S)

• Trent Grisham (L)

• Oswald Peraza

• Everson Pereira

• Jeter Downs

• Greg Allen (S)

• Oscar Gonzales

• Jordan Groshans

The Yankees have a large pool of talent to choose from for their bench in 2024, ranging from young to veteran, and both infield and outfield. Two guys that I would automatically get to be on the MLB roster, and likely play 3-4 times per week, are Trent Grisham and Oswaldo Cabrera.

Trent Grisham is an elite defender that can play anywhere in the outfield, including center, shown by his 2 Gold Glove awards won by playing CF. However his hitting isnt the greatest as he is a career .230 hitter with a career OPS of .699, but every now and then he can tag a ball and send it over the fence, shown by him having 4 straight seasons of double-digit HR totals. Overall, his ability to play an elite CF, along with his power from the left side of the plate is why Grisham will likely be in lineup 3-4 times a week, filling in when one of the starting outfielders has a day off.

Oswaldo Cabrera's best asset for the Yankees is his athleticism, being able to play literally any position on the field (except for pitching and catching). Waldo's subpar bat may be a problem for the Yankees, hitting to a .574 OPS in 2023, is a reason that he will most likely only be coming off the bench defensively, or filling in for guys who have a day off.

Some other guys to note that could potentially be in Houston for the Yankees start of the regular season are, Greg Allen (Outfield), Oscar Gonzales (Outfield), Oswald Peraza (Infield), Everson Pereira (Outfield), Jeter Downs (Infield), and Jordan Groshans (Infield). All, of these are guys who will have to battle it out during spring training, and prove to manager Aaron Boone, and GM Brian Cashman, that they belong on the roster.

Guys to Keep an Eye on in 2024

• Spencer Jones (L)

• Brandon Lockridge

• Ben Rice (L)

• Will Warren

The Yankees have a few prospects on the verge of their MLB debut this season, Spencer Jones (#1 in Yankees Org), Will Warren (#8), Ben Rice (#21), and Brandon Lockridge.

Spencer Jones is the Yankees top rated prospect according to MLB.com and looks like the lefty version of Aaron Judge, listed at 6'6" 235 lbs. Jones, the left handed outfielder taken 25th overall in the 2022 draft has shown some elite power during his year and a half within the Yankees system, hitting 20 HRs through his first 142 games at the professional level. Jones is unlikely to break camp with the MLB roster this year, but keep an eye out for him to possibly make the call up to the MLB once the rosters expand in September.

Ben Rice looks to be the very definition of a late bloomer, the 25 year old Catcher/First Baseman was drafted in the 12th round of 2021 draft out of Ivy League Dartmouth, where he didn't play much due to the Covid Pandemic. However in 2023, Ben Rice made a name for himself within the Yankees minor league system, hitting .324, with an OPS of 1.048 and 20 home runs in 73 games across the A, A+, and AA levels. Most impressively, Rice's best numbers were in the most competitive league he played in at AA-Somerset, where in 48 games he hit .327 16 HRs and an OPS of 1.049, facing off against the best prospects in all of the MLB. Now after earning a non-roster invite to the Yankees spring training site, Rice has the possibility to make the big league roster this year, although it would be hard to imagine the Yankees break camp with him to start the season. Nonetheless, with big spring down in Tampa, paired with some reps down in AAA-Scranton to start the year, Rice could end up seeing the MLB level as early as June, depending on how he plays in 2024, paired with some injuries and/or subpar performances out of some of the guys at the MLB level.

Both Brandon Lockridge and Will Warren are guys that also have a chance to make the MLB roster at some point this season. Will Warren is the Yankees #8 prospect in their system according to MLB.com, and has shown to succeed at every level he has been at, posting a sub 3.50 ERA over the past season and a half at the A+, AA, and AAA levels, meaning he could be a month or two away from the call up to the MLB. Brandon Lockridge on the other hand, made the jump to AA Somerset late in the season last year, showing early signs of success. Hitting over .300 in 33 games at Somerset last season, Brandon showed he can hit the ball very well, but his power still needs to be worked on as he hit only 3 home runs across 92 games in the minors last season. But with an offseason to increase his power, Brandon could potentially be a name that gets the call up to the MLB roster down the road in 2024.

Overall Grade

2024 seems to be a very interesting year for the Yankees to say the least, with a ton of guys coming off injury there is no guarantee that everyone will live up to the production that they are expected of this year. All it takes for the Yankees to have a repeat of their disastrous 2023 season is a few injuries, young guys like Volpe and Wells to struggle, and couple of older guys like, Rizzo, Stanton, and DJ to regress as they age. However the opposite can be true at the same time where maybe those guys can go out and prove that either they can be a part of a championship level team (like Volpe and Wells) and some of the guys who had a subpar 2023 show that their injuries were the reason for their struggle in 2023 (such as Rizzo Stanton and Rodon). Overall though the Yankees do have a great roster this year, especially once you look at the additions of Soto and Verdugo to the Outfield. As it stands right now I believe this team could make a run at the title for the AL- East, given that everyone plays to the level that they are expected to in 2023. Overall this years team does look to be miles ahead of last years team and should record about 92-97 wins.

*Note that the roster could quickly change as trades, and multiple free agents are still on the market

** All numbers and stats are via, www.baseball-reference.com , MLB.com , and baseballsavant.mlb.com