Fansided

Top 10 MLB sleeper teams for 2017

By Joshua Sadlock

Sep 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields the ball in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields the ball in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 10, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (24) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (24) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

5. New York Yankees

The Yankees are definitely not in an active championship window, but being who they are, the front office can never fully wave the white flag and tear the roster down completely. Last year’s team still managed to win 84 games even after dealing away Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran, and Aroldis Chapman at the deadline.

Offensively, the Yankees remain strong. Gary Sanchez will be looking to prove he can build on his record-breaking rookie season. No, he won’t homer every 10 at-bats like last season, but Sanchez could hit 30-40 home runs in a division filled with small ballparks. Up the middle, DiDi Gregorious and Starlin Castro are solid veteran bats. Greg Bird and Chris Carter will form a strong platoon at first base, and Matt Holliday should provide consistent production at DH. Brett Gardner, Chase Headley, and Jacoby Ellsbury are still around because they offer very little value on the trade market. Of the three, Gardner may have the most upside at the plate.

Pitching will make or break the Yankees this season. Masahiro Tanaka’s health always seems to be up in the air. CC Sabathia is back for one last ride in the Bronx, and is coming off a respectable season after battling injuries and personal problems for years. The big left-hander went 9-12 last year with a 3.91 ERA, which was his best showing in quite some time. From there, the Yankees will throw a group of untested prospects and Michael Pineda at the wall and see what sticks.

The Yankees have only been to the playoffs once in the past four years, and are trying to rebuild on the fly. They have enough left over from years past to field a very competitive and scrappy team. Playing spoiler in the AL East is more likely, but look for the Yankees to hang around playoff contention all year.

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