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5 Yankees who will exceed expectations in 2019

By Rucker Haringey

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEP 25: Gary Sanchez (24) of the Yankees hits a home run and is congratulated by Giancarlo Stanton (27) during the MLB regular season game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays on September 25, 2018, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEP 25: Gary Sanchez (24) of the Yankees hits a home run and is congratulated by Giancarlo Stanton (27) during the MLB regular season game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays on September 25, 2018, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 05: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the New York Yankees pitches in the ninth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 05: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the New York Yankees pitches in the ninth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

1. Aroldis Chapman

It’s not as if the Cuban reliever wasn’t good in 2018. He posted a very solid ERA of 2.45 in 51.1 innings pitched last year. Chapman just wasn’t quite as unhittable as he looked in previous seasons.

We’re not really projecting Chapman to do anything outside of his career norms. His career ERA, after all, is a scant 2.45. We believe he’s going to bounce back to his career averages in 2019.

There are two excellent reasons to be bullish about Chapman’s outlook this season. First of all, he suffered from knee soreness for almost all of his 2018 campaign. A full offseason of rest and rehabilitation should do a lot to alleviate that issue. Chapman should enjoy a healthier season.

There’s also the small matter of the opt-out in Chapman’s contract. He has the ability to become a free agent after this season if he wants to give up the remaining seasons on his current Yankees deal. In an ideal world for Chapman, he’ll pitch great in 2019 which will allow him to opt out and get one last big pay-day before his age starts to become a serious issue for interested teams.

If he doesn’t enjoy a dominant season, it’s best for him to stick with his current deal with the Yankees. That isn’t a bad outcome for Chapman, but it likely will cost him several million dollars over the lifetime of his career.

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Add it all up and it’s easy to see why Chapman should be primed for a bounce-back season. Look for him to pitch about 60 innings with an ERA of 2.40. That will drastically simplify life for the Yankees in the ninth inning next year.

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