The New York Yankees have a deep enough roster to navigate the 2020 season.
Maybe the New York Yankees begin the 2020s with a World Series championship?
The Bronx Bombers haven’t won a Fall Classic since they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies back in 2009. In fact, they haven’t won the AL in a decade. How is that possible for the MLB‘s most iconic franchise? Fortunately for the league’s most popular club, they should be the clear favorites to not only win the AL East, but represent the American League in the 2020 World Series this fall.
Of course, the variance of a 60-game shortened season favors a team like the Yankees’ arch rival Boston Red Sox. However, depth on the pitching staff and all over the diamond will serve a team like the Yankees. New York may have a few players sidelined because of the virus now like D.J. LeMahieu and Aroldis Chapman, but the Yankees may have the depth needed to run the gauntlet.
Depth and high-end power serves the New York Yankees’ AL pennant chances.
If we want to venture outside of the AL East and look at the other 10 teams in their league they won’t play this year until October, there are quality clubs in the AL Central and the AL West. However, the Yankees could not own the Minnesota Twins more than they do now. Everybody hates the Houston Astros and are we ready to trust the Oakland Athletics to go on a deep run?
In short, whoever comes out of the AL East will be the presumptive favorite to face clubs like the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves or the Washington Nationals in the 2020 World Series. Given that the Yankees will play a third of their games this season vs. the NL East, they’ll be battle tested against three or four clubs who would have vied for a postseason berth in a normal season.
Ultimately, players are going to test positive for the coronavirus as Chapman, LeMahieu and Luis Cessa have thus far. It’s going to be an on-going narrative through the unprecedented 60-game campaign. Though every regular-season loss is nearly three times as impactful, the Yankees have the depth and the high-end firepower to sustain excellence in the strangest baseball season ever.
All things equal, look for New York to win the AL East, the AL Pennant and reach the World Series.