10 things Yankees fans should be thinking about 10 days before Opening Day
Opening Day is just 10 days away for the Yankees. Here are the top 10 things fans in the Bronx should be thinking about ahead of the regular season.
The 2020 MLB regular season is fast approaching and the Yankees are desperate to end their World Series drought. Every game will count more in a shortened season. That means New York has to get off to a good start to make sure they qualify for the postseason.
No team’s fan base is certain of what they’re going to see when the season finally starts. The current global pandemic has shortened the preseason and caused numerous players to opt-out of the campaign altogether. No Yankees have opted out of the festivities, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have some concerns.
Yankees fans should focus on the following 10 things before their favorite team takes on the Nationals. They happen to be the issues that will likely determine whether or not Aaron Boone’s team emerges as champions or merely contenders in this bizarre season.
10. A young arm might boost the starting rotation
Both Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia are earning rave reviews during the preseason. Even Michael King is turning heads. It won’t be a major surprise if one of these prospects finds a way to make multiple starts in 2020.
9. First base could turn into a platoon
Luke Voit will begin the year as the starter at first base, but Mike Ford could easily play a factor. If Ford proves he can rake against right-handers then it’s entirely possible that Boone will turn first base into a highly effective platoon.
8. The short season may benefit Brett Gardner
The longest-tenured Yankee started the 2019 season out strong but faded badly down the stretch. He could turn out to be a huge beneficiary of only being required to play a maximum of 60 games. One more big year from Brett Gardner might be enough to let him ride off into the sunset at the season’s end.
7. James Paxton or Masahiro Tanaka may give the Yankees two aces
Gerrit Cole is deservedly making all the headlines, but both James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka have the ability to pitch like aces for long stretches. If either captures their best form this season it’s going to make the Yankees starting rotation awfully tough to beat.
6. Gary Sanchez’s physical fitness
Gary Sanchez looks to be in really good shape despite the current pandemic. That’s a pleasant surprise for everyone in the organization. He won’t be asked to play every game behind the plate, but Boone isn’t going to turn to Kyle Higashioka that often. That makes Sanchez’s ability to stay healthy a big storyline for this year’s team.
5. The flexibility of Miguel Andujar
Boone wants to get Miguel Andujar’s bat into the lineup frequently. The problem is that he can only DH so many times due to Giancarlo Stanton‘s need to utilize that position. That means Andujar’s impact will be greatly influenced by whether or not he can adequately play a corner outfield spot or first base. The odds are stacked against him, but it’s not impossible he can make a big leap.
4. Gleyber Torres can become a bonafide superstar
One guy no one is talking about right now is Gleyber Torres. That’s strange considering just how well he played back in 2019. 23-year-old infielders who slug 38 homers and drive in 90 runs are generally the talk of the town.
It’s easy to envision a scenario where Torres turns his quiet preseason into a mammoth regular season. The Yankees are quietly hoping he can make the transition from All-Star to a legitimate MVP candidate in 2020.
3. The return dates of Aroldis Chapman, D.J. LeMahieu and Luis Cessa
The Coronavirus is currently sidelining all three players. No one is quite sure when any of the trio will be cleared to return. Even when they do, it’s likely they will need extra time to gain the sharpness required to play in a meaningful game.
Cessa’s absence can be covered relatively easily by the bullpen, but Chapman’s ability to close games will be sorely missed. The absence of LeMahieu at second base will be an even larger issue for Boone and his coaching staff. Tyler Wade will likely get at-bats to start the season, but the Yankees need LeMahieu back in the lineup as soon as possible.
2. The health of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton
Aaron Judge’s sore neck is already making some Yankees fans nervous. Stanton always seems to find a way to miss a significant stretch with a muscle injury of some sort. Any injury from one of the two outfield sluggers is going to be magnified in a 60-game season. The team desperately needs both players to stay healthy for the full campaign.
Next. 5 reasons Yankees will dominate the 60-game season. dark
1. The greatness of Gerrit Cole
Cole is the pitching ace the Yankees have been lacking for quite some time. Any conversation about the team’s prospects fora World Series title has to begin with his ability to dominate opponents in both the regular and postseason. The exciting question for Yankees fans to contemplate is just how good he can be in 2020. The initial reports coming out of the Bronx are stellar. Cole seems primed for a big season.