The New York Yankees finished last year with 94 wins, which was good enough to fend off the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East crown.
The feel from Yankees fans is that last year was the year to do it after acquiring star outfielder, Juan Soto. New York was on the doorstep of a 28th World Series Championship, but they were ultimately outplayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. We all knew the free agent challenges New York was going to face exiting the 2024 season.
The spring hasn’t been too kind to New York. Gerrit Cole will be out for the year once it was determined that he needed Tommy John Surgery, which was completed on March 11. Manager Aaron Boone told the media before spring training started that Luis Gil is also expected to miss the first few months of the season due to a lat strain.
The Yankees will start the season down two of their top starting pitchers. We also don’t really know what the time table looks like for Giancarlo Stanton, with multiple reports stating a number of injuries, most notably his elbows.
The Yankees saw a few key departures this offseason like Anthony Rizzo, who is currently un-signed, Gleyber Torres, Nestor Cortes, Clay Holmes and the biggest loss being the aforementioned Soto. Replacing Soto’s 41 homers will be a tough task. However, New York brought in some help in the name of Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger is a much better and more diverse defender than Soto. The former Rookie of the Year and NL MVP has gotten in-game starts at numerous positions that include all three outfield positions, as well as first base. In 260 games with the Chicago Cubs, Bellinger hit 44 home runs while managing a very respectable .286/.340/.475 slash line.
The other big position player signing for New York was Paul Goldschmidt. The former St. Louis Cardinal signed a one-year deal worth $12.5 million with New York back in December and has had a respectable spring, hitting .313 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. The veteran first baseman is going to be a valuable leader, who has been on the big stage before.
There is a catcher in Yankees camp that has been turning heads, and it’s not Austin Wells. With a .333 batting average, three homers and an OPS of .953, J.C. Escarra is poised to make the Opening Day roster as the secondary catching option behind Wells.
New York also acquired some big time arms. One came via a trade with Milwaukee, which the Yankees sent lefty Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for All-Star closer Devin Williams. The other was the free agent signing of left-hander Max Fried, who will be the team’s ace with both Cole and Gil out for significant time.
The Yankees have also been impressed with veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco this spring. Carrasco is making a strong push for a spot in the starting rotation. With 16 innings of work and an ERA of 1.69, I don’t see how New York leaves him off the 26-man roster given the current circumstances with injuries.
The Yanks will still be able to compete regardless of those injury concerns and will expect to win the AL East once again. However, they will start the year with a lot of questions marks.
STRENGTHS
The major strength of the New York Yankees in 2025 will be their bullpen. With a strong 2024 season and the key additions of Williams and Tim Hill, they are primed for another strong season in the pen.
I would also consider the veteran presence on this team to be a huge advantage. Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Aaron Judge will help mentor the younger guys on the team. The young talent could continue to prosper into perennial All-Stars with the likes of Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
WEAKNESSES
So far this year, the biggest weakness to New York has been the injury bug.
To be able to complete with the other teams in the AL East, you will need to be as healthy as possible. Losing two starters and one of the best sluggers in baseball is a tough blow to start the year.
As of right now, I’m not sure we can trust their starting rotation. There is a lot of uncertainty, from unproven or aging starters to the injuries mentioned before. It’s going to take more than a few arms to keep this Yankees rotation afloat.
PROJECTED RECORD: 86-76 / DIVISION FINISH – 3rd PLACE
The New York Yankees will still be able to compete, and as mentioned before, they will expect to win the AL East. However, they will start the year with a lot of questions marks, maybe the most in the division.
With all of this being said, The Baltimore Battery’s final projection is for the New York Yankees to finish third in the AL East with a win/loss record of 86-76.
What are your expectations for the Toronto Blue Jays this season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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