New York Yankees: Spring Training Preview

By: Joe Cardoso

One thing I know for sure is climate change is REAL, and as we change from “winter” to spring that means baseball is on its way back. Is there a more impatient fan base than the New York Yankees? When you have 27 titles and the expectations are World Series or bust each season you can get a little spoiled. The 2017 Yankees are NOT the teams Yankee fans are used to seeing, it’s a youth movement and a change in strategy. Gone is the circus known as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter is not coming back and Mariano Rivera is retired. This season is all about the kids and seeing who has the goods and who needs more time. It also sets the Bronx bombers up for the huge free agent class that has names like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Josh Donaldson. If they can stay competitive during this time, then all the better.

One knock on this team has always been the way they trade top prospects for veterans and it left them bare once players started to age and lose their skills. 2017 the baby bomber’s take center stage Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Aaron Judge all have mouthwatering talent and this is the year to see what they do with a whole big league season at their feet. Now it’s not a total lineup of kids they still have some senior citizens making up the daily lineup but that mix may result in a playoff run or so fans hope.

LF Brett Gardner

2B Starlin Castro

C Gary Sanchez

DH Matt Holliday

SS Didi Gregorius

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

1B Gregory Bird

RF Aaron Judge

3B Chase Headley

Pitching is a concern no such thing as too many good arms. The rotation starts with a HEALTHY Masahiro Tanaka he is the ace hands down. After that, it’s a mixed bag of aging veterans and young players dying for a chance to prove themselves. At age 37 what can they expect from C.C. Sabathia? And which Michael Pineda comes to the park this year? The end of the rotation is solid but who takes the middle innings so they can reach the 8^th and 9^th? Flame throwing young gunners James Kaprielian and Chance Adams are waiting in the wings.

This is shaping up to be a season unlike any Yankee fans have seen in a long time but it should not be short on excitement. A ton of questions to be answered with an eye on 2018 free agent class, but if we have learned anything in baseball nothing is promised. For the spoiled Yankee fan in some of us (myself included), 7 years between titles is a long time.