5 takeaways on the Yankees’ regular season and what’s next in the postseason
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees await the winner of the wild-card series between the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals . Until Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday, the Yankees will stay as fresh as possible by holding live batting practices and simulated games at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees made it clear that winning the division was their preference and goal, as it allowed them the opportunity to rest and set their pitching staff up to their liking, whereas the winner of the Orioles-Royals series may not have that luxury.
Before we look ahead to the postseason, here are five takeaways from each of us from the 2024 regular season:
My biggest takeaway...
The Yankees must retain Juan Soto
The Yankees haven't received this level of offensive production from a left-handed hitter since Lou Gehrig.
Soto finished his walk year with a 180 wRC+. The only two left-handed hitters in the franchise's history who have posted a wRC+ higher than 180 in any season are Gehrig and Babe Ruth. You may have heard of them.
Soto's career-high 41 home runs are the most by a Yankees lefty since 2012 (Curtis Granderson, 43). His .419 on-base percentage ranked second in MLB ; only Aaron Judge had a higher OBP. Soto has his flaws as a player: he's a poor defender (only six right fielders have graded worse in outs above average) and a poor baserunner (only Elly De La Cruz has made more outs on the bases in MLB). However, his bat is so potent that only three position players had more fWAR than he did: Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. , and Shohei Ohtani .
The right fielder only turns 26 at the end of the month — Luis Gil , a Rookie of the Year candidate, is older than he is! Soto should have many years left in his prime, which is why he may surpass half a billion in guaranteed dollars this offseason.
A combination of Soto and Judge is nearly guaranteed to produce one of MLB's best offenses, as long as both are healthy. With their dominance could come championships. — Kirschner
Aaron Judge's greatness reaches another level
Judge will win his second career MVP, and it won't be all that close — sorry Witt. Judge led the league in home runs (58), RBIs (144) and walks (133) and finished third in batting average (.322). He did it all while playing out of position and moving to center field to give Soto right field. And after playing in just 106 games last year, he missed just five games this season. It would be tempting to suggest that at age 32, Judge might begin fading out of his athletic prime as early as next season; however, not many players can surpass Judge in the amount of care he puts into keeping himself in top physical condition. What's more, remember how fans worried about the chemistry with the arrivals of Alex Verdugo and Marcus Stroman in spring training and Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the deadline? Wasn't a problem in Judge's clubhouse. — Kuty
I was surprised about ...
Anthony Volpe going backward offensively
Much was made about the swing path change Volpe made in the offseason. It was one of the more interesting storylines to emerge from spring training. If Volpe could maintain the power he displayed in his rookie season while increasing his contact, he could have a breakout sophomore year. That did not happen.
Volpe finished with a worse OPS (.657) than in his rookie season (.666). He hit just 12 homers after hitting 21 last season. While his batting average was much higher in 2024 and his OBP slightly improved, his slugging percentage dropped. Volpe sacrificed most of his power to increase his contact rate, resulting in poorer overall performance. If this isn't an example of why batting average isn't one of the most important stats when evaluating a player, then I'm not sure what is.
Most alarming, with Volpe nearing the end of his sophomore year, is that it looks like he's going backward. He doesn't seem to be in control of his at-bats. If he doesn't have one of his hot streaks in October, the Yankees may need to consider pinch-hitting for him in crucial situations. — Kirschner
The highs and lows of the Yankees
Would it shock you if the Yankees win the World Series? What if they were bounced in the Division Series? Welcome to Major League Baseball in 2024. Parity is king. No team finished with 100 wins.
The Yankees are a team with massive stars and major question marks. They have Judge, Soto and Gerrit Cole . They also aren't established at closer, first base or left field. And that's not even mentioning the uneven seasons of Gleyber Torres , Volpe and Carlos Rodón .
There have been times this season when the Yankees have looked like the best team in the league. They also looked on the brink of collapse at times this summer, and there are games where the offense doesn't show up if Soto and Judge don't produce. — Kuty
I'm looking forward to ...
Seeing if this is the year they win it all
As you just mentioned, Brendan, no result in the postseason would be surprising for the Yankees. They have the talent to win it all, but they've also shown they can drop series to the league's worst teams.
This year's team has more top-end talent than any other team in the Judge era. An argument could be made that this is the best-suited team to win it all in the Judge era. The 2017 Yankees were special, but Judge is even better now, and they didn't have Soto.
The American League, more than in any year since 2017, is wide open. The Houston Astros took a step back this season and won a weak AL West division. José Altuve and Alex Bregman had their worst offensive seasons since 2021, and their pitching staff is also unproven heading into October. However, until a team unseats them for the throne in the AL, they must be seen as a looming threat.
Outside of the Astros, the three AL Central teams — the Cleveland Guardians , Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers — each have their flaws. The Baltimore Orioles may not have enough pitching to survive.
The Yankees have their faults, but they may be the most talented team among this year's AL playoff contenders. — Kirschner
Playoff Judge
There might be a lot riding on these playoffs for Judge. He's one of the most talented Yankees ever. He's beloved by the fan base and the clubhouse.
But remember 2022? Judge set the AL single-season home run record at 62. Yet he was promptly booed in the playoffs when he hit just .139 in nine games and the Yankees were ousted via sweep against the Astros in the AL Championship Series.
The boos will rain down even harder if Judge doesn't help carry the Yankees. For his career, he's a .211 hitter in 44 postseason games. — Kuty
I'm skeptical of ...
Left field, in general
Whoever ends up starting in left field in Game 1 will have serious concerns attached to them. For Jasson Domínguez , it's how shaky he has looked defensively; even the most routine plays he has made haven't looked the cleanest. For Alex Verdugo, he finished the 2024 regular season as one of MLB's 10 worst hitters. So, what will the Yankees do?
Domínguez finished with an 84 wRC+, just one point higher than Verdugo. The sample size for Domínguez is obviously much smaller, and there's reason to believe he would have better results with more at-bats. His bat speed is elite, his swing decisions are encouraging and he hits the ball hard.
Yankee Stadium's left field is a tough position to play because of the amount of space to cover. If the Yankees value defense above all else, Verdugo will likely play more than Domínguez. If they prioritize a better bat in their lineup, Domínguez should be the choice. Given how much the Yankees played Domínguez in the final week, it could hint at which way they're leaning. — Kirschner
The perceived heat on Aaron Boone
In Boone's seven seasons as Yankees manager, he hasn't delivered a World Series. But the feeling here is that a lot would have to go wrong, and in short order, for the Yankees to turn the 51-year-old into the scapegoat and not pick up his club option for 2025. Yes, success in the Bronx is measured by rings. But the Yankees finished the regular season with the best record in the AL. That's a feather in Boone's cap. Also, every player speaks highly of him as a person and as a communicator, including Judge, whose influence may mean the most. Owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman have supported Boone whenever asked about his job performance. It's hard for me to imagine his job security being in peril, barring catastrophe. — Kuty
I've had the most fun ...
Watching the brilliance of Soto's at-bats
Soto established himself as one of the game's best players as a rookie, but being in the National League made it difficult to watch him play often. Getting to see him play every day has deepened my appreciation for his greatness even more.
Every at-bat for Soto is a must-watch event. No pitch is wasted; they're all part of his master plan for attacking the opposing pitcher. Watching him track a slider all the way into the catcher's glove, nod his head as if he's found a cheat code on the seams, only to hit another slider out of the park in the same at-bat is as thrilling as anything in baseball.
There are no holes in Soto's bat. He has the best eye in the sport, some of the best power and he can hit for average. He doesn't chase pitches and he doesn't whiff much.
Every time he steps into the batter's box, you know there's a chance for him to do something legendary. — Kirschner
Seeing players deal with adversity
Buzzkill? Maybe. But the personalities are just as interesting as the game.
The Yankees' most controversial moment was likely when Gerrit Cole intentionally walked Rafael Devers . It ended up a tough moment for Cole, but it was fascinating to watch the fallout. He was the reigning AL Cy Young winner, the obvious choice to start Game 1 of the playoffs and a de facto pitching coach when he was on the injured list for two months this year. Yet he was blasted for the decision. But in his next start, he rebounded with nine innings while allowing one run, and he threw 6 2/3 shutout frames in his final appearance.
There were other examples, too. Judge calling a September meeting when the team was reeling. Soto fouling a pitch off his foot and then crushing a home run. The yells Luke Weaver unleashes each time he escapes a pressure situation. — Kuty
(Top photo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge: Jim McIsaac/)
