Quote:
Originally Posted by DéjÃ* Bru
You're a bit more optimistic than ESPN, who has them at 94-68 and "second in AL East" (BoSox: 98-64). 
I usually don't make predictions - I tend to be wrong by a lot and usually pessimistic - but I will say this: Barring injuries of course, the Yankees should be even better than last year, on paper.
Better starting rotation, a fabulous bullpen, kids coming into their own (Andujar and Torres), two good and experienced infielders added (LeMahieu and Tulowitski) with another one due back (Gregorius), at least one guy able to play 1B and hit (Bird or Voit), a catcher who is slowly getting better defensively and who cannot help be better at the plate than last year (Sanchez), a solid outfield with one guy who is due for a monster season (Judge or Stanton or both).
The club won 100 games last year before these upgrades! So, it's hard not to agree with your prediction of 97-65.
But you know how it goes in baseball. When you think something is a "can't miss," that's when it misses. Injuries we mentioned. Prolonged slumps are something else. How many wins will they end up with if Judge and Stanton bat .220? What if Sanchez actually is as bad as he has looked for the past year and a half at the plate? What if Severino is really a flash in the pan or Paxton does a Sonny Gray?
That said, I am looking forward to this season for sure. Let's enjoy it.  |
Hey, if it wasn't for Sevy's rotator cuff tendinitis (I'm really worried about him) I probably would've gone over 100 (say 101-104) wins.
As you astutely pointed out, the team has upgraded and is better (on paper) than they were last season. No, they didn't add Machado or Harper, but they didn't need to. The additions of Paxton & Ottavino, along with the key resignings of a remarkably resurgent (and freshly renamed) Zac(k) Britton, J.A. Happ and C.C (
Making progress), should be enough reasons to feel optimistic.
Of course, nothing is etched in granite, but what fun would baseball (and life for that matter) be if everything was?
