The Yankees start the year with Gerrit Cole on the Injured List. For as long as he is out, quality starts are going to be hard to come by. Giancarlo Stanton is not the same guy he used to be and neither is Anthony Rizzo. But, on any given day, they can carry a team. Carlos Rodón was horrible last year. This was after two years with the White Sox and the Giants that saw him receiving Cy Young Award votes. Marcus Stroman brings number-two starter stuff to New York. He will have to hold the line until Cole comes back. DJ LeMahieu looked like a hall-of-famer in 2020. Now, I’m not sure he’s even the Yankees’ best first baseman. Giancarlo Stanton can catch fire, but his best days and his healthy days seem to be all behind him. After that, there were a lot of guys on the roster you look at and say, “Who?” Juan Soto is not one of those guys. If he can hit, he might take a little heat off of shortstop Anthony Volpe. Volpe hit .219 last year but they need improvement from him. Gleyber Torres hits 25 home runs a year as a second baseman and Alex Verdugo will hit .280 and play a decent outfield.

What does it all mean? With as good as Tampa, Toronto, and Baltimore have been, New York has an uphill climb. The Yankees are the Arizona Diamondbacks, but with a $306 million payroll (according to sportrac.com). If Aaron Judge doesn’t hit, New York doesn’t win 90.
FORECAST: 92 wins