Player Profile : Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge is projected to be the Yankees starting right fielder if he wins the job. So far Judge has cut down on his strikeouts this spring training. Judge has slugged two homer runs thus far. The big man struck out in 50% of his at bats last year. This is an alarming rate for the Yankees. The Yankees can't have Judge striking out at a 50% clip. If he can get this rate down to 35% or better the Yankees will be rewarded.

Judge has 40 home run potential. He has a batting average floor in the low 200s however. If Judge can generate enough hard contact this season he can have a big year. I think Judge will have his ups and downs in 2017 but I think he ultimately sticks around full time. 2017 becomes the year Judge goes from potential star to the Yankees everyday right fielder.

Projected stats - 148 games , 228 average , 27 home runs , 75 RBI

2017 State of the Yankees

The State of the 2017 Yankees

Before we get into the state of the 2017 New York Yankees , let's take a look back at the state of the team the past few years.

Farewell Captain - 2014

Derek Jeter ended his illustrious Yankee career with a walk off single in his final home game. Jeter and the Yankees missed the playoffs and faced a lot of questions going into 2015.

A-Rod's Back - 2015

Suspended for a full year in 2014 , Alex Rodriguez was back in the Bronx. No one knew what to expect but Rodriguez delivered 33 home runs. Mark Teixeira also had a resurgence and the Yankees made the playoffs but went one and done.

End of an Era - 2016

Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira retired and the Yankees were sellers at the trade deadline. The Yankees were still competitive but missed the playoffs. The Yankees would shift the focus onto getting great players for the future. Gary Sanchez emerged.


The Rebuild (kind of ) - 2017

The Yankees are rebuilding for sure. However they are not giving up on the season with a full tear down like the Phillies or Braves. The Yankees are loaded with young talent and prospects. Gary Sanchez , Luis Severino , Aaron Judge and Greg Bird are some of the youngsters the Yankees love who saw big league games the past year or two. The Yankees also have elite prospects like Gleyber Torres , Clint Frazier , Jorge Mateo , James Kaprilean , Blake Rutherford and many others. The Yankees are not giving up on this year. They resigned Aroldis Chapman to an $86 million deal. They also made one year commitments to guys like Matt Holliday and Chris Carter. The Yankees may not be a playoff team but they will compete. They need some quality starts from a uncertain rotation outside of Masahiro Tanaka.

Best case scenario - Yankees sneak into playoffs
Worst case scenario - Yankees youngsters all fall flat , team wins in the 70s
Most likely - Yankees are competitive and stay around in the Wild Card hunt before falling out in September

New York Yankees : Addition of Chris Carter

The Yankees signed NL Homerun leader for a ridiculously low $3.5 million. Carter belted 41 home runs and has great power. However Carter usually hits around 215-230 and usually strikes out upwards of 200 times. Carter will play first base against left handed pitching. I think Carter can also play DH sometimes when Matt Holliday needs a breathe. I think Carter will end up playing a lot more than in a platoon with Greg Bird. I like the move and don't think it will affect Greg Bird and Aaron Judge.

Yankees Year in Review

Yankees Year in Review

Tex and Arod's Careers end , Gary Sanchez's begins and the Yankees Begin to Rebuild the Empire

The interesting addition of Aroldis Chapman and No Runs DMC

The Yankees traded for Aroldis Chapman one of baseballs best closers following the Dodgers and Reds trade falling through. Chapman however would be suspended for domestic violence issues. The Yankees would face heat for the move. When Chapman returned he brought the heat throwing fastballs upwards of 100 miles per hour. Chapman , Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances would team up to be baseballs best bullpen ever when they pitched In the same games. The trio of No Runs DMC was short lived.

The Yankees Are Sellers ?

The Yankees did what they never do. They were big time sellers at the trade deadline as they traded Aroldis Chapman , Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran. The Yankees re stocked the farm system into one of baseballs strongest. Andrew Miller was one of the most loved current Yankees. The Yankees two best additions we're Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier. The Yankees traded Brian McCann recently in the winter continuing the selling trend.

Mark Teixeira Retires

Teixeira battled injuries once again and was a free agent to be come seasons end. Rather than test the market he decided to retire a Yankee. In the last week of the season he would hit a walk off grand slam against the Red Sox as his final Yankee moment.

Gary Sanchez and the Baby Bombers

When Gary Sanchez came up many people expected bing things. Sanchez delivered more than expected belting 20 homers in just 54 games. Sanchez was the most dominant hitter in the league for a brief time. The Yankees also got a taste of other prospects such as Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin. None of them had the impact of Sanchez but it was the step in the right direction.

The End of the Alex Rodriguez as a Yankee

Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed that his career would end in August and he would move into a minor league coaching role. Rodriguez would play his last game as a Yankee on August 12th. The game would feature the largest Yankee crowd of the season. Mariano Rivera and other former Yankees were present. Rodriguez would hit an RBI double in his last game. The Yankees would win and Rodriguez would leave to a huge ovation of thankful Yankee fans. Considering how messy things got between the Yankees and A-Rod in 2013 and 2014 it was one of baseballs biggest comebacks to stardom ever.

The Best Players of 2016
1. Masahiro Tanaka was a dominant ace for the Yankees in 2016. He was a Cy Young contender.

2. Gary Sanchez hit 20 homers in 54 games and had a 299 average. He was also a dominant defensive catcher.

3. Didi Gregorius had a great year both offensively and defensively.

4. Dellin Betances had flashes of brilliance pitching in the 7th , 8th and 9th inning for the Yankees. He wore down towards the seasons end.

5. Starlin Castro had his best season power wise and played an excellent second base.

The future of the Yankees

The Yankees have one of baseballs best farm systems. They have a strong middle infield. They also resigned Aroldis Chapman pairing him back with Dellin Betances and Tyler Clippard. The Yankees have plenty of salary coming off the books and could make big splashes in the market along with the prospects they have.

Yankees Off Season Tracker

Yankees trade Brian McCann to Astros for two prospects

Yankees sign Matt Holliday to a 1 year $13 million deal

The Yankees Offseason Moves We'd Like to See

1. Sign Aroldis Chapman
He wants to be here and the Yankees want him back. Chapman is one of the best closers in baseball. Bringing him back allows the Yankees to move Dellin Betances back to the 8th inning bolstering the bullpen as a whole. If he wants $100 million would I give it to him ? We'll most likely he's getting $90 million at least so what's the difference. 

2. Trade Brett Gardner , Chase Headley and Brian McCann
The Yankees traded Brian McCann to the Astros a few weeks ago. The Yankees received two pitching prospects. The next step should be dealing Headley and Gardner while they still have some kind of value. Both players had somewhat disappointing seasons and will only continue to decline.


3. Sign a DH
Edwin Encarnacion ? Yoenis Cespedes ? Carlos Beltran ? Mark Trumbo ? Matt Holiday ? Any one of them would be a nice fit. Beltran had a great year with the Yankees last year before being traded to the Rangers. He and Matt Holliday would be short term fixes. Encarnacion , Trumbo or Cespedes would immediately bolster the middle of the order but would command 4-6 years in a contract.

4. Sign Rich Hill
Hill is an older player but he's easily the best starter available on the market. He would slot in perfectly behind Masahiro Tanaka.

5. Sign Greg Holland
Holland was an elite closer just two years ago but injuries have derailed him. He would be a cheap pickup with a lot of upside to go along with Betances , Tyler Clippard and hopefully Chapman.

Farewell Alex Rodriguez

Farewell Alex Rodriguez

Last night was about as perfect of an ending for Alex Rodriguez as one could possibly imagine. Rodriguez received a standing ovation from the Yankees crowd every time he came to the plate. He smoked an RBI double in his first at bat. He was greeted by his mother , daughters and Mariano Rivera. In the ninth A-Rod went out to third base for one out. After the out was made he was taken out and the fans went crazy. The entire Yankee team was their to greet him. If two years ago someone said this day was possible no one would have believed it. It was a sell out crowd and the best crowd at the stadium possibly since Derek Jeter left. The fans didn't stop embracing Rodriguez all night and you could see how emotional he got. Rodriguez said their isn't anything else he could ask for.

Rodriguez has a complicated legacy. He has the numbers to be one of the best ever. Of course his PED history puts a damper on it for some people. It remains to be seen if Rodriguez will be a Hall of Famer or have his day in Monument Park but last night you saw how much the Yankee fans love A-Rod. It wasn't always easy but it was always entertaining with A-Rod. Say what you want but Alex Rodriguez is one  of the best ever.

By Peter Vitella