The New York Yankees and all the MLB teams are entering the great unknown. A season that is only 60 games long that will be challenged by an increasing coronavirus pandemic. A 162 game season gives teams and players time to ease into the season and save themselves to a degree for a possible World Series run. This season will not afford that luxury.
Every game will have an importance factor of 2.5 compared to a game in a regular season. Players will have to play with the intensity of that importance factor. Pitchers will have to get their arm strength up early and hitters will have to start off hot.
In a regular-season an off period for a team where they have a five or six-game losing streak is no big deal, but in a short season, it could be the virtual end to their hopes of an MLB postseason run. Â The team that gets off to a hot start and maintains it will be the team that wins their respective division.
With the coronavirus being a dominant factor in the season, likely to cause teams to lose players during the season, their bench players and back up pitchers will take on a more important role. The New York Yankees for example, have an excellent bench that includes Miguel Andujar, Tyler Wade, Clint Frazier, and Mike Tauchman among others. The Yankees for several years now have one of the top bullpens in baseball. Insofar as starting pitchers, even though the Yankees have lost Luis Severino for the season they have options to fill spots in the rotation, should a pitcher fall to injury or the coronavirus. For the Yankees, keeping new pitching ace Gerrit Cole healthy will be paramount.
Last year the Yankees had an unprecedented number of injuries, 39 entrants to the MLB IL from 30 separate players. The Yankees have that experience behind them in a season that saw them win 100 or more wins for the last two years. That experience may help manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees guide his team more successfully in this short season.
So, the team that can remain healthy, get out of the gate sharp, and can play with that 2.5 mentalities, is the team that will go the distance and plays in the postseason. Nothing is certain in this unknown territory for baseball. One thing that is for sure, is that fans of their favorite team will feel that same need for intensity in each game they watch.