The front office and Aaron Boone, the manager for the New York Yankees, have tough decisions to make concerning their postseason roster. The “next man up” mentality helped them all season, but this is the time it could hurt the franchise as a whole.
The Yankees showed they are a top tier team in the league this season and completed their rebuild. Their year statistics are as follows: 103 wins, 306 home runs, and 943 runs (MLB.com). Those 103 wins were the third-most in the MLB, the 306 home runs helped crush their record set last season, and those 943 runs led the MLB (MLB.com). This team had a year for the record books and it seems like they will only get better in the next few years.
Who Contributed the Most this Season?
The New York Yankees are enduring a “good” problem on selecting the twenty-five players that give them the best chance to take home the crown. As mentioned in a previous article, there was a locked starting line-up that looked like one of the best playoff teams ever assembled, hitting wise. However, things have changed since then. The Yankees will most likely need four bench players, limiting them to twelve pitchers.
The big question mark is Luke Voit. He is one for his last thirty-five at-bats and has gone cold at the wrong time. Mike Ford was a key player in the Yankees’ success in the final two months of the season. He is more deserving of a roster spot than the guy that was a nice surprise for the team last season.
Gio Urshela makes the team better with his energetic and prolific defense at third base. If he were to start, that would slide D.J. Lemahieu to first base, with Didi Gregorius at short, and Gleyber Torres at second. Tyler Wade can come off the bench to play middle infield, as well as the outfield, taking up one of the bench spots. Ford is a lefty bat off the bench, he could be the pinch hitter that can come in to give the end of the lineup a boost. Romine will make it by default, being the backup catcher. Maybin can be a boost with his consistent bat, speed, and defense. This team will rely on wins in the Bronx, which helped them succeed in the years past.