There is a lot of ground to cover between the here and now and the start of the 2021 MLB season. In fact, we don’t know the exact date on which the action will begin, given that owners are already advocating for a delayed start so every actor involved can gain access to the COVID-19 vaccine. As things stand right now, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the New York Yankees and the league in general.
However, that doesn’t stop us from trying to rank all 30 teams as they are currently constructed. MLB did it, releasing the first power rankings of 2021 as a way to look at where all clubs are ranked as we reach a new year.
If you were wondering where are the Yankees ranked in MLB’s exercise, they are, as of now, the best American League team and the third in the league, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (current World champions) and the revamped San Diego Padres.
The Yankees need for pitching is “pressing”
“Unlike the Dodgers, the Yankees’ need for a starting pitcher is more pressing. Gerrit Cole sits alone at the top; beyond that, upgrades are warranted. A slow-moving offseason for the Yankees has been mostly about DJ LeMahieu and whether he’s going to re-sign or go elsewhere. What seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would return isn’t so clear as both sides plunge into the new year,” the site wrote.
Right now, the Yankees are focused on bringing back second baseman DJ LeMahieu, but both sides are at least one year and $20 million apart in negotiations. The 32-year-old has other suitors, as well, including the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Mets, and the Dodgers themselves.
However, pitching is a more pressing need for the Yankees. If they manage to get an ace (Trevor Bauer is in the free market) or at least two comfortably above-average starters, they could theoretically leapfrog the Padres. The Dodgers, however, appear to be a tier above the rest.