We are months away from 2024 Spring training, but the New York Yankees already have a triumvirate of superstar talents that project them to be a dominant ball club next season.
Yankees will be led by three MVP-caliber players who dominate at their positions in 2024
MLB Network recognized center fielder Aaron Judge and starting pitcher Gerrit Cole as the best players at their respective positions, while right fielder Juan Soto was ranked No. 3 in what many are anticipating will be an MVP-worthy season.
The fear that Aaron Judge puts in opposing pitchers has him ahead of the pack among all center fielders
The last time Judge was fully healthy for an entire season, he broke Roger Maris’ home run record and won the 2022 AL MVP award. Despite missing 56 games in 2023, he still managed to hit 37 home runs, which placed him at sixth among all sluggers in the Majors.
Judge’s work in the center does not go under the radar either. He sported a flawless fielding percentage in 2023 alongside 44 putouts. Judge will be looked upon to lead the Yankees to the World Series next season, as even with all the talent they possess on their roster, he stands the tallest.
Can Gerrit Cole carry over his Cy Young-winning season into a potential MVP campaign in 2024?
Cole is the reigning 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner and earned such honors as a result of leading the MLB in almost every statistical category there is among starting pitchers. Cole outpaced all of his contemporaries in win percentage (78.9%), ERA (2.63), WHIP (0.981), and shutout games (two).
While other starting aces challenged Cole for supremacy in 2023, namely Blake Snell, and Sonny Gray, Cole delivered in the win-loss column and with the sheer precision and dominance of his arm, which is expected to carry over into next year.
Juan Soto joins the Yankees as one of the most formidable two-way talents at right field
Joining Judge and Cole is Soto, who came in behind reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker among all right fielders.
Not only was Soto a force in driving in runs, posting 109 RBIs, but he also earned his All-Star appearance in large part due to matching his career-high with 12 stolen bases while sporting an MVP-like .930 OPS last season. Soto is already projected to be one of the top two favorites to bring home the AL MVP award in 2024 along with Judge.
The Yankees‘ leaders make for as good a big three as there is in baseball. Interestingly enough, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe did not rank in the top 10 at his position despite winning the Gold Glove award in 2023 as a rookie. Nonetheless, the Yankees are primed for their strongest World Series chase in the Aaron Judge era in 2024.