The New York Yankees are going to the playoffs, where the usual suspects will be expected to carry most of the pressure associated with the sky-high expectations: Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole, and Giancarlo Stanton come to mind.
But championship-caliber teams also feed from unexpected or underrated performers making a difference and helping change the equation. The Yankees have a lot of those, but these three stand out:
3 underrated Yankees heading into the postseason
Tommy Kahnle
Kahnle is one of the most reliable Yankees relievers at the moment, and he is in top form heading into the postseason. Even though people are more than familiar with his game and what he can contribute, he continues to be underrated by many.
The mark of a solid postseason team is a dominant bullpen, and Kahnle takes the Yankees closer to that denomination. He has a 1.71 ERA in 42 frames this year and has allowed just two earned runs in 23.2 innings since July 19. In case you were wondering, that’s good for a 0.76 ERA.
The changeup artist is, truly, in the best shape of his life as he tries to give the Yanks’ bullpen a competitive edge in October.
Gleyber Torres
Speaking of surging players, Torres has had to overcome defensive miscues, baserunning mistakes, and an early-season slump to get to where he is at the moment: the leadoff hitter of the 2024 New York Yankees. He has achieved that status and position with lots of hard work.
His .702 OPS for the year might look disappointing, but he has a robust .308/.381/.442 line with five home runs and a .823 OPS in his last 37 games dating back to August 16. The power isn’t the most impressive, but the near-.400 OBP over that span is the element that has the Yankees excited about his postseason prospects.
Gleyber is not the most consistent player out there and the Yankees know it, but as long as his bat is hot and he is willing to work hurlers and see a lot of pitches, he might be the best and most underrated leadoff option they have.
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Luke Weaver
Every good bullpen has a pitcher capable of putting down any fires during any inning. The Yankees have that guy in Weaver, but circumstances have forced them to put him in the closer role at the moment. He has, as expected, done an admirable job there.
No matter where the Yanks use him, Weaver will be an asset for the team in October. He has blossomed as a full-time reliever, with a 2.93 ERA in 83 frames this year, not to mention his 101 strikeouts. The guy is one of the best relievers on the Yanks, yet half the league continues to sleep on him.
