The New York Yankees‘ addition of OF Juan Soto makes them one of the most talented rosters on paper. The latest MLB power rankings have them as a top-five team heading into the 2024 season as a result.
Yankees Get Elite Left Fielder in Juan Soto to Bolster Offense, Defense
CBS Sports ranked all 32 MLB franchises and placed the Yankees at No. 4 overall based on roster construction, saying this:
“The offense was pitiful last season and simply adding Juan Soto can’t single-handedly solve the issues. It isn’t just him, though. Aaron Judge only played in 106 games. Anthony Rizzo only played in 99 and was compromised due to a head injury for a large portion of those. Anthony Volpe was a 22-year-old rookie. Giancarlo Stanton hit .191 in his 101 games. Alex Verdugo isn’t a star, but he’s better than the .220/.299/.368-line Yankees left fielders posted last season. It’s a good-to-great offense already.”
The Yankees came in higher than the defending champion Texas Rangers but were outranked by the Atlanta Braves (No. 1), Houston Astros (No. 2), and Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 3). The Braves have a juggernaut of an offensive lineup while the Astros have the championship pedigree and prowess on the mound and at the plate to make them continual contenders moving forward.
Shohei Ohtani joining the Dodgers is by far the biggest offseason move the MLB has seen since Bryce Harper’s move to the Philadelphia Phillies back in 2019. The reigning NL MVP gives the Dodgers four past and present MVPs on their roster including Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Clayton Kershaw.
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Yankees Looking to Add More Stars to Roster After Soto Acquisition
However, Soto makes the Yankees among the strongest batting orders and outfield units in the entire MLB. Soto dialed in 35 home runs and 109 RBIs in 2023, the latter of which will help a Yankees team that struggled to bat in runs this past season. The reigning Silver Slugger Award winner also gives the Yankees a strong glove in left field — a position that has been somewhat of a revolving door for the Bronx Bombers in 2023.
The Yankees will look to strengthen their roster further as they are closely linked to Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and reigning World Series champion Jordan Montgomery. The Dodgers are the other franchise looked at as having the best odds of landing Yamamoto. Whoever comes out on top in the sweepstakes will likely have the edge over the others entering next season.
Should the Yankees be able to pair another elite pitcher next to reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, they’ll possess a pitching staff that can contain any batting order in the league and solve any playoff pitching woes they’ve faced in recent years.
