{"id":3381,"date":"2023-03-30T08:36:39","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=3381"},"modified":"2023-03-30T08:36:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:36:39","slug":"2023-new-york-yankees-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2023\/03\/30\/2023-new-york-yankees-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 New York Yankees Season Preview \u2014 World Series or Bust"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The baseball season starts Thursday. After a long and chaotic winter, teams are getting ready for a 162-game grind with hopes of winning the World Series in October. One of the favorites in the American League in 2023 is the New York Yankees<\/a>. After an offseason where they re-signed their stars \u2014 specifically Aaron Judge<\/a><\/strong> and Anthony Rizzo<\/a> \u2014<\/strong>\u00a0and acquired elite pitching with the Carlos Rodon<\/a><\/strong> signing, they look to make that big leap.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Last year, the Yankees reached the American League Championship Series. It was a reminder that they are among the elite teams in baseball. That said, they were swept by the Houston Astros<\/a> in the series, a reminder of how far they still need to go to win the World Series. So, how does this roster shape up? Is this the year the Yankees finally win the pennant and, more importantly, the World Series for the first time in 14 years?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yankees Roster: Power & Depth<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The roster is headlined by the stars. Judge won the American League MVP last year with a historic season, slashing .311\/.425\/.686 and notably hitting an AL-record 62 home runs. Along with Judge, the lineup has Giancarlo Stanton<\/a><\/strong> and Rizzo leading the way to provide both power and plate discipline. On the mound, Gerrit Cole<\/a><\/strong> is the reliable starter that often carries the rotation while Nestor Cortes<\/a><\/strong> has emerged as a dominant pitcher as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The five or six best players on the Yankees are arguably better than any team’s top players. The question is the depth of the roster, which will make or break their season. Last year, the Yankees struggled in August and September as the injuries piled up and tested the back half of the lineup. It allowed the Astros, the most complete team in baseball, to surpass them and secure the best record in the American League.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Depth Is Already Being Tested<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The New York Yankees enter the 2023 season with question marks at specific positions which will determine how far they can go. Who is playing center field? The answer was Harrison Bader<\/a><\/strong> but he will miss time to injury. So, the pressure immediately shifts to Aaron Hicks<\/a><\/strong>, who has struggled at the plate but is a reliable fielder. Then there are questions about the infield. Will Josh Donaldson<\/a><\/strong> be the starting third baseman after slashing .222\/.308\/.374 last year? Will Gleyber Torres<\/a><\/strong> be a part of the everyday lineup? The good news is that Anthony Volpe<\/a><\/strong>, the top prospect, has already earned a spot on the roster. He will play shortstop and will bring with him the expectation and pressure of becoming the next Derek Jeter<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

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“I’m just so excited to go out there.”

Anthony Volpe tells @BryanHoch<\/a> what it was like to find out he’d made the Yankees MLB roster. pic.twitter.com\/sabQaAUZxn<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n