RADIO
If you had the Yankees sitting atop the AL East to begin May in your office pool, you’re likely planning your trip over to Smith and Wollensky right now. That’s probably because you’re sitting on some long-shot profits and you’re more than likely a Yankees fan living in New York. Go enjoy it; you earned that 60-dollar ribeye. The team with perhaps the biggest question mark coming into the season has answered the bell and key players have stepped up to earn their money. However, the question mark still stands as it remains to be seen if these Yankees can sustain their ranking atop the AL East.
So, are these Yankees for real?
Right now, the Yankees sure do look for real. They have three hitters batting over .300 and as a team they’re sixth in the MLB in runs and fourth in home runs. Their pitching hasn’t been lights out, but a collective 3.23 ERA is enough for fifth best in the MLB. The return of Ivan Nova should bolster the starting rotation further as long as Masahiro Tanaka’s injury is not considered serious.
Perhaps their biggest strength, however, has been the back-end of the bullpen. A combined ERA of 0.00 in 21 appearances has Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances irrefutably the top setup man/closer duo in the MLB. With Miller and Betances shutting down opposing batters, optimism is high.
In regards to specific players and their respective values, if you’ve tracked the brief season even slightly, you’re aware of the resurgence of Alex Rodriguez. It should be noted that his success has mellowed down lately, except for his late game go-ahead home run at Fenway on Friday night, but A-Rod just looks utterly confident at the plate. He’s had a handful of meaningful hits and looks poised as ever with RISP. He’ll likely be on par with the expected strikeout numbers as he’s already leading the team with 23 punch-outs and hasn’t been able to avoid the column in recent years. It’s not far-fetched to predict he’ll exceed just about every preseason expectation this year. I’ll say he eclipses a line of 20 HR, 75 RBI, and a .260 batting average; those are more than serviceable numbers from a player with far lower expectations. If you can strike a trade with a frustrated owner right now, pounce on it.
Mark Teixeira has been another vital part to the Yankees success. 18 RBI, 8 HR, and garnering AL Player of the Week honors, Tex is looking like the player whom the Yankees gave $180,000,000. Before the season, I wrote a piece about a few players who would see an uptick in HR numbers this year and my inclusion of Mark Teixeira is holding true. Tex’s numbers are up across the board nearly unanimously. His walk rates and slugging percentage are the highest of his career, his strikeout rate is down, and his HR/FB percentage is higher than it’s ever been at 25%. If he can remain healthy, these numbers bode well in respect to the Yankees season-long success as well as your season-long fantasy success. Don’t forget he plays in one of the most generous HR ballparks in the game. Cut a deal for him if you’re in need of a power and RBI generator.
As for pitching values, Andrew Miller should be considered an elite full-season RP asset, as he has fully embraced the closer duties. He’s even beaten Mariano Rivera’s record for the most saves in the first 20 games in Yankees history with 8. This is no fluke as Miller has commanded the mound with his tall, lanky frame and side-armed delivery. Miller could very well lead the AL in saves at the end of the year. The only thing holding that claim back slightly is the refusal of Joe Girardi to name a definitive closer, leaving Betances in the mix.
However, as Miller continues to excel, he pushes Girardi’s hand more each time. Girardi will continue to ride the hot hand and for now, Betances won’t be stealing many save opportunities from Miller. He’ll be utilized as the setup man where he’s excelled. Both are terrific fantasy options as Miller has filled the save column and held batters to a .081 average. Betances already holds a 3-0 record to pair with 19 Ks. Take your pick on either guy.
The Bottom Line
I do believe these Yankees are for real. Barring any injuries, a Tanaka, Pineda, Sabathia, Nova, and Eovaldi rotation can be a playoff rotation. The back-end of the bullpen has been lights out and that should be a season long characteristic. The bridge to get from the starter to the closer can be a bit shaky on occasion but a relatively consistent effort would be enough. The hitting is more questionable than the pitching, as a few starters simply cannot hit the ball. Gregorious, Beltran, and Drew all possess sub-par averages and will need to pull them up for the Yankees to compete in the loaded AL East. With that being said, I do feel these Yankees can make the playoffs and perhaps turn a few heads upon arrival.
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