Is this the Yankee team that we’ll be watching for the next five months? Some of the faces will certainly change, but is this the quality of play we can expect? After opening the season with an indifferent 10-9 mark, suddenly things came together and the Yankees rattled off eight straight wins, including sweeps of the Royals and the Red Sox (likely driving the final three nails in Alex Cora’s coffin before leaving town), and two wins in Houston before seeing the streak come to an end in Sunday’s series finale.
The Yankees might not see another eight-game winning streak this year, but the quality of play that produced that dominant streak definitely seems sustainable. They still have the best offense in the league, and that’s with several players still struggling. But Ben Rice has quietly (or perhaps loudly) become one of the best hitters in baseball, Aaron Judge is looking more like Aaron Judge, and other guys are rounding into shape.
If possible, the starting rotation could be just as good as the offense. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler have been inarguably the top 1-2 combination in baseball over the first month, while Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have exceeded expectations to the point where Luís Gil’s disappointing start hasn’t caused much of a concern. We’ve always known someone would have to go when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón return in May (Cole) and June (Rodón), and there are always the tantalizing prospects of flamethrowers Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange waiting in the minors.
It could be really fun summer. Let’s Go, Yankees!
The Bronx Bombers keep on bombing! Jazz, Rice, and then Judge -- just to remind everyone what's up. And regarding Jazz, I really think he just isn't a cold weather player. He looked miserable in all those frigid games, so it's not a surprise that's heating up as things are getting warmer.