A team like the New York Yankees is a difficult one to make predictions for. A task like this heading into 2024 indicates that the Yankees look good on paper. However, there are a few question marks that need answering. One of those will certainly be the pitching staff and its lack of a true leader in Gerrit Cole at the top. Another, can veterans such as Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo stay healthy? No one is certain, but here are the predictions for the players who are most poised to have strong 2024 campaigns.
Yankees Player Awards Predictions Preview
Breakout Player
Right now the Yankees have multiple players who could become breakout players. Names include Oswaldo Cabrera, Austin Wells, Clayton Beeter, Anthony Volpe, and Luis Gil. All of these names look like they will have strong seasons. However, the player who is set to have the most significant breakout season is Gil. Since Cole is down, the Yankees need someone like Gil to be strong in the early going. He was named as the No. 5 starter to enter the season. Gil has been the Yankee’s best pitcher in spring training recording eight strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies in one start.
He must carry this form into the regular season to help solidify an unpredictable rotation. The good news for Yankees fans is that Gil has already succeeded at the MLB level when he made a name for himself in a brief 2021 call-up to the majors. If Gil is anything like the pitcher fans have seen at camp, then the Yankees might be able to stay off the trade market and ease the reigning Cy Young winner back into the rotation. Gil could also push some of the starters in the rotation for their spots if they struggle when Cole returns.
Overall, his potential impact could shape New York’s season for better or worse. Fans should be excited to see the potential emergence of a future ace. If that is not enough, Gil could also be in the Rookie of the Year race since he has not thrown more than 50 MLB innings.
Comeback Player of the Year
Regarding players looking for bounce-back seasons, the Yankees are spoiled for choice. DJ LeMahieu, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón, and Stanton are all players who can and should have comeback seasons. Among those names listed Stanton is the favorite to be the comeback player of the year. Over the past two seasons, he has been hurt and has struggled mightily when coming back from injury. One of his key focus areas was to lose weight which may have been a cause for his many injuries over the past two seasons. In addition, to slimming down Stanton also worked on his ability to hit velocity, which he has succeeded in this spring. Now, whether he can carry his ominous form into the regular season remains to be seen.
Though, by all accounts, it looks like he’s going to be able to do so. The Yankees will need him to make the lineup more dangerous. Stanton will also benefit from hitting lower in the Yankee’s order. The pressure will not always be on him to perform. He can be the player who puts the Yankees over the top and propels them comfortably to an American League East title. If he does have a great season, then he could be in the running for the MLB Comeback Player of the Year.
Best Pitcher
Despite pitching the worst year of his career in 2023, Rodón should be the pinstripe’s best pitcher. The left-hander looked strong in his appearances this spring, throwing a no-hitter through 5 2/3 of innings. He came into camp in much better physical shape and had the ability early on to throw in the mid to upper 90s. Rodón also worked on his mechanics, closing himself off to the batter when starting his delivery which allows him to create more leverage in his legs instead of his arm. This subtle mechanical change will take the stress off of his arm which should allow him to stay healthy.
What has also been a huge benefit to Rodón is his adaptation of a cutter which will allow him to induce soft contact when needed and also keep hitters off balance. Last year he was mainly a two-pitch pitcher, throwing a slider and fastball each almost 50 percent of the time. Now that he has more options in his repertoire along with the cutter, he is also throwing his changeup and curveball more often which gives him a five-pitch mix.
With all the improvements Rodón has made and the need for him to be more consistent, he could become the Yankees true pitcher until Cole comes back. The combination of his new pitch mix and strong attitude also make him a Cy Young dark horse candidate.
MVP
There are two strong candidates for the MVP award, being Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Both are elite players and are seen as some of the best players in the game. The leaning favorite at the moment is Soto, mainly since he has the most to play for heading into a contract year. He probably was the best Yankee in Spring Training batting over 300 with 4 home runs. Exhibition games do not usually mean much in terms of regular-season performance, but it could be a sign of things to come.
Soto will be batting in front of Judge will mean two things. He will either be given a walk or get a ton of pitches to hit. Soto being the elite hitter that he is will capitalize on these opportunities. This year he is also playing a hitter-friendly ballpark to left-handed hitters, so if he can learn to pull a couple of pitches when he needs to watch out for him to have a career year. A career year that could also become an AL MVP award.
It’s Just Predictions
Will all of these predictions come to pass, only the field will be the determiner of that. However, the players who are the favorites for each award are in great positions to succeed in 2024. The Yankees need each of them to do their part so a repeat of 2023 does not happen. With so much on the line this year these individuals are the players who could shape the course of the franchise not only for this season but for the ones to come.
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