The MLB postseason is right around the corner. The New York Yankees have clinched a spot in the playoffs, but decisions are forthcoming. Who will be on the New York Yankees postseason roster? This article is my personal prediction, based on what I think the lineup should be.
Starting Infield
In no particular order: Gary Sanchez, Edwin Encarnacion, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Gio Urshela
The starters are fairly obvious. LeMahieu has put up stellar numbers in an MVP caliber season, putting up career numbers in Homeruns, RBIs, and Slugging percentage. That, plus the fact that he can play almost every position in the infield, makes him the ideal candidate to start in the postseason. Even while playing through injuries, Sanchez and Encarnacion have hit the baseball well, smashing 34 and 33 homers, respectively. Torres is perhaps the brightest spot of this season, blossoming into one of the best young players in the entire MLB. He leads the team in homers while placing in the top three on the team in eight other categories. Finally, Urshela was a top breakout candidate this season, springing into action once Miguel Andujar fell with an injury. He led the team in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS while hitting 34 doubles and 20 home runs. Each of them is among the best defensively at their respective position and deserve to get the nod in the infield.
Starting Outfield
In no particular order: Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton
This is where the debate can start. Aaron Judge is still the new face of the franchise, and his all-star bat combined with his incredible height and defense earns him the starting role in right field. Brett Gardner has been slashing this year, becoming a very underrated member of a very good Yankee team. His speed and defense are renown since he joined the league before the last Yankees championship, and he is currently in the midst of a homer battle with Judge. Giancarlo Stanton will hopefully be fully healthy by the playoffs and is an automatic start if so. In the first season with the New York, he hit 38 home runs while hitting .290. Questions arise based on his performance earlier this season, but benching Giancarlo would be a major mistake for the Yankees.
Bench
In no particular order: Cameron Maybin, Luke Voit, Austin Romine, Didi Gregorius
Cameron Maybin was a late pickup in the season that came amongst the early slew of injuries that hit the team. He responded to the new colors by hitting a decent .279/.357/.465 with nine stolen bases. Voit was the opening day starter who was a wonder for New York last year after they stole him from the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the team in On-Base Percentage despite being injured for a large portion of the season. He will likely see playing time as the DH or first baseman. Austin Romine is one of the best backup catchers in the league, and easily a starter on many MLB teams. He played 65 games in Gary Sanchez‘s absence and slugged .750. Didi Gregorius rounds out the bench after coming back midway through the season and losing the starting job to Gleyber Torres. He is still a critical cog in the Yankee machine as the defensive stalwart at shortstop and can be utilized off the bench without the rest of the lineup missing a beat.
Rotation
In no particular order: Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Domingo German, Luis Severino, C.C. Sabathia
The rotation of the New York Yankees this season was much maligned by the media and fanbase. Even with offseason acquisitions, they didn’t perform to expectations and were very up-and-down. Starters struggled and were hurt, leading to a rise of new pitchers that were not expected to do so well. One of these was Domingo German, who posted a league-leading win-loss percentage of 81.8% and won the second-most games. However, German was most recently placed on administrative leave by the league for a domestic violence incident. Tanaka and Paxton were shaky throughout the season, but eventually figured things out and became their dominant selves once again. C.C. Sabathia announced that this would be his last season, and will be around to pitch through the postseason to get one more ring with the Yanks. Luis Severino was just activated off the IL but pitched admirably in limited innings his first start. He will hopefully return to form as the ace of the rotation. Also, any or all of these pitchers can be used as an opener for any game.
Bullpen
In no particular order: J.A. Happ, Nestor Cortes Jr., Chad Green, Jordan Montgomery, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle, Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman
The Yankees’ bullpen has been and will continue to be, one of their biggest strengths. Starter J.A. Happ gets demoted from the starting rotation after a shaky season but brings upside as a long-inning reliever if the starter gets hit. Nestor Cortes and Chad Green continue in their roles as setup men and similarly can be called on to open or relieve for long periods of time to give the starters a rest. Jordan Montgomery is a bit of a stretch to make the roster, as he was just activated off the IL. But his high upside and proven resume give him a chance to make this roster. Adam Ottavino was brought in during the offseason after a highly productive season where he had a 2.43 ERA in 77.2 innings. He continued his dominance with the Yankees, using his fantastic sliders and other pitches to get a 1.84 ERA in 63.2 innings. Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton were both remarkable relievers and can be counted on to deliver in high-pressure situations. Of course, the almighty Aroldis Chapman returns as one of the best closers in the game despite a dip in velocity. He led the American League in saves with 37 and will continue his dominance in the postseason.
Next Man Up
The New York Yankees are stacked. They have arguably the deepest team in baseball and utilized it to the biggest extent possible. “Next Man Up” has become their catchphrase, with most of their stars at least losing some time. They will have no problem making it in the playoffs and hopefully will get number 28 this year.
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