The New York Yankees achieved one of their offseason objectives: getting Juan Soto.
Even if they are only guaranteed to have him on board one year, Soto brings some much-needed power and on-base ability to a lineup in need.
His career .421 OBP and .946 OPS speak for themselves, as does the fact he has 160 home runs at 25 years old.
Last season, the Yanks finished 25th in runs scored among 30 MLB teams.
After bringing in Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo and with the hope that Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton have rebound performances, a return to form in 2024 seems likely.
Watching the names, we can see how the Yankees offense is starting to take shape.
MLB posted a projected starting lineup and here are the names:
New York, new lineup.
Where do you rank the @Yankees new starting nine? pic.twitter.com/70k39VPJdw
— MLB (@MLB) December 7, 2023
DJ LeMahieu is clearly aging and declining, but his .718 OPS, 15 home runs, and 121 hits in 2023 were actually not that bad.
His fit as a leadoff hitter might not be ideal, but it’s not like the Yanks have too many options there until Jasson Dominguez returns (if he is used there).
Soto and Aaron Judge are probably the best second-and-third hitter pairing in baseball.
Many of Judge’s home runs last year (37 in total) were solo, so putting a guy with a career .421 OPS in front of him can only mean great things.
If Rizzo’s reaction times are back to normal after post-concussion symptoms in 2023, he should rebound next season.
Gleyber Torres might not be a good defender, but any second baseman who can hit 25 homers with a .800 OPS is very valuable.
After that, there is Stanton, who had a season to forget in 2023 but could easily showcase 30-homer power in 2024 if healthy, and young, promising hitters like Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe.
Before them, the steady – if unspectacular – Verdugo will provide a nice offensive floor.
It’s looking like a good mix of star power and upside, but to really hit its stride, a few hitters need to show they can consistently produce next year.
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