The New York Yankees don’t seem to be acting like the Yankees anymore! The once-evil empire of MLB moves away from having a star-studded team and focusing on getting the youth to fill the gaps. Moreover, the recent statement by their skipper Aaron Boone about how the Yankees’ infield position is still open for the young players to grab speaks a lot about this new era of post-Hal Steinbrenner Yankees! So, do the Yankees still haven’t got the best for each position?

There are only a few instances like having Aaron Judge in the right field and landing Cody Bellinger at the center field where the Yankees made some noise. Rest, it’s all about staying third fiddle behind the Dodgers and Mets. While the Dodgers were going aggressive and the Mets went all out for Juan Soto, the Yankees remained as a sitting duck! Hence, there’s no other option than asking the rookies to step up. Do the Yankees have enough young talents then? What could be the final picture of the youths in the team?

Call for the youths to step up

The Yankees certainly got a depth with the rookies this year. Talent like Jasson Dominguez, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Anthony Volpe are there to grab the given opportunities. For the infield position, the NY Yankees have had DJ LeMahieu all these years, but he is 36 now and well past his prime. Additionally, he is still recovering from a hip Impingement injury and his availability from the opening day is not certain. Who’s left then?

No other than the youths! Unlike the Dodgers this year who can field someone like Roki Sasaki in case of Shohei Ohtani getting injured, the Yankees lack that depth this year.

Expectedly, Boone urged the youths on the team to step up. “Looking for someone to step up and grab it”, said Boone, asking about their go-to guy at the infield. Well, this statement reflects both helplessness and future buildup for the skipper. With such a lack of depth in the infield rotation, the skipper had no other options other than getting the youth for the job.

While it may not be the typical Yankee-like approach, the future can be secured with younger and lean Yankees. So even if the youths are taking charge, could the NY Yankees field a contending team? Irrespective of who will grab the opportunities, the fans would just like to see them in the postseason! 

The projected scenario for the Yankees

The Yankees got options like Dominguez at the left field, Bellinger at the center, and Judge at the right. Dominguez’s career slash line of .274/.373/.444 at the minors and his patience at the plate is something to get leveraged this year. Cabrera is expected to take the lead at 3B, allowing Boone to move LeMahieu until he recovers fully. This means Boone will have Bellinger and Judge, who are experienced, on the field alongside the rookie players.

While he has LeMahieu and Paul Goldschmidt as veterans, their injuries and downward performance are not making them enough contending. Also, remember that Bellinger is coming as an outfielder!

The offseason is still on and with no big names available anymore, all the Yankees can do is look for potential trading options and land a few rookies. Reportedly, they reengaged with the Cardinals for Nolan Arenado, and hopefully, this will work. Aaron Hicks is available as a free agent who can play at the infield and add some experience to the squad.

Ian Happ can be another option to get traded from the Cubs. They recently got Kyle Tucker and might have the option to trade an outfielder to the Yankees. Thus, options are there and even with the youths grabbing up the opportunities, Boone got the larger challenge of adding depth to the rotation. 

With limited depth in the rotation, a mishap is just waiting to happen for the Yankees, even with the youths taking charge. Time will answer how they will face teams like the Dodgers this year.

What do you think about the NY Yankees’ chance this year? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.