Who Needs to Step Up in 2024??
With the season kicking off tomorrow, let's take a look at who needs to have a huge season to help propel the Yankees to a World Series!
Obviously, the Yankees' All-Stars, such as Judge, Cole, Soto, LeMahieu, and Rizzo, need to be great this year for the Yankees to have a chance. But let's look at the players who must perform to propel the Yankees to the next level and past an 82-80 season like in 2023. Stanton is a huge key to the Yankees lineup as the primary DH, and with the salary he currently makes, expectations are consistently high. Last season, Stanton hit a .191 batting average (BA), a .275 on-base percentage (OBP), and only collected 60 RBIs in 371 at-bats. This spring he looks much better as he is hitting a .317 BA, .370 OBP, and 11 RBIs in 41 at-bats. In 2024, the Yankees will need to him to turn the page and bring back the old Giancarlo fans were used to seeing in Miami.
Gleyber Torres is another Yankees who needs to step up to the plate this year as he is a crucial piece to the Yankees lineup and infield. In 2023 Torres had a .273 batting average, .347 on-base percentage, and collected 163 hits. That was one of his best full seasons at the plate since his first year with the Yankees, as in the past few seasons from 2020 to 2022, he hit below .260. Fielding is an entirely different story for Gleyber as he is the error king of New York. With the exception of 2022 and the shortened season of 2020, Gleyber made over double-digit errors each year he has played in New York. In 2024, he is on a one-year deal for $14.2 million guaranteed, so let's hope that he plays with enthusiasm this year and proves that he deserves an extended contract to stay in the Bronx.
The last player to keep an eye on this year for the Yankees is the newest starting pitcher, whom the Yankees paid $37 million for a two-year deal, Marcus Stroman. Stroman has a strong and consistent pitching record through his ten years in the Major Leagues. His career ERA is 3.65, with several previous solid years; he posted a 3.02 ERA in 2021 with the Mets and a 2.96 ERA in 2019 with the Blue Jays. With the question marks around Rodón after last season, the Yankees need a top-tier number-two pitcher in the starting rotation. If Stroman can turn in a season with 14 wins and pitch a sub-3.1 ERA, then I'll be the first one online to write that he is worth every penny the Yankees are paying him. We will have to wait and see, but I can only hope he fits in with the Yankees and gives the fans another starting pitcher like Cole to get excited for when he steps on the mound.
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