BY NATHAN SOLOMON, SPORTS EDITOR
Well, here we are once again. Last year, I had predicted the New York Yankees would win the 2021 World Series. That, of course, didn’t come close to happening.
Just one year later, the Yankees are in a bit of an interesting situation. The team said they have a championship-caliber roster, but not all fans agree. In my opinion, they have a few glaring holes.
My greatest concern going into this season is the shortstop situation. The team acquired Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a trade with the Minnesota Twins last month, which surprised some people. New York traded Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez, two starting infieders, for Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson. While Donaldson is considered a minor upgrade at third base, the Yankees may have gotten worse at shortstop.
At this point, the Yankees’ middle infield situation is fluid. There isn’t any clear starter at second base or shortstop. Kiner-Falefa is primarily a shortstop, while Gleyber Torres can play both second and shortstop. On the other hand, DJ LeMahieu is mainly a second baseman but can also play first and third. Kiner-Falefa lacks power, so the Yankees are counting on Torres to stay healthy and produce runs.
Meanwhile, New York doesn’t have a true starting catcher. Kyle Higashioka, who slugged seven home runs this spring, will get the most playing time while Ben Rortvedt and Jose Trevino will each see its share of starts.
In the outfield, the Yankees have Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo and Giancarlo Stanton as anchors. Judge and Gallo are in contract years, so I’d expect strong seasons out of both. The team needs all three to stay healthy, as well as Aaron Hicks, an injury-prone, switch-hitting centerfielder.
For pitching, the Yankees have a solid rotation, but it all comes down to health. Gerrit Cole is the ace, while Luis Severino will follow him as long as he isn’t on the IL. Jordan Montgomery and Jameson Taillon are solid mid-rotation pitchers while Nestor Cortes will likely round out the team as Domingo German is injured. The team also has a young bullpen with many arms ready to make an immediate impact.
I won’t lie. It’s tough to have optimism for the Yankees this season. As much as I hate to say it, the come into the 2022 season as maybe the fourth-best team in the American League East. Toronto might be the best team in the entire AL, while the Red Sox have a top-to-bottom lineup. Tampa Bay might not have the best roster on paper, but they know how to out-smart just about anyone.
My prediction: the Yankees will make the Wild Card Series but lose to the Tampa Bay Rays. This division is far too good for the Yankees to win. I can see them sneaking into the Wild Card as a 90-win team, but they won’t win the division. I certainly hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t have a strong outlook for the Yankees this season. Everyone counted them out in 2017 and that turned into “the year” for the team. Maybe they’ll just go on a magical run like they did five seasons ago and shock everyone.
solomonj20@bonaventure.edu
