The NY Yankees have been firing on all cylinders to start the 2024 campaign, and are off to a 36-17 record. Following Part 1 where I discussed the report cards for the infield position players, Part 2 will be the grades for the outfield and pitching staff.
LF/ Alex Verdugo (B+) - Following a trade in the offseason from their heated rivals, the Boston Red Sox, many fans were wondering what the outfielder would bring to the Bronx. The 2023 season saw a revolving door of awful play from the LF position, and Verdugo has been exactly what the Yanks were looking for. He has been a productive bat in the lineup, currently slashing .256, .322, .417. Maybe more valuable than his on-field play, has been the personality Verdugo has brought to the Yankee clubhouse, and has quickly become one of the most liked players on the team.
OF/ Trent Grisham (F) - If there was a grade lower than an F, Grisham would certainly be deserving of it. The lefty was included in the Juan Soto trade and was supposed to be someone who could play all three outfield positions, and provide some offense. That has not happened up to this point, with Grisham only having 2 hits in 36 AB. Currently sporting a .056 batting average, the worst on the team, Grisham has clearly been the worst player on the roster this year.
CF/ Aaron Judge (A+) - The Yankee captain got off to a horrible start in 2024, which culminated in boos from the Bronx crowd. Judge started off the first 26 games of the season batting .207 with an MLB-leading 38 strikeouts. Some fans weren't sure if he would ever break out of this extended slump, but Judge had other plans. Since May 1, Judge is batting .384, with a .516 OBP, and a mind-boggling .945 slugging %. (Those are all MLB leading numbers since the beginning of the month). He currently ranks 2nd in HR with 16, and is on pace for 50 HR. Judge is looking like his MVP self once again, which is a scary sight for all opposing pitchers.
RF/ Juan Soto (A+) - The Bronx Bombers knew they were getting a generational talent when Soto was traded from the Padres in late 2023, but not even the most optimistic fans could’ve expected this start. Soto hit the ground running with an incredible opening week series against the Astros, and has not looked back. He currently has the most hits in the AL with 64, 3rd in AL Ops with .994, and has the highest BA .315, and OBP .413 on the Yankees. Soto is currently the favorite to win the AL MVP and is on his way to a MASSIVE contract come free agency.
DH/ Giancarlo Stanton (A-) - The position player with the most to prove in the 2024 season has answered all questions so far. Stanton has dealt with injuries for the majority of his Yankee career, only playing in 57% of games. Coming off the worst season of his career where the slugger only played in 101 games, and had an embarrassing .191 Avg, a slimmed-down Giancarlo is back to his power-crushing ways. Stanton has 13 HR, 29 RBI, and still ranks atop the exit velocity percantile in all of baseball. If Stanton can keep up this production, and most importantly, stay healthy, there should be no reason why the Bronx Bombers don’t make a deep postseason run.
Pitching Staff
The 2024 Yankees starting rotation has been the best in baseball, and this is all without the 2023 CY Young winner Gerrit Cole. They currently lead the MLB in team ERA (2.81), ERA+ (145), and H/9 (6.9). This has been a pleasant surprise for all Yankee fans, and some unlikely names will be receiving high marks on their report cards to start the year.
SP/ Nestor Cortes Jr. (B) - The opending day starter has been pretty good in 2024, and has provided quality starts during most of his outings. Nasty Nestor currently has a 3.29 ERA, which is way lower than the MLB avg in 2024 of 3.98, but is also the highest mark in comparison to the other 4 starting pitchers. It will be very interesting to see what Aaron Boone does with Cortes when Cole comes back from injury in June.
SP/ Carlos Rodon (B+) - Coming off a disastrous first season in the Bronx, where Rodon had a 6.85 ERA in only 14 starts, the southpaw needed to start off strong in 24. He has stayed healthy through two months and currently has a 2.95 ERA, much to the delight of previously doubtful Yankee fans. Rodon has showed this season why he was given a $162 million contract, and is finally thriving in pinstripes.
SP/ Marcus Stroman (B+) - the NY native signed a 2 Yr, $37 Million contract with the team in the offseason, and has quickly become a fan favorite. He provides a certain swagger that the team was so desperately lacking for the past few seasons, and thrives off the rowdy Bronx energy. Stroman currently has a 3.05 ERA in 56 IP, and has been worth every penny thus far.
SP/ Clarke Schmidt (A-) - A former bullpen arm turned starter, Schmidt had an up and down season in 23. This season however, the former 1st round pick has taken a massive leap. Schmidt has a 2.59 ERA, 156 ERA+, and looks to be on pace to earn his first ever All Star nod.
SP/ Luis Gil (A+) - The last man of the rotation, has arguably been the best pitcher for the Yankees this season. After missing the majority of the 22/23 seasons, Gil barely made the MLB roster out of spring training, but looks to be a future superstar. Gil has a 2.11 ERA, an ERA+ of 190, and a 4.4 H/9, all of which lead Yankee SP. His ERA and ERA+ also rank him 3rd in the entire American league. With this production to start the season, Gil will almost certainly be apart of the Yankee rotation for the rest of the 2024 season.
Yankee Bullpen (A) - Pitching coach Matt Blake has done a phenomenal job churning great arms of the yankee bullpen this year. The unit has a 2.84 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP, both second best in baseball. Special performers from the bullpen include Closer Clay Holmes (A) and Luke Weaver (A), who have been shutting down opposing lineups during the back half of games.
The Yankees overall team grade so far is an A+ , and the squad as a whole has been an overwhelming success. The 162-game MLB season is a long grind, but with the play of both Yankee ptichers & batters, the Bronx Bombers look to have a very good shot at winning championship #28.
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