Bronx Bomber Ball

After landing the biggest fish in Free Agency this past Winter, the Yankees enter 2020 as the clear favorites in the American League East.  That is not meant to suggest that they have no competition, however, as New York was not the only team to improve during the offseason, with the Rays making their usual under-the-radar moves that will help them win and the Blue Jays made a big splash signing with Hyun-Jin Ryu.  Let’s dive into the predictions. Photo Credit: New York Post

The Yankees’ offseason is off to a great start. The club’s main focus all along was to add Gerrit Cole, finally giving New York the true, dominant Ace, they have needed.  In the days following, the team was able to retain veteran outfielder Brett Gardner.  Now, the Yankees could look to the trade market to round out their roster and get set for 2020. Let’s take a look at who could be available and how they could fit in pinstripes. Photo Credit: CBS Sports

The Yankees have completed the regular season, closing out 2019 with a record of 103-59. Next up: ALDS Game 1 against the Minnesota Twins. Coming off a 101-win season of their own, the Twins will not be easy, so New York can’t afford to look ahead to a potential ALCS meeting with the Astros. With that in mind, it’s time to look at who will crack the starting lineup on Friday.   Photo Credit: MLB.com

As the Yankees head down the final stretch of the regular season they will look to their minor league system for reinforcements to help them close out the year. They could activate up to 40 players but most likely will only call up a couple of guys. Here is a list of some of the players who could get the call: Clint Frazier : The time has come for Frazier to finally return to the Yankees. He has spent most of the season in the minors after struggling defensively but his bat will help the Yankees close out the season. In 53 major league games this year Frazier slashed .283/.330/.513. Frazier could get at bats at DH while the Yankees wait for the return of Luke Voit, Giancarlo Stanton, and Edwin Encarnacion. Photo Credit: Newsday

No matter how you felt about the deadline, it progressed differently than most would have expected, given the Yankees lack of moves. While it is undebatable that this team still has World Series talent, it is still unlike a championship contender to not address its most glaring needs. Here is what our staff had to say about what transpired: NJ.com

It’s no question that the Yankees need to add a starting pitcher prior to the July 31 deadline. The Yankees need a proven starter who could take the ball in big games and thrive under the pressure of pitching in October. No pitcher on the trade market, and arguably in all of baseball, has the postseason credentials of Madison Bumgarner. Photo Credit: gettyimages/ Mike Stobe

The New York Yankees have reached the unofficial halfway point of the 2019 season and currently hold a 6.5 game lead over the Rays and a nine-game lead over the Red Sox. Not only are the Yanks leading the AL East, but they have the best record in the American League and trail only the Dodgers for the best record in baseball. At 57-31, The Yankees have played great baseball throughout most of the first half of this injury-riddled season, earning certain players midseason awards for their efforts… Photo Credit: Elite Sports NY

With the 67th pick, in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft, the New York Yankees have selected Josh Smith, a shortstop from LSU. This is the Yankees third and final pick of the first night of the draft. It is also the second shortstop the Yankees have selected. Smith was ranked as the 76th best prospect on MLB.com and hit .346 with nine homers in 2019. Smith, who is a left-handed batter, uses the whole field and makes good contact. Photo Credit: LSU Reveille

With the 38 th pick of the 2019 MLB draft, the New York Yankees have selected TJ Sikkema. This is the pick New York acquired as part of the Sonny Gray trade. Sikkema was ranked #57 overall by MLB.com and went 7-4 in 17 appearances in 2019. He threw 88.2 innings, struck out 101 batters, and had a 1.32 ERA. In his 17 appearances, 13 were starts and four were out of the bullpen, so he has already shown the ability to be versatile. Photo Credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Yankees head to Toronto for their first meeting of 2019 with the Blue Jays. New York is looking to win their 10th consecutive series while Toronto attempts to right the ship after losing six straight and 10 of their last 11. The Yanks are currently 18-5 against division opponents so they will look to keep that success going. Photo Credit: Yankees.com

The Yankees entered Tuesday night’s game looking to clinch another series win behind Masahiro Tanaka but could not overcome a bad start despite a late push.   Tanaka and the Yankees got off to a horrible start, as Manny Machado singled home Greg Garcia to make the game 1-0 before Eric Hosmer hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 4-0 before Tanaka got his first out. Photo Credit: gettyimages/ Jim McIsaac

For the second straight weekend the Yankees and Rays are set to face off, this time in the Bronx. Since the last time they saw each other both teams are 2-0 with the Rays taking two from the Marlins and the Yanks winning a doubleheader against the Orioles. This means Tampa Bay will open this series leading the AL East by just half a game, so whoever wins this series will be on top of the division.   Photo Credit: SI.com

Aaron Boone takes a lot of criticism from fans almost every time the Yankees lose, and even at times after Yankee wins. Many of his decisions are second-guessed and make fans wonder what he is doing, but somehow the Yankees just keep winning games. Coming into 2019, would anyone expect a Yankees team with the ridiculous amount of injuries so far to get off to a 24-16 start and be only half a game out of first in the AL East? I certainly would not have, and throughout this season of injuries, roster moves, and lineup changes at least one thing has stayed constant: Aaron Boone. Photo Credit: NJ.com

The Yankees came into the game last night looking to win their fifth straight game and guarantee at least a series tie against the Angels. It wasn’t pretty at the end, but they were able to do exactly that behind a solid offensive performance and a great start by Domingo Germán.   Photo Credit: Chris Carlson | AP Photo

The Rivalry is back, and the 2019 edition begins with both teams in different positions than they had hoped for. The Yankees and Red Sox have both struggled so far this season, but it is still likely the AL East will come down to these two at the end of the year making these two games extremely important. The Yankees come into this series losing five of their last six after dropping a series to the lowly Chicago White Sox. This team desperately needs a spark that the dramatics of this great rivalry might provide.   Photo Credit: CBS

The Yankees came into the rubber game looking to get their offense going and their first series win of the year. However, neither one of those things happened as the bats continued to struggle, leading to the Yankees losing their second consecutive game and series by a score of 2-1.     Frank Franklin | AP

The Yankees open 2019 with one goal in mind, to win a World Series Championship. Anything less would be considered a disappointment. In order to achieve this, New York will need solid production from the entire roster, but a couple players stand out as most important for the Yankees to secure their 28th title. Photo Credit: Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports