Bronx Bomber Ball

The Yankees enter the second half of the season with a 62-33 record, which has them slotted in second place in the AL East behind the Boston Red Sox who are currently 4.5 games ahead with a 68-30 record to this point in the season. Following last year’s close encounter with the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wild Card game, the Yankees should definitely do their best to avoid the one game nightmare in this second half. The Yankees will begin this quest with a three game set against New York’s inferior team, the New York Mets. The Mets are currently sitting at the bottom of the NL East with a 39-55 record and the Yankees won two of the three meetings between the teams this season, signs which should indicate a Yankees’ series win. However, unfavorable pitching matchups could derail the Bronx Bombers in this Subway Series.

Coming in at number two on our 2017 Top Prospect Countdown is Clint Frazier. Ever since his arrival to the Yankees organization last August, Frazier has been exciting to keep up with, both on and off the field. The young outfielder will likely be the successor to Brett Gardner in left field. It's doubtful that he'll make it to the majors this year, but Frazier will bring both his talent, and enthusiasm to the Bronx sooner rather than later. If there's any player within the Yankees farm system who is made for the bright lights of New York, it's Frazier. Trading away Andrew Miller was tough, but if Frazier pans out the way he is projected to, the Yankees could possibly have a perennial All-Star in the making manning left field for years to come. Photo Credit: Ken Inness/MILB.com 

It's been a long, long time since the Yankees fan base has had a reason to be legitimately excited about the farm system. Though I've been critical of him in the past, it can't be argued that Brian Cashman did a terrific job reloading the Yankee minor league system at the trade deadline this year, giving Pinstripe fans real hope for the future. One of the biggest names acquired at said trade deadline was Clint Frazier, who came to the Yankees amongst others in exchange for the ever dominant Andrew Miller. Frazier has been ranked at #1 and #2 respectively in MLB.com and Baseball America's top Yankee prospects. Additionally, the former fifth overall pick has been ranked at #15 and #21 in each of the aforementioned sites' most recent league-wide top prospects list. Via MiLB.com

As the Yankees head closer to the 2016 Winter Meetings, it is crucial that they lock up a reliable designated hitter to pad the middle of the lineup. With a lot of different options out there, the one that makes the most sense to me is Mike Napoli. In 2016, Napoli (35) had one of the best years of his career belting 34 home runs while driving in 101 runs and playing in 150 games. Not only did Napoli put up big time numbers, he did it in one of the least hitter-friendly ballparks in all of baseball. I can only imagine what kind of power numbers Napoli could put up in Yankee stadium. Photo via Fansided

With the days of handing max contracts to top free agents seemingly gone, Brian Cashman has turned his focus to acquiring players with a high ceiling that haven’t quite reached their potential. This strategy has quickly shown signs of success, as the Yankees return to the postseason in 2015 may not have been possible without the emergence of Didi Gregorious, Nathan Eovaldi, and Dustin Ackley. Unfortunately, due largely to their lack of right-handed power bats, the Yankees were dominated by Cy Young award winner Dallas Keuchel in their one-game playoff. Should Cashman decide to forgo giving large contracts to the big righty bats on the market like Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes, acquiring Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig may be the perfect solution to prevent a repeat of game 163.