The New York Yankees plummeted to a low last year when they registered their worst season in past four decades history. The team finished with an abysmal 82-80 record and missed out on postseason. However, with a new season on the horizon, the Yanks are poised to roar back.
The 27-time champion franchise worked hard this off-season to strengthen the roster and add enough firepower to fix offensive woes. However, despite a formidable roster and presence of star players, the New York Yankees are projected to hit another low this year in terms of total wins in the regular season.
Yankees Postseason Qualification Percentage Fall To 2.7% In Latest Projections
As New York Yankees gear up for opening day matchup against Houston Astros, projections suggest that they may be in for a challenging year. Contrary to Fangraphs’ 88-win prediction, Baseball Reference predicts that the Yanks will miss out on the postseason for the second year in a row. According to the latest stats from Baseball Reference, the Bronx Bombers stand a 2.7 percent chance at the postseason with just 71.6 wins in the regular season. Needless to say, the contrary data has left the Yankee fans confused and concerned at the same time. Despite the franchise putting in extra effort in the off-season to strengthen the roster, the odds do not seem to improve. Instead, the projections have only plummeted compared to last year.
However, it’s important to note that Baseball References projections are not necessarily accurate. Apparently, the data-driven company hasn’t taken Juan Soto and other notable off-season additions into consideration before issuing the projections. Basically, the odds are derived from the sample size of last year’s roster, which was largely imbalanced. This year, the Yanks realistically remain in a much better position. Soto’s addition has been the biggest boost to the offense. Moreover, Marcus Stroman will add another layer of firepower to the starting rotation. While Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu will begin the season on the injury list, the setbacks are temporary. Moreover, Aaron Judge is healthy this year, and if he manages to last at least 150 games, Yank’s postseason qualification is inevitable.
Yanks To Enter Opening Day With Half Strength Roster!
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees have touched down in Houston for their 2024 season opening day game against the Astros scheduled for March 28. However, the Bronx Bombers are expected to enter the new season with a half-strength squad due to injuries. Ace starter Gerrit Cole has been sidelined for 10-12 weeks with a nerve elbow inflammation injury. Nestor Cortes will start in his place on opening day, whereas prospect Luis Gill will start as fifth starter.
On the other hand, veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu will also miss opening day due to a foot injury. He was hit by a foul ball earlier this month and hasn’t been able to recover fully. Moreover, given his age, the Yankees have applied extra caution. Utility player Oswaldo Cabrera will start in third base temporarily, as the bench has been lacking an infield option. It would be interesting to see how these gaps affect the Yanks on opening day.
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