The New York Yankees have done a great job to recover from the terrible 2023 season. Last year was nothing short of an embarrassment for the 27-time champions. They finished fourth in the American League East. Moreover, the NY side failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. They finished with the second-worst batting average behind the nine-time champions, the Oakland Athletics. But the worst part was finishing with an 82-80 record. The Bronx Bombers barely managed to maintain the streak of winning seasons. Anyhow, the Yankees have managed to rebuild pretty well in the offseason.
They have made significant changes that they really needed. Moreover, the NY side has added reinforcements in their outfield and offense. If the newly designed roster can stay healthy, the fans and the team believe they will go a long way. Moreover, the Yankees Nation claims the team can even make it to the World Series. They have not made it to that stage since 2009. But there are questions if the Pinstripes can top the AL East this year. Moreover, the Yankees’ manager fears the Baltimore Orioles will be their biggest threat to winning the AL East.
Aaron Boone Predicts The Orioles Will Have Another Strong Season
In 2023, the Baltimore Orioles were magnificent in the regular season. They finished the regular season with their franchise’s best record of all time. Last season, the Orioles were 101-61. They had a tough fight with the Tampa Bay Rays, who ended the regular season with 99-63. On the other hand, the Yankees were nowhere in the picture. But this year, the NY side looks more balanced and will hope to keep it that way without sustaining too many injuries. Recently, in a press conference, Aaron Boone revealed who their biggest challenge in the AL East this year will be. Generally, fans and experts guessed Boone would name the Boston Red Sox or even the Rays.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is excited to battle the 'formidable' Orioles this season. 👀 https://t.co/0EeNCxfJvz pic.twitter.com/RSOEVXShYv
— theScore (@theScore) March 3, 2024
But the Yankees skipper named its the Orioles once again. Moreover, Boone mentioned he’s looking forward to the challenge of the Orioles. The Yankees manager thinks they will be really good again. Moreover, Boone added that it is the American League East, and the Orioles have recovered well after rebuilding. The Yankees manager pointed out the talented group of youth the Orioles have assembled ahead of the 2024 season. When asked why he thinks the Orioles are in a great place to dominate the division, Boone simply pointed to the offseason moves that raise hopes for the Baltimore fans.
Yankees And Orioles Can Be Intense Rivals This Year
Aaron Boone’s comments are a good sign of the beginning of an intense rivalry between the Orioles and the Yankees. Albeit, talking about arch-rivals in baseball and not just in the AL East always points to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Nothing really tops that iconic rivalry. However, over the years, the Orioles have had several heated games against the Bronx Bombers.
Anyhow, in 2024, the Yankees look really good on paper again. If they stay healthy as in most of the key players like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge gets to play throughout the year, they can top the AL East division again. However, if the Orioles perform even better than last year, then there can be some exciting encounters between them and the 27-time champions.
Stay tuned with Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite MLB team.