By Paul Semendinger
March 1, 2024
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We've made it to March. This is the month when Opening Day arrives. The long cold lonely winter's ending is, at least, on the horizon. (Truth be told, it wasn't a bad winter.)
I decided today to look at the 2024 Yankees optimistically today, to find one good stat or attribute about most of the Yankees.
With that as the background, here goes:
Anthony Rizzo - Before his concussion, through May 31, he was batting .303 with 11 homers and 32 runs batted in.
Gleyber Torres - His 119 OPS+ was his highest since 2019. It can be argued that Gleyber Torres, at just 27-years-old, is just starting to hit his stride.
Anthony Volpe - As a rookie, the kid hit 21 homers, stole 24 bases, and won a Gold Glove.
D.J. LeMahieu - In last season's second half, he batted .273 and had a .377 On Base Percentage.
Alex Verdugo - In the first half of last season, he batted .290.
Juan Soto - The man is a superstar. What more needs to be said?
Trent Grisham - His On Base Percentage (.315) in 2023 was higher than the Yankees' OBP as a team (.304). He's also an elite defender.
Aaron Judge - He just might be the best player in the game today. What more needs to be said?
Giancarlo Stanton - He came to camp in fantastic shape indicating the very real possibility that he's going to have a bounce back season.
Jose Trevino - He is fully healthy and rested. He batted .304 vs left-handed pitching in 2022.
Austin Wells - He homered once every 17.5 at bats in 2023. With 400 at bats, he would blast 23 home runs.
Gerrit Cole - The man just won the Cy Young Award. He might be the best starting pitcher in the game.
Carlos Rodon - Over two seasons 2021 and 2022, he went 27-13, 2.67. He came to camp in great shape looking to regain his old form.
Marcus Stroman - Over the last three seasons, he made no fewer than 25 starts in any season.
Clarke Schmidt - Given a chance to start regularly, he had his best season making 33 starts and going 9-9.
Nestor Cortes - Even though he was injured in 2023, he still had a .714 winning percentage.
These are many many reasons to be excited and optimistic about the 2024 Yankees!!!
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