Should You Take the Over or Under for the Yankees 2020 Win Projections?
The 2020 MLB Win Total Tracker was released for every team and the Yankees sit at the top with a projected 101.5 wins, making them the only team projected to win more than 100 games. The question is always if you should take the over or the under.
In no way is this article trying to encourage you to go out and place a bet, but to analyze and predict which side the Yankees will fall on.
There are several categories that should be considered when estimating a win total.
Off-season Changes: Luckily for the Yankees, their biggest contributor from last season that walked was Didi Gregorius. I do not mean lucky that he left, but lucky that he was the only everyday player that walked. Edwin Encarnacion was another player that walked, but Gregorius was more valuable to the Yankee organization. The core of the Yankees starting rotation remained stable, alongside with the addition of ace Gerrit Cole. The Yankees were lucky enough to have most of their roster under team control for 2020 and beyond, which is one reason why their win total odds are over 100.
How the AL East Shapes Up: The AL East is going to be one of those divisions where anything could happen. Tampa has continued to show that money does not buy you wins and have been a tough opponent for the Yankees, especially at Tropicana Field. Surprisingly enough, the Yankees toughest opponent last season was the Blue Jays. Toronto is filled with young talent and just signed Hyun-Jin Ryu from the Dodgers, giving them a solid pitcher to add to their young rotation. They could be tough for many years to come. Boston is going to be an interesting team to watch, especially over the next few weeks. Will they keep Mookie Betts or David Price for the 2020 season? Can Chris Sale remain healthy? It is going to be interesting to see what happens up in Boston. As for Baltimore, it is going to be another rebuilding season for them. The Yankees should not have too many problems with the Orioles, but do not count Baltimore out.
Will Injuries Play a Major Role?: Every team is going to go through injuries this season. A 162-game schedule will easily do that to teams throughout the season. However, the Yankees were plagued with injuries last season and still won 103 games. If the Yankees can even cut back on 50 percent of their injuries from last season, they will be in much better shape than last season. With the help of some new training staff members, the Yankees should already be in much better shape when it comes to the excessive injuries. Injuries are going to happen no matter what, but they key is the rehabilitation process. If the players rehab correctly, they will be back sooner and able to prevent further injuries.
Overall, the Yankees should be in good shape to reach the 100-win mark for the third season in a row. The question is will they go over or under on the 101.5 odds?
I believe they will surpass the 101.5-win mark and end up with around 106-109 wins. The Yankees have a strong rotation, bullpen and batting lineup. They are a force to be reckoned with, and time will only tell if they can take it all the way to the World Series.
