February 13, 2024
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This week we asked our writers to respond to the following:
What are you most looking forward to seeing during Spring Training this year?
Here are their replies...
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Paul Semendinger - I am hoping that the Yankees work on lots of fundamentals and we see that focus in the coverage continually. "This Yankees team is focused on winning." I'd love to see the reporters saying things like, "I haven't seen this kind of focus on quality baseball at a Yankee camp in years. Aaron Boone is establishing a seriousness of purpose that is admirable."
As far as players, I'm hoping Carlos Rodon looks to be in shape, I'm hoping Anthony Rizzo shows that the head injury is behind him, and I hope that Giancarlo Stanton shows some athleticism that we haven't seen in years portending a big comeback season.
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Cary Greene - I'm most looking forward to seeing a clean shaven Jordan Montgomery back in pinstripes, where he belongs. er, I'm most looking forward to seeing how Blake Snell looks in a Yankees uniform.. er, what I mean is, I am going to be watching Everson Pereira, Oswald Peraza, and Austin Wells all very closely - there's a lot of intrigue with these three. I'm NOT going to be watching Oswaldo Cabrera at all. He's a Minor Leaguer to me going forward and he's got not one but two options remaining. He'll need to beat his way out of Scranton to even see the Yankees dugout again, much less sit in it.
On the pitching front, Luis Gil is the guy I'll be tracking most closely. Can he become the Yankees' next closer one day soon? Can he discover how to command and control the baseball and throw strikes, or is he the next in a long line of Yankees prospect failures?
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James Vlietstra - Spring Training is for getting ready for the regular season and answering questions. Whether it’s to see if a young player is ready or if an established player is healthy.
On the Major League side, I think the most important questions facing the Yankees is the health of their pitching staff. They have lost a lot of their depth which means Cortes and Rodon have to be able to perform at 2022 levels.
I expect Beeter, Hampton and Warren to make 20+ starts combined. That may still leave them a pitcher short. If Bauer is available on the cheap, he could be the best option.
At the minor league complex, there’s always a dozen guys who come in and open a lot of eyes. I can’t wait to hear about them.
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Derek McAdam - While it won’t happen until later on into Spring Training, I’m looking forward to seeing Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hitting back to back. If these two can stay healthy, they will surely be a force throughout the entire season. While Spring Training games don’t exactly matter in terms of standings, it will still be fun to watch the first few outings.
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Tamar Chalker - I am excited to see Juan Soto - I don’t watch many non-Yankees’ games, so I really haven’t seen him much.
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Lincoln Mitchell - My hope for spring training is that either the Yankees sign Snell or Bellinger. The team as it stands now is not likely to play deep into October.
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Mike Whiteman - The thing I'm looking forward to the most in Spring Training is the emergence of someone new into a significant role. Whether it's someone like Anthony Volpe grabbing a job or Lucas Luetge coming from nowhere to pick up a spot in the pen, I greatly enjoy the intrigue of spring.
This year, I'm interested in seeing who the new lefty reliever(s) will be. I'd love to see a young player step up and grab the third base job. Could Oswald Peraza step up? What happens if Jorbit Vivas just hits and hits and hits? Everson Pereira looked overmatched last summer, but what if he's learned from the experience and just rakes?
Can't wait!
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Tim Kabel - I am most looking forward to seeing Juan Soto, Austin, Wells, and the other young players, to see if they make the team in a meaningful way. I am referring to Oswald, Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera.
