New York Yankees
2024 record: 94-68
1st place, AL East
Team ERA: 3.74 (6th in MLB)
Team OPS: .762 (3rd in MLB)
What Went Right
The Yankees won their division and had the best record in the American League to earn a bye and homefield advantage in the playoffs. New York decisively won the Division series and the Championship series on their way to face the Dodgers in the World Series. Aaron Judge (218 wRC+) had another all-time season at the plate and in many categories was better than when he broke the American League home run record in 2022. Juan Soto (180 wRC+) was everything the Yankees could’ve asked for after New York acquired the slugger in an offseason trade. Austin Wells (105 wRC+) and Anthony Volpe (86 wRC+) aren’t overwhelming offensive players, but Wells is an elite pitch-framer and Volpe stole 28 bases to go with another Gold Glove award caliber season at shortstop. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (132 wRC+) was excellent after coming over from the Marlins in a midseason trade. Giancarlo Stanton (116 wRC+) stayed healthy enough to pop 27 home runs during the regular season and then had a playoff run for the ages as he hit seven home runs in 14 playoff games and took home ALCS Most Valuable Player honors. The Yankees starting pitching was merely good in spurts. Luis Gil had a 2.03 ERA in his first 14 starts. Similarly, Marcus Stroman had a 2.82 ERA in his first 14 starts. Clarke Schmidt had a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts. In the bullpen, Tim Hill and Jake Cousins, who were both acquired from the Chicago White Sox, had 2.00 and 2.37 ERAs respectively. Tommy Kahnle returned and had a 2.11 ERA in 50 games. Most notably, Luke Weaver led the team in innings out of the bullpen with 84, had a 2.89 ERA and established himself as the closer in September before performing well again in the playoffs.
What Went Wrong
The Yankees were one nightmare inning away from sending the World Series back to Los Angeles for a sixth game. Instead, they went out in five games with two of the games representing some of the worst losses in the franchise’s lengthy playoff history. Gleyber Torres (104 wRC+) was merely solid in his last year with the Yankees before hitting free agency. Alex Verdugo (83 wRC+) was nothing to write home about and Trent Grisham (91 wRC+) wasn’t very useful as a fourth outfielder. Anthony Rizzo (84 wRC+) was a shell of himself at 34-years-old and injuries limited 35-year-old D.J. LeMahieu (52 wRC+) to 67 games. Gerrit Cole (3.99 xFIP) got hurt in spring training and was more solid than ace-level in 17 starts. The only Yankees to make at least 30 starts were Nestor Cortes (4.16 xFIP) and Carlos Rodon (4.09 xFIP). Clay Holmes (3.01 xFIP) was solid, but managed to blow 13 saves.
Fantasy Slants
**Jasson Dominguez missed the start of the season due to injury and basically never made his way into the Yankees’ plans. Dominguez played 44 games with Triple-A and hit .309 with seven home runs and 15 stolen bases, though an oblique strain was sandwiched in there. Once he was called up to the majors, he made multiple gaffes in left field and ceded playing time back to Alex Verdugo. The super prospect turns 22 before Opening Day 2025, where he should be playing center field. Dominguez has the tools to be a fantasy difference maker as a rookie.
**Jazz Chisholm Jr. had perhaps his best fantasy season in 2024 as a career high in games played with 147 led to 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases. In 46 games with the Yankees, he hit 11 home runs and stole 18 bases. Chisholm Jr. is arbitration eligible and with Gleyber Torres hitting free agency, could be moving back to second base for the Yankees. The ballpark seems to be a good fit for him, he just needs to stay healthy again. If Torres leaves, he could find himself hitting at the top of the order.
**The Yankees are sure to address their bullpen this offseason, but Luke Weaver could very well stick as the closer in 2025. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has shown loyalty to relievers in the past such as Clay Holmes, who he didn’t remove as the closer until he basically had to towards the end of 2024. Weaver was a rock for Boone and the Yankees in the regular season before establishing himself as the closer late in the year. Then in the playoffs, he had a 1.76 ERA in 12 appearances while getting more than three outs on occasion. He’s worth taking a shot on in early drafts as it wouldn’t take much for him to get 30 saves in 2025.
Key Free Agents
Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Alex Verdugo
RELATED: Top 111 MLB Free Agents; where do Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Pete Alonso land?
Team Needs
The Yankees need to bring Juan Soto back. Without him, they risk entering an unknown that could leave them with a free agent haul resembling the 2014 offseason when the team signed Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury instead of re-signing Robinson Cano. The Yankees know they can build strong teams around Aaron Judge and Soto, who just turned 26. After coming up short in the World Series and with Judge, 32, and Gerrit Cole, 34, not getting any younger, they have to continue to push forward. After missing the playoffs in 2023, Boone and general manager Brian Cashman were on notice, but both delivered in 2024 despite things not going their way in the World Series. If Soto’s contract approaches $600 million, the Yankees might have to get creative to fill out the rest of the roster. Players that don’t help much like LeMahieu and Stroman are owed $15 million and $18 million next year respectively. Rodon and Stanton are still making major money as are Judge and Cole obviously. Having some cheap young players in Wells and Volpe helps as well as cheap pitchers like Gil and Weaver. A common refrain in October was that the Yankees path to the World Series was easy given the early exits by the Astros and Orioles. While teams come out of nowhere to surprise all the time, it’s no guarantee that the landscape of the American League will be much different in 2025. If the Yankees sign Soto, they might make it back to the World Series “easily” even if Ben Rice (73 wRC+) is playing first base.
