As the New York Yankees continue their push towards the postseason, the team still has certain holes to address. Their options to do that are limited, especially since the trade deadline has long passed. Any improvement must come internally, and it can happen. The Yankees have a number of stars who need to step up, as well as other players who can contribute if they live up to their potential.
The Bronx Bombers currently lead the AL East by three games over the second place Baltimore Orioles, and they are looking to sweep their hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox. They've won the first two games of the four-game set, and head into Saturday's matchup ready to take the third game.
Captain Aaron Judge broke out of his slump in a big way on Friday night, hitting a go-ahead grand slam to lift New York to a 5-4 win. He broke the longest home run drought and hopes to continue the excellent form he's displayed for the majority of this season. Judge will need to be at the top of his game for the Yankees to stand a chance at capturing title number 28. Others need to step up as well as the Bombers pursue this goal. Who is at the top of the list? How about a starting pitcher that the team spent $162 million on a couple of offseasons ago?
1. Carlos Rodon needs to live up to big Yankees contract
In the 2o22-23 offseason, GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office signed Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract. Coming off a near Cy Young award winning season with the San Francisco Giants in 2022, the deal was considered to be a risk at the time. After almost two full seasons, that investment seems to have not paid off.
Rodon had a disastrous first season in the Bronx, but he's had a better time of it this go around. He's pitched 158.1 innings so far on the campaign, going 14-9 with a 4.21 ERA. Not the best numbers, but he's stayed on the mound for the most part. That is something the Yankees have desperately needed.
The 31-year-0ld right-hander still hasn't become the number two starter (or even co-ace) that the team has needed. That is something they will need to win the World Series. If Rodon can continue to harness his strikeout stuff (he's currently at 181 punchouts over the innings he pitched), then it will help tremendously as October approaches. New York needs him to step up to make the pursuit of World Series trophy 28. No pressure.
2. Will Jasson Dominguez adjust quickly to big leagues?
After dealing with a couple of nagging injuries all season, in addition to recovering from the Tommy John surgery that cut his first stint in the big leagues short, Dominguez is finally back in the Bronx. When rosters expanded at the beginning of September, the man also known as “the Martian” was initially not called up. This upset many Yankees fans, but the outfielder was finally called up a few days ago.
Now, the main question is will he be able to replace veteran Alex Verdugo in the lineup? Verdugo has been one of the worst offensive players in the MLB this season, yet he's still a strong defender in left field. Plus, he's a solid base runner as well. However, Dominguez has the potential to be the best player on the field for the Yankees. Possibly even better than his superstar teammates in Judge and Juan Soto.
Dominguez will hopefully be the long-term answer in center field, where Judge currently resides. Although he will play left field the majority of the time during this stint in the Bronx, it might be a good idea to see what he can do patrolling center. For at least a couple of games in September. Once the postseason is here, and if “the Martian” is healthy, then unleashing him will be in the best interest of the team. It's time to see just how good the top Yankees prospect can be. What better time than postseason baseball?
3. Gleyber Torres needs to get back to previous level of production
Torres has spent the entirety of his seven-year career with the Yankees and is slated to be a free agent after this season. He's said multiple times that he loves playing for the team, but he might be on his way out the door this winter. Cashman has multiple free agents that the team will try and resign, most notably Soto and Torres. Will the team be able to afford to retain both players and add more pieces as well?
The second baseman is having an off season, currently hitting .250 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs on the campaign. This is coming off the heels of strong campaigns in 2022 and 2023, where he showcased the need to possibly resign him. In order to get back on track, a strong postseason performance might be warranted.
The long-time Yankee turns 28 in December, so he should be smack dab in the middle of his prime. When he's at the top of his game, Torres is easily one of the best second basemen in the league. Will that form return as the season draws to a close and the Yankees enter the postseason? If it does, the road to 28 becomes a lot easier for the Bombers.
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