The New York Yankees are coming off of an incredibly disappointing 2023 season that fell well short of their expectations. Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman heard the criticism from fans and took it to heart, bringing in superstar slugger Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres. Soto's addition brings more prestige to New York and leads to some Yankees bold predictions.
The slugger completely changes the dynamics of the Yankees’ offense and addresses their biggest problems. Soto is young, has been reliably healthy throughout his career, has arguably the best batting eye since Barry Bonds and he hits for power as well. Soto can be penciled in for more than 30 bombs per season and he also has a career on-base percentage of .421.
He was exactly the player the Yankees needed to bring in and expectations are once again sky high in the Bronx. With Soto's arrival accounted for, let's make our bold 2024 Yankees predictions.
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Aaron Judge hits 70 home runs
Aaron Judge is one of the premier hitters in baseball, and he might be on the short list of best power hitters to ever play. One thing Judge has lacked throughout his career however is an elite player hitting behind him to offer protection.
That all changes in 2024, as the Yankees have added Soto to their roster. Whether Soto hits in front of Judge or behind him is more or less irrelevant, as he will provide protection for Judge either way.
If Soto hits ahead of Judge, his .421 on-base percentage means that the Yankees star will often have a runner on base when he is at bat. A runner on base would mean that pitchers would be forced to throw to Judge, rather than pitching around him. No matter who is hitting after Judge, it would put the pitcher in an incredibly bad spot to have to face that batter with two runners on base.
The fact that the hitter behind Judge would likely be either Anthony Rizzo or Gleyber Torres would put even more pressure on pitchers to give the slugger a fair at-bat and attempt to get him out. Even if that hitter were to be Giancarlo Stanton, it would still be incredibly risky to put two runners on base. Stanton’s power is still there, and if he gets a hold of one the pitcher is giving up three runs on one swing.
If Soto were to hit behind Judge, he would be protecting Judge in the traditional sense. Soto’s ability to get on base at a 40% clip along with his power potential would force pitchers to think twice about putting Judge on first and pitching to Soto with a runner on.
With Judge finally getting pitches to hit on a consistent basis, he could absolutely reach the 70-home run benchmark.
Jasson Dominguez wins Rookie of the Year
Rookie sensation Jasson Dominguez is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he is expected to be back in New York's lineup by midsummer. Dominguez only played eight games in the big leagues in 2023, but during that brief stint he lit the league on fire.
Dominguez tore the cover off the baseball, hitting four home runs across those eight games. He didn't get a ton of chances to run, but he showed off his speed by stretching singles into doubles and tracking down balls hit to centerfield.
Even if Dominguez doesn't get a full season to play in 2024, he should still have more than enough time to leave a positive impression on voters.
Dominguez will likely hit in the middle of the Yankees’ order once he returns, where he should get plenty of at bats in high leverage situations with the opportunity to do damage and rack up counting stats. If Dominguez is able to play in at least 75 games, it wouldn't be a shocker to see him hit 20 home runs and steal at least 15 bases.
If the outfielder only plays half the season and still manages to flirt with a 20/20 season, he should be a near lock to win Rookie of the Year.
The sky's the limit for the kid who drew Mickey Mantle comparisons at just 16 years old, and Yankees fans should be excited for Dominguez to return to the lineup.
The Yankees win the World Series
Here it is. For our last prediction, we have the boldest of them all. The Yankees will be your 2024 World Series champions.
New York addressed their biggest concerns this offseason, and if the starting rotation is healthy, the Yankees could go all the way in 2024. There is no reason that this team can't compete with the best clubs in the league. Soto and Judge make for a deadly duo to anchor the team's offense, and the two are complemented nicely by Torres Rizzo, Stanton and DJ LeMahieu.
The Yankees also have young players with upside including second year shortstop Anthony Volpe, catcher Austin Wells and the aforementioned Dominguez.
If any of these players develop into positive contributors in 2024, that will be the frosting on the cake for the Yankees. New York would be primed to make a World Series run and host a parade along the Canyon of Heroes.
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