There is plenty of hope surrounding the New York Yankees as they approach the start of Spring Training. Following a 2023 season that had them on the outside looking in on the playoff race in a stacked AL East, the Yankees brought in Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo as part of a major outfield overhaul that has Aaron Judge slated to the play the most innings at centerfield, while they also brought in Marcus Stroman to bolster the team's pitching depth.

But for the Yankees, there are always high expectations. This is par for the course for baseball's most successful team, as they look to win the franchise's 28th World Series title. And with lofty expectations come major consequences if they fall short. According to The Athletic's survey of 31 executives, former executives, coaches and scouts, they think it's the tandem of Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman that feels the most pressure to deliver in 2024, receiving 16 votes.

The Yankees are a proud franchise that considers playoff exits as a major disappointment, let alone missing the playoffs entirely, which they did in 2023 after they scuffled to an 82-80 record. That was only the fifth time the Yankees missed the postseason under Cashman's tenure as general manager, and in 2023, they posted their worst win-loss record under the veteran GM's watch.

For years, the Yankees have dominated the MLB landscape thanks to their unabashed willingness to splash the cash on free agents. But for this past offseason, Brian Cashman whiffed on the team's biggest free agent target, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which means that the playing field is leveling out, especially with the Los Angeles Dodgers emerging as the MLB's other Evil Empire out West.

As for Aaron Boone, the Yankees have been mostly excellent under his watch. They have made the ALCS twice, and the players clearly like having him around in the locker room. But it's been 14 years since the team in pinstripes last won the World Series, and time is ticking. They have all the weapons needed to win anyway, health permitting. But can they put it together and deliver amidst the mounting pressure surrounding them?