The Yankees started off their season on a positive note with a nice win on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers, and they followed that up with a historic showing in the second game when they smashed a franchise record nine homers.
After a spring training that resulted in a lot of questions going into the campaign, New York was able to ease some concerns with these wins.
However, it’s a long season, and there will be plenty of challenges along the way.
The Yankees have high expectations as a franchise, especially considering they made the World Series in 2024.
The first step back to the October Classic will be to win the American League East. The competition will be stiff, but they have the tools to still achieve what they want to this year.
Here are four reasons why they can win the AL East.
Depth in Organization
Due to the number of injuries to key players this spring, New York is going to have their depth tested early on. For the pitching staff, players like Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman are going to have to step up with players like Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil out.
Furthermore, the lineup is also without Giancarlo Stanton to start the year. However, Ben Rice had a very impressive spring and will be seeking to carry that over into the regular season.
Depth is an important thing for an organization over the course of a long year.
Even though it isn’t ideal, the Yankees do have some options to replace key pieces.
Emerging Youngsters
One of the most exciting things for the Yankees is the young trio of players in their lineup poised for big things. Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe will be playing significant roles for the team in 2025, and they can all achieve special things.
For Dominguez, he will have his eyes set on winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Wells will be heading into his second season as a player looking to take a step forward in his career. For Volpe, the young shortstop will be trying to have his breakout campaign in Year 3.
If all three end up having good seasons, the offense for the Yankees could be great.
Strong Offseason
Despite losing one of the best players in baseball in free agency, the pivot by New York was impressive.
In free agency, they signed Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt to bolster their starting rotation and fill a need at first base. In the trade market, they acquired Cody Bellinger to take over in center field and also brought in an elite closer in Devin Williams.
The Yankees might not have been able to replace exactly what Soto brought to the team, but they added four very good players.
MVP Front Runner
New York have suffered plenty of injuries this spring, and they might have lost a superstar in free agency, but they still have arguably the best hitter in baseball on their team in Aaron Judge.
The slugger is coming off winning his second AL MVP Award in 2024, and he is the favorite to win it again this year.
As long as Judge is on the team and healthy, the Yankees can compete with anyone.
Moving back to right field might help the big slugger stay a bit more fresh than playing in center field for an entire season.