Bronx Bomber Ball

Earlier this spring, the New York Yankees extended a non-roster invitation to 21 ballplayers in their organization.The Yankees' 40-Man Roster is loaded and there is a drop-off of talent as we look at player 41 and beyond.This makes sense.Much of the talent in New York’s farm system is very young and will be playing in low-level minors in 2019.The list of non-roster invitees includes some of that young talent, but also some of the journeymen types.Each spring, it’s exciting to look through the list and try to identify a few players that will be called up to The Show at some point this season.This year, barring an outbreak of injuries, it will be a short list.However, there are three non-roster invitees that have a legitimate shot at cracking the major league roster at some point this season.

An electric bullpen. It’s something that Yankees fans have grown accustomed to over the last few years. Every season since 2014, the team has ranked top two in MLB in bullpen wins above replacement (WAR). In addition, the 2018 Yankees had the highest bullpen WAR (9.7) in league history. Need more proof? New York’s relief corps finished number one in strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) in all five of those campaigns. It’s no secret that the Yanks have had the back-end of games covered for a while, and this year’s group could be the best yet.

Over the past few seasons, the Yankees’ infield has undergone a significant transformation. The old guard of veterans is gone and has been replaced by confidant young guns, two of which were finalists for the 2018 Rookie of the Year award. While many of the same names from the end of last year are returning, there are some new faces in the fold that are looking to stake their claim for a role. The unfortunate injury that will force Didi Gregorius to miss a significant portion of the season will also play a role in how Aaron Boone deploys his infielders this season. Let’s look at them position by position.

All eyes are on first base.
No, really, they are. At least, from a fan and reporter perspective, we’re all waiting to hear who is going to get the job of regular play at first base: Greg Bird, or Luke Voit?

Spring training is underway and regular season baseball is less than a month away.  The New York Yankees reported to George M. Steinbrenner Field for their 23rd year of spring training in Tampa as they gear up for the 2019 season, looking for their third postseason berth in as many years.

The first in a five-installment series of previews on the 2019 Yankees, today we preview the projected Starting Rotation.
Seen as perhaps the biggest reason as to why the Yankees haven’t nabbed a 28th World Series ring over the past few years, this year’s starting rotation should be an upgrade. Three of the five in the rotation are mainstays in Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, and Masahiro Tanaka. Add onto that JA Happ who was a fantastic trade deadline acquisition in 2018 and was later re-signed this offseason and James Paxton, brought over from the Mariners this offseason.