Looking To The Playoffs

By Andrew Hefner

October 3, 2024

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With the number one seed in the American League secured, the Yankees are gearing up for what all fans hope is a strong postseason run. The rollercoaster that was the 2024 season has all led to this, so let's take a look at the things to be excited and concerned about going into October. 

Consistency is Key

Throughout the 2024 campaign, Juan Soto has proven himself as one of the most electric, and more importantly, consistent, players in baseball this year. Through his first season in the Bronx, the Dominican star has put up an extremely impressive .288 average, with a career-high 41 home runs. 

Since the departure of the “Core Four," the Yankees have struggled mightily with consistent hitting or just getting on base. There hasn’t been a “real” leadoff hitter in years, and although it seemed DJ LeMehieu might be the answer there, age has caught up to him and he has been pummeled by injuries. 

Although we will most likely never see Soto in that leadoff spot, he has been hitting in that number 2 spot, right ahead of Aaron Judge. With Soto getting on base as much as he has, runs have been able to be manufactured with just the crack of Judge’s bat coming immediately after. 

For the Yankees offense to really get going in the postseason, we need to see Soto continue getting on base and creating opportunities for the big man right behind him. If he does in fact continue to get on base, be ready for some postseason fireworks coming soon. 

Blown Saves

After seeing former Yankees’ flamethrower, Aroldis Chapman, shine in the Bronx again this past weekend, some fans may be left looking back on how the state of our bullpen has come to be.

Former Pittsburgh Pirate, and a player who the Yankees took a chance on, Clay Holmes, started off the season strong. Sporting a 0.00 ERA up to May 20th and being named a 2024 All-Star, Clay seemed to be off and running on a career season. Since then, however, Holmes has put the Yankees in an uncomfortable situation, as after blowing 13 saves, they have been left closerless. 

Brian Cashman has attempted to make moves over the course of the last couple of years as well, bringing in youngsters Scott Effross and Lou Trevino, as well as guys on the lower end of the market in Jake Cousins and Luke Weaver. Although we have been treated to an excellent season by both Cousins and Weaver, they are not necessarily traditional closers, at least in the modern MLB. They both work perfectly as set-up guys and are an excellent one-two punch out of the pen, but the Yankees are still are left without that hard-throwing closer to round it all out. As for Effross and Trevino, they have both been dealing with injuries, and just recently Effross was able to rejoin the MLB team and make his 2024 debut.

The real test for this bullpen in October will be in those low-scoring game situations where the offense hasn’t provided much support. We’ve seen the Yankees offense be very “streaky” in the sense that they will score 10 runs for 3 games straight, then fail to record even 2 hits a day later. These situations will be even more pivotal in the postseason, so having a lockdown bullpen and a closer that can work with a one-run league will be imperative to the team's postseason success. 

With Cousins hopefully returning from injury soon and Weaver still looking good, Boone has two solid options as well as plenty more to choose from. But please, no Clay Holmes. 

But Why Him?

Alex Verdugo may have been one of the most exciting players Brian Cashman was able to pick up this offseason when he was traded to the Bronx earlier this year, but now Yankees fans can’t stand him. 

The former Red Sox outfielder was traded to New York before this season and got off to a hot start, solidifying himself in the daily lineup and providing a sense of comfort in leftfield that Yankees fans haven't seen in a while. Unfortunately for him, none of this would last.

Come August, most of the fanbase had given up on Verdugo. Sporting an average in the low .220s and grounding out to second base a comical amount of times, many fans called for the early callup of Jasson Dominguez and, more importantly, the benching of Verdugo. The fans were not heard. Verdugo stayed in the lineup. Even after continuing his bad slump and then beginning to struggle in the outfield, Boone showed no signs of letting up. 

When Dominguez was named to the MLB roster later tin September, Verdugo still remained a daily starter, with Boone electing to bench guys elsewhere like Judge and Stanton. I think that Boone needs to get a grip on the reality of the situation, being that Verdugo is not capable of being the leftfielder in the postseason. These are the most important games of some of these guys' lives, and if Verdugo can’t stop rolling the ball over to the second baseman, then there is no place for him in the lineup. I’m concerned about what the plan for Verdugo will be, and I hope we start to see guys like Stanton, Cabrera, and Dominguez get more quality playing time in October. 

Baby Bombers

With the recent call-up of Jasson Dominguez, the 2024 Yankees have had the youngest team in the Bronx in years. With all of this young, blossoming talent, the Yankees have a real chance to make something happen in the next month. 

Anthony Volpe, a former #1 prospect and starting SS, is about to experience his first postseason in the Bronx. Volpe, a NJ native and lifelong Yankees fan, grew up on the Core Four playoff runs, Mr. November, and more. This is his chance to create those moments himself, and although some of his stats are less than ideal, he still is plenty capable of putting on a show this October. I’m excited to see what he can do, and who knows, maybe a second Mr. November moment is coming.

Oswaldo Cabrera, the Swiss Army knife of this Yankees squad, has the capabilities to play any position Boone may throw at him, as well as hit from both sides. The youngster has been a consistent off-the-bench guy for the Yankees this year, and even with limited playing time, he has shown he is an MLB-level talent. With first baseman Anthony Rizzo injured, Oswaldo may be looking at increased playing time in the coming weeks, so if Boone can work some more playing time for him, I’m hopeful that there will be some fireworks from Waldo. 

RoY candidate and another top prospect, Austin Wells, is also about to get his first taste of postseason baseball. The catcher has risen to the top of the depth chart this year, earning the everyday nod behind the plate while putting up almost league-leading numbers since the All-Star break this year. He is set up perfectly to have an outstanding playoff run, and fans should be on the lookout for that arm too. 

Of course, Jasson Dominguez, or the Martian, has already shown that he can get the job done in the Bronx. From his shortened 2023 campaign to his fairly strong 2024 run, Dominguez has the talent (and more importantly, the strength) to send balls into orbit this fall. The 21-year-old top prospect will most likely get the nod out in left. 

With the recent injury to Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Boone has turned back to a familiar face in Ben Rice to rejoin the Yankees from AAA. Rice got off to a strong start during his tenure earlier this year and collected notable highlights such as a 3-home run game and more. A slump soon followed.  However, I’m confident in his abilities, and I believe he is a dark horse to make something happen in these playoff series. 

Conclusion

There’s a lot to be excited about during this 2024 postseason, so take the negatives with a grain of salt. I’m confident in the squad and the team that was built throughout the year. It was a more than exceptional season that led to this, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.