Yankees Hot Start Fueled by New Acquisitions and Improved Key Pieces
The New York Yankees have started the 2024 season hot, winning 10 of their first 12 games. Surprising to many, they completed a four-game sweep in Houston during their first series. A key to this early success is in large part to the newest Yankees Juan Soto, Marcus Stroman, and Alex Verdugo. Stroman has gone six innings in both of his first starts, allowing zero earned runs in both. Soto is batting .348, has already knocked in 11 runs, and threw out the game-tying run in the ninth in his Yankees debut. Verdugo, who has started off the season somewhat slow, hit go-ahead home runs against the Diamondbacks and Marlins.
They have also gotten a boost from players already on the roster. A much improved Anthony Volpe has gotten off to an unreal start, batting a crisp .375 with two home runs. Not to mention, he is tied for first place in the American League for bWAR, 1.2, with Mike Trout. Another improved Yankee is Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton is batting .250, slugging .550, and leads the team with three home runs. His biggest moment of this young season was a first-inning grand slam on Sunday, leading the Yankees to an 8-3 victory and a series win over the Blue Jays. Lastly, lefty Carlos Rodón looks like the pitcher New York paid for. After an injury-riddled 2023 season, which concluded with Rodon blowing a kiss to booing fans as he walked off the mound, has a 1.72 ERA through his first three starts. A 1.72 ERA is most likely unsustainable, but if he ends the season with an ERA in the 3.40-3.95 area, that’s a huge improvement from his 5.79 mark from last season.
Going forward, the Yankees look like a scary team. Despite a 10-2 start, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Aaron Judge have gotten off to a cold start. Ace Gerrit Cole and young phenom Jasson Domínguez are sidelined until around the summertime. Once Torres, Rizzo, and Judge return to regular form and Cole and Dominguez return to the field, this team isn’t going to mess around come playoff time.
