New York Yankees Have Multiple Worrisome Storylines Heading Into Season

The New York Yankees all of a sudden have a lot of issues with the season right around the corner.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

As the New York Yankees get set for the start of the regular season, there are a lot of different things to keep an eye on for the franchise. 

After a very successful winter, spring training has been anything but kind to the Yankees. Injuries to key players have mounted and the team all of a sudden might be in a bit of trouble heading into the year. 

Fortunately, there is still a lot of talent on the team, but losing players like Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil for significant amounts of time is hard to replace. 

Since New York has had such high expectations for the season, they are likely going to have to reset and get back to the drawing board before the campaign starts. 

With issues in both their starting rotation and their lineup, the Yankees have a lot of things going on right now. 

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently spoke about some storylines heading into the campaign for the Yankees. While the improved defense was one of them, there are plenty of options to choose from. 

“Other storylines worth watching: Who plays third base? How many games will Giancarlo Stanton miss? What type of rookie season will Jasson Domínguez have?”

Injuries have unfortunately become a big storyline to watch for New York, and that started with Stanton. The reigning ALCS MVP is dealing with what appears to be a significant issue in both of his elbows and there doesn’t appear to be a timeline for his return. 

As a proven threat in the middle of the order, the talented slugger missing time isn’t ideal for a team that lost a superstar hitter this winter. 

For third base, the position has been one of the most talked-about issues for the team this offseason and the situation has yet to improve. With DJ LeMahieu hurt, it’s likely Oswaldo Cabrera getting a majority of the starts at the hot corner. 

While there are a lot of worrisome storylines, one potentially exciting one is to see what Jasson Dominguez can accomplish in his rookie season. The talented outfielder is primed for a strong rookie campaign, and New York is going to need him to produce. 

Even though the current state of the Yankees is concerning, they do have the ability to still have a strong season. While their margin of error might be small now, this is a team that has the reigning MVP in Aaron Judge to lead the way. 

Hopefully, some of the negative storylines worth watching can either be fixed or potentially become even positives for the team over the course of the year.