Yankees Predicted To Have Shockingly Brutal AL East Finish by MLB Analyst

An MLB analyst has predicted the New York Yankees will have a very tough season, thanks in part of a number of injuries.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) relieves pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Despite losing Juan Soto in free agency this past winter, the New York Yankees were coming into spring training with a lot of optimism.

They were coming off a very strong season, winning the American League pennant for the first time since 2009. It was a disappointing finish being unable to get past the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, but general manager Brian Cashman did a great job of filling gaps on the roster.

When Soto decided to sign with the New York Mets, the front office pivoted nicely. An emphasis was put on defense and pitching to overcome some of the shortcomings that popped up in their five-game loss to the Dodgers.

The money that would have gone to the superstar right fielder was spread amongst several different players.

Max Fried, formerly of the Atlanta Braves, was signed to the largest contract for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal. Paul Goldschmidt was signed to take over at first base for Anthony Rizzo.

On the trade market, the Yankees were very active.

Cody Bellinger was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in what was essentially a salary dump to take over in center field. That pushes AL MVP Aaron Judge back over to right field, making two massive upgrades defensively.

To put the finishing touches on an excellent bullpen, star closer Devin Williams was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Things looked great heading into spring training with a deep and talented pitching staff. The only real question mark was who would be handling third base, with veteran DJ LeMahieu penciled in as the favorite.

Alas, nothing has gone right for the team since that point, as injuries have ravaged the roster.

New York started the season with eight players on the injured list, including some very important pieces to their success.

Ace Gerrit Cole is sidelined for the entire year because of Tommy John surgery. Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, won’t be pitching until the summer because of a lat strain. Clarke Schmidt is also starting the season on the injured list as he ramps up his activity.

Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has injuries to both elbows and a calf issue. LeMahieu has a calf issue that popped up after two at-bats in spring training.

A team that looked like a World Series favorite just a few weeks ago has had their outlook impacted negatively.

That has led to many analysts, including Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) to adjust their predictions.

He now believes the Yankees will finish fourth in the AL East with an 84-78 record, missing the postseason.

“I might have picked the Yankees to win the division before they lost Gerrit Cole for the year; he was a 5 to 7 WAR pitcher in 2021 and 2023, and replacing him with … well, whoever they replace him with is at least that much of a downgrade, maybe more if they have to hand those starts to guys who are below replacement level,” Law wrote.

That is two players capable of putting up 7.0+ WAR seasons individually that New York has to replace, which is a tall task for a team when everything is going right.

Given the challenges the Yankees are facing, a tumble down the standings, unfortunately, seems inevitable.