8 Yankees 2022 stories that can shape their 2023 season
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Follow UsThe New York Yankees’ 2022 have many moments worthy of being recorded in their history. From Aaron Judge’s home run record and his $360-million contract to Nestor Cortes’ magnificent comeback season, fans have many things to remember. Despite their inglorious playoff exit, the massive stride in winter signings caps the year as one of the most memorable for the Yankees. Here are eight best moments of the Yankees in 2022 with a bearing on their future.
#1. All Rise
Aaron Judge’s 62 home runs in a single season in the American League is the most memorable thing about the Yankees’ 2022 season. Judge hit the record-setting homer on October 4 at Globe Life Field. This ended a week-long chase in which thousands of fans stood up in unison for each at-bat, silently raising their cell phones in the hopes of capturing history.
Aaron Judge has emerged as the best player in the world. He broke Roger Maris‘ record, which had stood for 61 years, and was in a good position to win the Yankees’ first Triple Crown since Mickey Mantle in 1956. Judge led the Major Leagues in runs (133), home runs (33), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), and total bases (391). This offseason, when he cashes in as a free agent with a nine-year, $360-million contract. The Yankees are hoping it’s on their side in the quest for the title in 2023.
#2. The legend of Nasty Nastor
The Yankees’ favorite story of 2022, besides Judge becoming MVP, was Nestor Cortes‘ continued success. The left-handed pitcher was loved in the clubhouse and by fans for his humble attitude and effective mix of pitches. In 28 starts, he was 12-4 with an ERA of 2.44, which got him his first All-Star nod.
Nestor Cortes was traded twice before the Yankees gave him a small contract in 2021. When the lefty thought his career was over, he turned out to be the most reliable pitcher for the Yankees. Because he is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, it looks like he is more of a fan than a professional athlete. Before Nestor Cortes became a folk hero this year, he was 12-4 and had a 2.44 ERA, which was a full run better than Cole. He was put on the waiver list, let go, and traded for money that could be used to help other people. But in 2022, he was back and became a fan favorite.
#3. The young brigade emerges from the shadow
Both Oswaldo Cabrera, who played both infield and outfield, and Oswaldo Peraza, who played infield, gave reasons to be optimistic about the Yankees’ future. Both made starts in the playoffs after making their major league debuts in the second half of the season. Cabrera and Peraza may be in competition with Anthony Volpe to be the starting shortstop when Spring Training starts.
Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, and Oswald Peraza are the top three position player prospects for the Yankees, according to FanGraphs. Peraza has already played in Major League Baseball for the first time, and it’s possible that Volpe will do the same this season. Dominguez, who is only 19, might join in the fun in 2024. When you look at their recent numbers, it’s easy to see why the club likes them so much.
#4. The empire strikes back with a new captain
The best part of Aaron Judge’s season, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, was how all of his teammates responded to his success. It was what a captain would have done. Anthony Rizzo said that Judge was the best and had everything. Nestor Cortes said that Aaron Judge should be made captain if he re-signed with the team in free agency. Harrison Bader, who joined the team in the middle of the season, said that Judge was nice to him even when Bader was in a boot because of plantar fasciitis.
All these qualities make Aaron Judge a perfect captain and the Yankees are fortunate to coronate him as their latest captain. Judge has a habit of doing extra work to get off any slump, even if it meant hitting in the middle of the night. He is less shy about telling his teammates, coaches, and people in the front office what he thinks about anything that has to do with the team. This is only going to get bigger and usher in a formidable era for the Yankees.
#5. The return of The Bronx’s son
When the Yankees traded for Harrison Bader last August, many people were surprised, especially since he was on the injured list boot at the time and his replacement lefty Jordan Montgomery immediately found success at his new home. But once he returned, Bader quickly won over fans. He had a great postseason, hitting .333 with five home runs and six RBIs, and he showed that he was worth the wait. The Yankees think that Bader’s great defense in the center field will save them a lot of runs while he can hit home runs at a faster pace.
#6. Hal tries to be like his Dad
On July 9, when the Yankees woke up in Boston, they had the best record in the major leagues at 61-23. They were 15 1/2 games ahead of the Rays, who were in second place in the American League East. It sounded too good to be real. From that point on, injuries and poor play slowed them down, and they ended up with a 38-40 record and a 3-7 record in the playoffs against the Guardians and Astros.
Fans began to slam Hal Steinbrenner. But during the off-season, Hal Steinbrenner showed he was willing to spend more to make the Yankees the best team in baseball and win the title like his father, George. The Yankees’ new captain, Aaron Judge, confirmed this on Wednesday when he said:
“He wants to win, just like his dad. What the Steinbrenner family has built here and done here with the Yankees is something special. I think he wants to continue to build on that legacy.”
Hal Steinbrenner has also said that the New York Yankees are “not done yet.” The Yankees gave Aaron Judge a deal for 9 years and $360 million. They also gave Carlos Rodon a deal for 6 years and $162 million. Hal Steinbrenner has made it clear that the Yankees are ready to sign more players to improve the team and build what he hopes will be the team’s first World Series team since 2009.
#7. Yankees rotation becomes no. 1
The Yankees did not need a starter worth more than $100 million before the offseason. The 2022 season was a good one for them because of how their starting lineup worked. From Nestor Cortes Jr. becoming a star to Gerrit Cole having one of the best seasons of his career, not many starting lineups were able to beat their starters. At the end of the regular season, the Yankees’ rotation was ranked fourth in all of baseball for team ERA (3.51), and fifth for total strikeouts (897).
With the addition of Carlos Rodon, the Yankees now have the best rotation in the major leagues. The reigning American League East champions got lucky when they added a left-handed pitcher who has a lot of experience getting batters out when runners are on base (RISP). Rodon has been able to use his four-seam fastball to overpower batters thanks to a small increase in speed and a big improvement in control. In 2021 and 2022, he used his fastball to get a total of 225 strikeouts. Rodon is going to pitch for the Yankees. Cole and Cortes, two of the best fastball pitchers in the American League right now, will be in the rotation with Rodon. This year, both pitchers were able to get to 100 strikeouts with just their four-seam fastballs.
Overall, the Yankees have put together a pretty well-balanced rotation, which is exactly what manager Aaron Boone hoped would happen during the offseason.
#8. A catcher in the reckoning
In 2022, Jose Trevino is the best player on the Yankees, but no one knew that when he joined the team. He was chosen as an All-Star for the first time in his career. He got a Gold Glove for how well he played in 2022. In the offseason, he had already won his first Fielding Bible Award. At bat, he had 11 home runs, 130 total bases, 43 runs, and a batting average of.248. This makes Jose Trevino the first Yankee to win the Platinum Glove in the award’s 12-year history. In the American League, Trevino is the first catcher to win it.
The 29-year-great old’s glovework gave the Yankees a solid base at catcher. Jose Trevino saved 21 runs because of how well he played defense behind the plate. He led the league with 33% of would-be base stealers being thrown out. When the Bombers got Jose Trevino on April 2, no one in the MLB knew that the Bronx was looking for a star catcher who can win big awards in the off-season. The Rangers got Albert Abreu and Robby Ahlstrom in exchange for him a few days before the season began.
Even though Jose Trevino played in a career-high number of games, he did a lot more on offense than most people thought he would (115). The 29-year-old hit .355/.396/.505 when there were runners in the scoring position. This was a big part of the thirty-one runs he drove in.
Jose Trevino played well in front of Yankees fans and helped get the team to the ALCS for the first time since 2019. He has said many times how much he loves New York and how much it means to him to play for the Yankees. The catcher for the Yankees loves playing in New York and can’t wait to get back on the field in 2023.
With all these positive signs, the Yankees are placed well for the 2023 title chase.
Will they win the 2023 World Series?
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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