The New York Yankees have Quietly Returned as One of Baseball's Best

A hot start to the season has seen the return to form of the New York Yankees, perennial World Series favorites of times gone by. For all their historical glory, the Yankees haven’t even reached the playoffs in two seasons. Their last title was in 2009. They don’t even have the biggest payroll in baseball anymore… That title belongs to the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. But through the early goings of April baseball, the Yankees have been strong, and they’ve built a solid 3-game lead in the AL East with a current standing of 17-10. Are they set to reclaim the title of baseball’s best?

It certainly seems so. For one, they’ve found a potential new ace in Michael Pineda. While the 26-year-old has had his fair share of personal blemishes and has overcome numerous injuries, his healthiness has provided a key benefit to the team. He’s 4-0 with a sub 3.00 ERA, ranking as the top pitcher of this team. Recent call-up Chase Whitley also figures to play a strong role with two very respectable starts to the season. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia and Adam Warren have struggled, though their potential show us how strong the Yankees could be.

Outside of the starters is where the Yankees' pitching staff has shined this season. It’s in the bullpen, where guys like Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances, and Esmil Rogers have dominated and rescued the team late in games. These players take a lot of the pressure off the starters and provide clean innings en route to victories. Strong bullpens lead to postseason success, and the Yankees are certainly feeling confident of that.

But let’s face it, these are the “Bronx Bombers” and offense is a major part of any Yankees lineup. Currently they own the 4^th highest runs total and the 4^th most home runs in all of the MLB. They’ve got power, and they can get on base. Jacoby Ellsbury leads off with confidence and a .358 batting average. He’s got a hit in all but 4 of his 25 games played! And then they’ve got power with Chris Young, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez. The trio has combined for 22 home runs already!

But of course, I feel that the triumphant return of A-Rod has played a big part in the Yankees’ revival of 2015. Despite all the hate, even from within his own organization, Rodriguez looks to have put it all behind him and moved on. All he’s doing is trying to help his team win. While his .227 average is marginal, his .489 slugging percentage is third on the team and his 16 RBI’s are second. His past troubles have probably matured him greatly and it looks as if he’s a respectable leader on a team oozing with brimming young talent.

While it’s certainly way too early to call for a Yankees World Series run, the early action in the season suggests that such dreams are a definite possibility in 2015. If the core team leaders can stay healthy and the players stay out of trouble, the Yankees might just be making a lot of noise come October!