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2017 American League East Preview: Can Red Sox Repeat?

By Rob Hill

Mar 14, 2017; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) reacts after he struck out during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2017; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) reacts after he struck out during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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#2 New York Yankees 

Now before you decide to stop reading, let me explain why I believe the Yankees will finish in second place in 2017. The Gary Sanchez era has begun in New York and I am riding on this bandwagon extremely hard. Hitting 20 home runs in 201 at bats is no fluke, and manager Joe Girardi will rely heavily on the 24-year-old backstop to carry the lineup all season long.

Many around baseball believe the Yankees are “rebuilding” but instead they replenished their farm system at last year’s trade deadline while still landing themselves right in the middle of contention for 2017. One of the players they traded away, closer Aroldis Chapman, returned to New York this past offseason with a record setting deal for a relief pitcher.

The Pinstripes bullpen with Chapman and Dellin Betances will lock down games all season for the Yankees, but their one achilles heel continues to be their starting rotation. Masahiro Tanaka, their ace, is one of the best around when healthy. After that is where the question marks start to fly.

Aging veteran C.C. Sabathia had a nice bounce back season last year, and the Yankees still have young starters Michael Pineda and Luis Severino that are flooded with talent. A lineup mixed with a good blend of veterans and young stars, and a dominate back end of the bullpen could put the Yankees back in the postseason for the first time since 2015.

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