What the Yankees proved in their rebuilding year

Did the Yankees play over their heads in 2017? Absolutely. Remember, this team wasn’t supposed to contend until 2019, at the earliest.

But even that truth doesn’t make the Yankees falling one game shy of a World Series berth any less painful.

I mean, to go through another 162-game schedule, potential wild-card game, five-game ALDS and seven-game ALCS, one year from now, seems so hard to fathom. Not because this collection of talent can’t navigate the same road — on the contrary they can. It’s just that October baseball in the year 2018 is far, far away.

And anything can happen between now and then — good, bad or indifferent.

Does Masahiro Tanaka opt out of the remaining 3-years, $67 million remaining on his contract? Will anyone in their right mind take Jacoby Ellsbury off our hands? Can Clint Frazier force his way into an everyday outfield job? Where does Todd Frazier fit into the team next year? Does Joe Girardi return for his 11th season as skipper?

All valid questions better saved for a time not so directly connected to dropping Game 7.

Because when you think about all the missed opportunities the Yanks let slip through their fingers against the Astros, it makes you mad. And when you’re mad, you say things you regret.

From poor baserunning to strikeouts galore, and a failure to field one-bouncers to leaving pitchers just a little too long, mistakes in the postseason usually come back to haunt you.

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The imperative thing now, is for each and every member of this club that returns to Tampa in March of next year, is to learn from their shortcomings and simply get better.

Similar to the Kansas City Royals, who fell to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series, yet won it all one season later — and the Chicago Cubs, who lost to the New York Mets in the 2015 NLCS, only to become World Champs in 2016, the Yankees have set themselves up for a monumental feat in 2018.

The Yankees can’t get crazy this offseason. They need to follow the blueprint general manager Brian Cashman has been building over the past 15 months. Continue to put an emphasis on grooming top prospects, while being unafraid to add one or two key veterans that will lead by example and bring a bit of tenacity when it’s needed most.

Surely, questions remain, but for the first time in a long time, the Yanks have more answers than anything else.

This season, alone, the Yankees confirmed to the world they have:

• A perennial MVP (Aaron Judge)
• The most feared offensive catcher in the game (Gary Sanchez)
• Derek Jeter‘s replacement (Didi Gregorius)
• A legitimate young ace (Luis Severino)
• A hungry, motivated and highly valuable veteran leadoff hitter (Brett Gardner)
• The best bullpen in the American League
• A top-five farm system
• Enough trade chips to acquire whatever they need
• Proved they’re back and here to stay!

Next: Just name Aaron Judge the AL MVP!

If the Yanks aren’t picked by each and every baseball pundit to not only win the 2018 AL East but return to the ALCS, then something is seriously wrong.