Yankees: What we know before the start of 162

With so much rah-rah about the Yankees, it’s easy to overlook what’s right in front of us, the truth. Here’s precisely what we know now that opening day has finally arrived.

The time between the final out of the World Series and the first pitch of opening day often doesn’t change by more than a handful of days. However, for Yankees fans, the start of the 2018 season seemed at times like it would never arrive.

From the Earth-shattering acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton to the hiring of ESPN analyst Aaron Boone as manager and the recent but unsurprising news that Greg Bird will miss 6-to-8 weeks following right ankle surgery, the one thing we should fully expect this season is a rollercoaster of emotions.

Often, games dropped in late March, and early April comes back to haunt a contending club in September. So it’s vital that the Yanks get off to a hot start and set the pace for the competitive AL East.

Beginning one of 162 in Toronto will be a challenge; not because the Blue Jays are world-beaters — most pundits have them fighting the Orioles for a third-place finish, around the 81-81 mark.

Instead, the team from the north that recently acquired former Bombers Yangervis Solarte and Curtis Granderson typically play the Yankees tough at Rogers Centre. So much so that New York is 5-14 in its last 19 games in Ontario.

But it’s a new season, so let’s not dwell on negative numbers of the past. Instead, I’ll point to the Yankees’ all-time 63-51-1 record on opening day. The one tie came against the Red Sox way back in 1910.

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As far as the lineup Aaron Boone is trotting out against left-hander J.A. Happ, I’m not surprised one bit. It’s the exact infield setup I told Bronx Bombers Podcast the club would use.

For those that would have rathered seen Tyler Wade get the nod at second base following his stellar spring, have patience, he will get his chance.

As Boone recently told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Wade will play a lot.

The same can be said for top prospects, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar. What began during Spring Training as a time to “play the kids,” ended with the realization that to beat the best, you need to play the guys that enable you to win now.

Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday on “The Michael Kay Show,” that expectations have been multiplied due to the results of 2017; however, with paramount excitement, all the pieces must fall perfectly in place to be the last team standing.

"“It’s going to be an uphill battle. It always is in our division. It’s a tough division, and it won’t be any different this year. But I believe we’ve got a real shot.”"

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Like Torres and Andujar, Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield and perhaps even Greg Bird, all will get their chance to open a new campaign, probably come 2019. It’d be that much sweeter if they were to do so for the defending World Series Champions.