Yankees overachieved in 2018, so let’s look ahead to next season

Yankees rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar were a pleasant surprise. Giancarlo Stanton and Sonny Gray disappointed. Aaron Judge missed nearly two months and Aaron Boone still won 100 games as a manager with no experience.

After ending 2017 on the precipice of the World Series with a Game 7 ALCS loss, the Yankees entered 2018 with lofty goals. A new manager in Aaron Boone and the acquisition of reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton to combine with basher Aaron Judge; this was a fresh era in Bombers history, and the expectation was championship or bust.

However, the Yankees ended their latest campaign on a whimper, bowing out to the heavily favored Red Sox on a Gleyber Torres groundout with two runners on in the bottom of the ninth.

While the Yanks will have to wait to hang World Series banner No. 28 — 2018 was not a bust. This year was a massive success and only raises expectations for next year.

Foremost, the 2018 Yankees overachieved from the get-go. Rookies Miguel Andujar ( .297/.328/.527) and Torres (.271/.340/.480) were a pleasant surprise. Combined, they hit 51 home runs and had 169 RBIs.

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Aaron Hicks had a breakout year. He hit for a career-high 27 homers and 79 RBIs while mostly batting in the leadoff spot. Hicks was among the league leaders in defensive fielding percentage and was rarely run on for sacrifice flies. He also showed discipline at the plate, walking 90 times with an .366 on-base percentage, well above the league average of .318.

Luke Voit provided a spark as a trade deadline acquisition. In 132 at-bats, he slashed 333/.405/.689 with 14 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 91 total bases. He bested Greg Bird’s numbers in half the plate appearances and displaced him as the starter at first base.

Luis Severino goes into next season as the undisputed ace of the Yankees pitching staff. He finished 2018 with 17 quality starts, a 19-8 record and a 3.39 ERA. His pre and post All-Star numbers are vastly different (14-2 record and a 2.31 ERA versus 5-6 and 5.57) so Severino will need to improve on not fading as the season progresses.

He can learn a few tips from the veteran C.C. Sabathia. The 38-year old burly left-hander hits free agency this winter, uncertain about his future. Over 29 starts, Sabathia was 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 153 innings. Reportedly, Sabathia would like to give it another go on a one-year deal, even if it isn’t in New York.

Considering Aaron Judge missed nearly two months — and the many disappointments including Bird (.199 batting average), Gary Sanchez (.186), Sonny Gray (4.90 ERA and subsequently dropped from the starting rotation), and Stanton’s career-high 211 strikeouts, the Yankees managed to win 100 games in Aaron Boone’s managerial debut, which is a rarity in itself.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox and Astros are both better teams built for the playoffs. They have contact hitters who are quick on the base paths. This is where the Yanks need to improve in order to go deep into the postseason. Voit provides power but he can’t get from first to third on a bloop single to left field, and that’s partially why the Yankees struggled.

Also, the Bombers need to add depth and youth to their pitching. Can Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams crack the starting rotation? Will Domingo German become consistent as a starter? Will David Robertson be back in middle relief?

There are indeed more questions than answers, but 2018 was a great year, and there’s a lot of positives to look forward to in 2019.