Yankees goals for 2020 to end with winning the World Series

Yankees must stay healthy

For one, we’ve already seen strength & conditioning coach Matt Krause fired. Following 30 players being placed on the IL across 39 stints, something needed to be done to clear the stigma of the Yankees incorrectly training their players to the point of breaking down.

So who are some of the men that need to have a healthy, productive season for the Yankees to defeat all comers?

• Aaron Judge
• Giancarlo Stanton
• Luis Severino
• Gary Sanchez
• Luke Voit

Each need to prove they have moved past the injuries that plagued them in 2019. With Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez in the everyday lineup, the Yankees are scary. Even with a lack of left-handed power (Aaron Hicks isn’t expected back until August), Judge and Stanton can drive the ball the opposite way, relegating the need to acquire a lefty stick.

Sanchez, who did improve blocking balls, still needs work on his frame rate — even if his arm is elite. A catcher with his type of hitting ability doesn’t come along very often. Therefore a change in positions would decrease his value, so we shouldn’t expect one until the Yankees have finally given up in their quest to make him an above-average backstop.

Getting a full season out of Luke Voit would be a plus as well — not only because we’ve yet to see the level of production (on both sides of the ball) he’s capable of across a full campaign, but also because the future of Mike Ford depends on it.

Ford slugged 12 home runs in 143 at-bats — and while he would add an extra left-handed power bat, Ford’s defense is only marginally better than Voit’s. Although he likely gets a call-up at some point in 2020, expect Ford to begin the season at Triple-A Scranton.

Yankees pitching staff

Luis Severino only pitched in three regular-season games last season and still managed to excite us about his potential. With Cole and Paxton likely slotted in front of him in the rotation, Sevvy should feel far less pressure, which should enable him to be the best No. 3 in all of baseball.

In a walk-year, I expect Masahiro Tanaka to step up his game big time. While it would be wonderful to get “postseason Masa” for 30-plus starts, the Yanks will take a backend of the rotation starter with an ERA in the mid three’s capable of eating close to 185 innings.

Domingo German’s impending suspension muddles the final spot in the rotation, but the organization looks to have plenty of depth. While J.A. Happ and his $17 million salary are expected to be moved to lower the team’s current $240 million payroll, Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga, and top prospect Deivi Garcia could all contend for the last slot.

The bullpen should be the biggest winner of Yankee starter depth this upcoming season. Without the need to use Chad Green as an opener, Green can fall back into his familiar Swiss Army knife role. Particularly useful in two-inning stints, Green is the perfect reliever if a starter has a poor outing and needs to be yanked after just three or four frames.

Following a disastrous 2018, that saw him spend the majority of the season either injured or in Triple-A, Tommy Kahnle is primed to build off a stellar ’19. Aaron Boone had no problem using him in high-leverage situations, and there is no reason why that won’t happen again.

Zack Britton has an opt-out after 2020, and like Tanaka, I would expect him to be lights-out to potentially cash in as a closer somewhere other than the Bronx in 2021. As for Adam Ottavino, his first season in New York started out beautifully, but he was porous as the year wore on. With a tension-filled season under his belt, the Brooklyn native should rebound nicely.

Aroldis Chapman signed an extension with the Yanks and will resume his closer duties. Despite losing two mph on his fastball, Chapman won the AL Reliever of the Year Award thanks in large part to his devastating slider.

Although there is an opening in the ‘pen following the departure of Dellin Betances, the Yanks have plenty of internal options if they decide not to pursue Josh Hader of the Brewers. They include:

• Luis Cessa
• Jonathan Holder
• Ben Heller
• Stephen Tarpley
• Michael King

Yankees bench

While I contend that the club should make Tyler Wade their super-utility player, Thairo Estrada will be given plenty of chances in camp to win a bench role. Both have similarities; however, I’d give Wade the nod due to his speed, prowess to play six different positions, and left-handed-hitting ability (even if it’s still a work in process).

Career minor leaguer Kyle Higashioka looks to be Gary Sachez’s understudy — and although the organization says they wholeheartedly believe in the 29-year-old, they still signed veteran backstop Erik Kratz to a minor league contract.

With Brett Gardner back in center field, at least until Hicks’ return, that leaves Mike Tauchman and Clint Frazier to battle it out for left. If Stanton is deployed in the outfield, then only one man will claim a roster spot. Following his breakout 2019, it would be surprising not to see Tauchman make the opening day roster.

However, if Stanton should become the everyday DH as a way to keep him healthy, then both Tauchman and Frazier could make the team — as a positional battle could bring out the very best in the pair.

Similarly, Miguel Andujar will be fully healed from his partial labrum tear and ready to fight to reclaim third base. Unfortunately for him, Gio Urshela had a monster year.

So unless Andujar shows his timing is intact and he tears the cover off the ball in spring — forcing himself into the DH role, he could begin the year at Triple-A because he has minor league options remaining and Urshela does not.

Reliable Yankees

The final piece of the puzzle for the 2020 Yankees to bring the championship back to the Bronx is for their reliable players to perform accordingly.

As Yankee fans love to remind the baseball world, Gleyber Torres is 23. And although he put up monster stats last season, and should have garnered more MVP attention than he did, if Torres replicate, or dare I say, achieve more than he did in ’19, we may be looking at a generational talent.

Shifting to his natural shortstop position full-time without wondering if he’d need to flip back to second base should only further allow Torres to flourish on both sides of the ball.

D.J. LeMahieu is in the same boat. Entering the final year of his contract, it’s entirely possible the 31-year-old duplicates his insanely good 2019. However, the Yankees simply need him to play to his ability and be the steadying influence he was, not only as the team’s leadoff man but a Gold Glove-winning second baseman that also plays an intelligent first.

Brett Gardner probably won’t hit 28 home runs again, and he’s likely to bat towards the bottom of the lineup, but if he can play a solid center field, and get on base at a .330 clip while acting as a calming influence in the Yankee clubhouse, then he’s well worth $12.5M.

Let’s not forget about manager Aaron Boone. He definitely had a better sophomore season managing the bullpen. Now working alongside new pitching coach Matt Blake, the handling of the pitching rotation, in general, should only get better.

Boone faced a ton of challenges with the roster last season due to all the injuries but passed with flying colors. Entering his third year as Yankee skipper, Boone will feel perhaps more pressure than anyone to succeed in pinstripes, but like his players, he’s a savage — ready to raise the World Series trophy in 2020.