Yankees: 3 X-Factors in Shortened 2020 MLB Season

1 of 3

The New York Yankees are about to play a very unique 2020 season with some tricks up their sleeve.

The New York Yankees are about to play a season unlike any other, and will have to entirely refocus their mindset from 2019. “Next Man Up” is now “Please Don’t Force Us to Bring the Next Man Up From the Taxi Squad in Nashville,” and if there’s any hope of a first-place finish, it will likely feature mostly first- and second-stringers.

So, where are the Yankees most equipped to succeed in a 60-game sprint rather than a 162-game marathon? Where is the depth a notch better than their competitors?

In an effort to look for advantages for the Yanks in a world where the playing field is suddenly much more level and tilted towards those with young legs who can bounce back quickly, these three areas stand out.

3. Yankees: Miguel Andujar

Miguel Andujar #41 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Miguel Andujar could change the complexion of the 2020 Yankees season.

If Miguel Andujar approximates what he did for the New York Yankees in 2018, the NYY will have a Rookie of the Year candidate’s bat at their disposal. They’ll also have the ability to float him around the diamond in a way they were wholly unable to during his rookie year.

When Andujar arrived, he was a bat-first, glove-very-much-last option, and the team had very little recourse for such things. Now, the landscape has changed entirely. The Yankees have Gio Urshela entrenched at third, and the versatile DJ LeMahieu now on the roster, who can play third in a pinch.

Andujar can play third at times if he drastically improves, sure, but the Yanks were insured against his arrival this time around. He can play left. He can DH. He can fill slots and allow Giancarlo Stanton and the other outfielders to rest.

Even if all Andujar does is find the middle ground between his shoulder-marred 2019 and his exemplary ’18 debut, he’d be a valuable weapon for a team that could use elite and movable bats for a two-month blast-off.

2. Yankees: Outfield Depth

Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees and Mike Tauchman #39 (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

The Yankees will have exceptional outfield depth in 2020.

When New York brings their 30-man roster to the diamond to start off 2020, they could have six All-Star-level outfield bats in play — seven, depending on what you think of Rosell Herrera (half-kidding?).

Beyond Stanton, Judge, Hicks and Brett Gardner, New York will also have the luxury of carrying Mike Tauchman, who hopefully builds off his landmark 2019 debut with a bit less pressure laid upon him, as well as Clint Frazier, who simply has to be here as long as the minor-league season is canceled.

And, of course, Hicks is back just in time.

Days off aren’t really a part of the game plan for 2020, but small nicks and bruises are going to happen, and players simply…aren’t going to be able to give 110% day after day following a three-month layoff (or longer, if you’re talking about every single starter). A team relying on Stanton, Judge and Hicks to deliver every single day after they’ve accrued a combined 27 months of rest come July would be set up for disaster.

But the Yankees’ entire second unit is a starting outfield for some of their AL competitors. Depth matters less in a short season, but it matters so much in the area where the Yankees are most well-stocked. It will be tough to navigate a 60-game season where Judge is absent, but there’s so much to trust here.

And speaking of depth and strange times…

1. Yankees: Bullpen Behemoths

Adam Ottavino #0 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The New York Yankees bullpen is suited for a 60-game season.

New York’s overload of bullpen arms is a luxurious X-factor that their chief rivals simply do not have.

In a 162-game season, there are games that can be sacrificed, and opportunities that can be afforded to lesser relievers and rookies looking to prove themselves. It may feel especially frustrating after you’ve just watched baseball for three hours, but it’s true. In the grand scheme of things, some of the emphasis and burden has to be placed on lesser arms for the greater good.

But what of the 60-game sprint? Bullpen aces still have to be kept fresh, but every game counts. Therefore, the Yankees’ second battalion of relievers is a massive advantage come 2020.

If Aroldis Chapman can’t close, Zack Britton can go. Adam Ottavino can rest in favor of Tommy Kahnle. Chad Green can’t get burnt out again this time — so Luis Cessa can air it out for a few innings. New York’s bullpen was built for a full season, sure, but as long as the starters are providing length, there are things the NYY can do in a short sprint that we’d previously considered to be October strategies.

Next. Revisiting NYY's Michael King Trade. dark

Luckily, there’s enough oomph in this ‘pen to hopefully help carry the team where others will falter — who’s that second line of defense in Houston? In Boston? Bottom line, the Yankees (and Rays) are built in a way their rivals aren’t, and both teams will have a unique advantage in this strange new world.

Home / Yankees News