Yankees: MLB’s rankings love NYY rotation and Twitter is furious

The New York Yankees did a high-variance and admirable job filling out their rotation depth this winter — especially when you think back to one point fairly deep in the offseason when Clarke Schmidt was, like, penciled into the No. 6 spot.

The “last line of defense” consisted of a few barely-proven rookies. It was fairly bleak.

All of a sudden, though, the team struck on both Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon when the DJ LeMahieu dam broke. Domingo German and Jordan Montgomery reported to spring training looking frisky. Luis Severino’s rehab was deemed to be ahead of schedule.

Everything looks a lot less bleak these days, and the world has taken notice. But that doesn’t mean that world is happy about the progress.

MLB.com released its rotation power rankings with just a few precious weeks to go before Opening Day, and in the name of embracing debate, they managed to anger the west coast’s most powerful fan base and every Yankee Hater in the Twittersphere.

Right up top, MLB bought the offseason’s hype and placed the Padres above the Dodgers, despite Los Angeles’ propensity to go nine deep in the rotation.

The Yankees ranked fourth, and, well…we love it, but we’re also a little bit confused.

Does the Yankees rotation rank ahead of the Nationals and White Sox?

This rotation is a lot better than people give it credit for, and the depth doesn’t get enough praise. People are far too focused on worst-case scenarios for Taillon, Kluber and Severino, and are likely distracted by Yankee Injury Fatigue, so we can certainly endorse giving the NYY top 10 — or even top five? — status.

The 2019 World Champion Nationals and Chicago White Sox do have valid arguments here. But when you really break it all down…Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole can lock eyes, Patrick Corbin is a strong mid-rotation option, but is Stephen Strasburg now really more trustworthy than the Yankees’ crew?

If Michael Kopech comes out throwing flames in the season’s first week, the White Sox probably have the best No. 5 of any AL contender. Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are great. But is an aging Dallas Keuchel, relying on guile, really infallible? Anyone but the most ardent haters have to admit it’s not that crazy to see the Yankees all the way up here.

Of course, facts didn’t get in the way of Twitter’s discourse staying uncivil.

We’ll hand the Braves a ribbon here, too, if Ian Anderson is anything like his playoff version in the regular season.

Even at something below the peak of their powers, though, Cole-Taillon-Kluber-Montgomery-German-Garcia (with Severino waiting!) deserves to be somewhere in the upper echelon of any ranking, and the league just has to accept that.

Not seeing the Red Sox or Rays, by the way? Is that a typo?

Yankees: 3 ways NYY can cope with Zack Britton’s extended absence

The New York Yankees lost Zack Britton for at least three months to elbow surgery. How can they cope with his extended absence?