3 biggest Yankees winners and 3 biggest losers at the Memorial Day checkpoint

The 2023 New York Yankees followed up an April to forget with a May to pique your interest. They remain imperfect, like most modern iterations of the Yankees. There are roster holes. There are trades unmade. There is, no longer, Aaron Hicks.

But, while they are imperfect, they also reside in an imperfect climate. The powerhouse Rays, thriving on offense over pitching (??), have come back down to earth slightly, like most hoped they would but feared they wouldn't. The AL East is now attainable for the Orioles and Yanks.

Outside of Tampa Bay, potentially ... does anyone scare you? The Texas Rangers are hitting at an historic clip with RISP. The Atlanta Braves struggle to defend their home turf. The Astros are alive, but aren't hitting as much as they should be and banked plenty on Jose Abreu. The Mets, Blue Jays, and Phillies are all stuck in the mud. The Dodgers are losing pitchers every six hours. The Yankees will not be favored to win the World Series at any point this summer, but they also cannot be counted out in a transition year following a suspect offseason. That's an accomplishment -- due in large part to their surroundings, but earned by the players, too.

Turning around the bend from Memorial Day, when this is all supposed to "start counting," there are more winners than losers on this roster, something we didn't expect at any point in April. Just missing the cut, in the confusing "winner/loser" category: Anthony Volpe, who's had moments of joy and moments of grief, and Harrison Bader, who feels like the Yankees' center fielder in 2024 and beyond, but also can't stay on the field.

Also just missing the cut in the "massive loser" category: The whining Toronto Blue Jays.

Yankees Winner: Aaron Judge, His Post-Contract Legacy, and His MVP Win

Nobody in their right mind would've called Aaron Judge's record-setting 62-homer season a "fluke," but plenty of people spent too much time worrying this offseason about the "back end" of Judge's long-term deal without thinking about the here and now.

Judge has proven, despite missing a short time on the shelf after an ill-fated slide, that he will be driving the Yankees for the next several seasons, and he might be doing it better than any other superstar.

What else needs to be said? Judge is an absurd two-way player, pairing effortlessly exceptional defense with a seemingly unyielding supply of laser beam homers and doubles. He is the best hitter in baseball. He is a game-changing talent in right. He deserved the plaudits last season, and he'll be here for a very long time. Whoever doubted him this offseason/in early April -- plenty of people, this isn't quite, "But I was told Steph Curry wasn't a good shooter..." -- already must prepare for the possibility that his entire prime will look like the 62-homer campaign.

Yankees Loser: Clarke Schmidt's Chance

Former Yankees top prospect Clarke Schmidt's days as a starter aren't done. He's not at the end of his rope.

But ... since Schmidt emerged in 2020 spring training, before the world shut down, as some sort of weapon, appearing ready to live up to his first-round pedigree, he's been waiting for a chance to crack a rotation that seemed more willing to trade assets for stars like Frankie Montas rather than let him cook. His 2022 campaign in the bullpen was excellent; his start at Citi Field was not.

Due to untimely Carlos Rodón/Luis Severino/Montas injuries this winter and spring, though, Schmidt had a golden opportunity this year to prove himself to be essential. With Severino and Montas reaching free agency next winter, he could turn himself into a long-term piece if he could just figure out the cutter and start dismissing left-handers. Hell, due to the injury deluge, he began 2023 as the No. 2 starter against the Giants.

The cutter didn't work. In fact, it might've thrown the rest of his arsenal off and altered his spin. While he's seen better days recently, the ERA remains in the mid-5.00s. Schmidt might be a starter for the Yankees moving forward, but he didn't cement it, given a massive opportunity to do so.

Yankees Winner: Surprising Bullpen

The Yankees signed Tommy Kahnle to lengthen out the back end of their bullpen. They believed in a Clay Holmes bounce back. They had full seasons of Jonathan Loaisiga and Lou Trivino in their plans.

Instead, Holmes has been solid, but his year has been defined by shakiness and a 1.409 WHIP. The other three hurlers have combined for 3.1 innings this season, all of them from Loaisiga; Kahnle should be back soon, and Trivino will miss the year following Tommy John surgery. And yet ... the Yankees lead all teams entering play on Tuesday with a bullpen ERA of 2.95, edging out Cleveland's 3.09 mark.

They've done it thanks, in large part, to Michael King returning to Michael King levels, as well as Wandy Peralta maintaining his playoff momentum. The story of the Yankees' 2023 bullpen cannot be told without the underdogs, though, from Ron Marinaccio to Ian Hamilton to Jimmy Cordero to absolutely Ryan Weber, who closed a game in Cincinnati and induced a harmless sacrifice fly from Vlad Guerrero Jr. with the bases loaded and one out in the "biggest short-handed game of the year" so far. Even Albert Abreu deserves some credit; outside of the Taylor Walls grand slam he shouldn't have been inserted to surrender, he's been a largely serviceable mop-up man.

Scorn the Yankees front office for their offensive failings and rotation issues all you want, and you'd be right to do so. But man, can these people ever print a bullpen. Now, it's up to these emerging pieces to prove they can handle October, too.

Yankees Loser: Nestor Cortes' Guaranteed Future

Nestor Cortes Jr. has done too much excellent pitching over the past two-plus seasons to be labeled a fluke. That said, there's something in between an All-Star and a failure, and it's entirely possible Cortes has not cemented himself as a long-term rotation stalwart. Especially if he keeps stalling out the third time through the order.

Cortes is under team control through 2025; he won't be going anywhere for the next several seasons (especially if his trade value continues to dip). The reason some fans feared he could be traded this offseason, though, was the Yankees' propensity to sell high on assets they feared might take a tumble. Viewing Cortes as a person would've stopped any trade in its tracks. Viewing him as a moving puzzle piece, though? It was worrisome -- especially considering the Yankees' potential fears have reared their ugly head for season's first two months.

Entering his start Tuesday night in Seattle, Cortes held a 2.03 ERA in innings one through four, followed by a 14.44 ERA with seven bombs the rest of the way. After his worst start of the season, an uncharacteristic early implosion in Texas, he was given extra rest to battle back from strep throat. Unfortunately, that solved nothing.

Ultimately, the Yankees opted to keep their rotation's heart and soul -- smart -- and will now have to hope he can get over whatever stamina hump has tripped him up to begin 2023.

Yankees Winner: Co-Captain Anthony Rizzo

When the Yankees swiftly brought back Anthony Rizzo this offseason, it seemed like an early salvo in the Judge sweepstakes. Why wouldn't the hulking slugger reconsider the Yankees after they made an immediate dedication to his running mate?

While it seems likely Judge would've ultimately taken Hal Steinbrenner's package anyway, having Rizzo back for 2023 and 2024 (and possibly 2025, if the Yankees pick up his team option) was a nice bonus for No. 99, who now maintains his co-captain in the locker room.

And oh, by the way, Rizzo still rakes.

Whether the shift ban has changed things materially or raised his confidence is a subjective debate for another day. The bottom line is, he's managed to stay on his feet (when Fernando Tatis Jr. isn't barreling down on him) and has returned to his glory days offensively. Rizzo has punished the porch, and his Statcast metrics back up his .881 OPS. Despite what feel like defensive lapses, on occasion, he's still in the 85th percentile in Outs Above Average.

Just got to get that sprint speed up and we'll really be in business.

Whether the Yankees decide to pursue Japanese import Munetaka Murakami (or are seriously considered by the slugger) after 2024 is anyone's guess. For now, Rizzo is a perfect running mate for Judge, and the pairing is paying dividends.