Yankees fans are no doubt spoiled when it comes to championships. It could be a lot worse though: The Guardians’ fan base has not seen a title in 75 seasons. That said, the Commissioner’s Trophy has not resided in the Bronx since 2009. Yankee fans, including me, and Yankee brass are starving for another World Championship. The 2024 season almost brought the long-awaited crown to The Bronx, but the Yankees came up short, losing to the Dodgers in six games. New York, as is the norm, has had a busy offseason trying to make the necessary roster tweaks to win it all in 2025.
Postseason Success
I was fortunate enough to grow and watch the great Yankees teams of the late 90s. The great Joe Torre led the Yankees to four World Series titles in six years and an incredible 12-game World Series winning streak. Torre used to hang his hat on three things during the postseason: pitching, defense and timely hitting. In essence, these are the key statistics that drive postseason success.
This was never more illustrated than in the Yankees’ loss to the Dodgers in this year’s Fall Classic. The overall statistics were very close, the Dodgers hit .206 and the Yankees .212, New York pitched to a 3.83 ERA, which was almost a full run lower than the Dodgers’ 4.80 ERA and the L.A. edged the Yankees in runs scored just 25-24.
The difference was Los Angeles got the timely hits, as Freddie Freeman’s four home runs and 12 runs batted in were by far the key moments in the series. Four of five games were decided by three runs or less, and the Dodgers won all of them. New York’s 11-4 victory in Game 4 skewed the overall statistics and somewhat masked how cutch Los Angeles was.
Offseason Moves
The loss of Juan Soto loomed large for the Yankees, their response was signing free agent pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year 218 million dollar contract. The Yankees forecast Fried to slot into the number two spot behind ace Gerrit Cole. Adding Fried deepens the back end of their starting rotation, allowing Carlos Rodon and Luis Gil to slot down.
Soto’s signing with the Mets left a huge void in the Yankees outfield. New York answered that by trading for Cubs Outfielder Cody Bellinger, giving the Yankees that coveted left-handed power bat. Bellinger matches up well with Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch. All the best Yankee teams in history always had pop from the left side Paul O’Neil, David Justice, Juan Soto the list is endless.
Final Thoughts
The Yankees enter the 2025 season as a World Series favorite, and it will again come down to crucial moments in the postseason. My argument has always been that the Yankees are built more to win in the regular season than in the postseason. In the playoffs, you face the top pitchers, and relying on the home run does not work. Analytics has taken over baseball, but it should be a tool to assist the manager, not a substitute for coaching.
For example, baseball analytics is more focused on launch angle and exit velocity, however it does not frown upon strikeouts. Striking out is one of the most unproductive outs in baseball, and postseason runs are so valuable. Teams must be able to bunt, move runners over, and hit to win close games. Former Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said it best, “get ‘em on, get ‘em over, and get ‘em in”. The 2025 Yankees must conquer the delicate balance between analytics and postseason success!
