Oddsmakers are once again expecting the AL to go through New York. While the Dodgers are favored to win it all, the Yankees are not far behind. Injuries have plagued the Yankees for what seems to be the past decade. The rotation has seen some departures, with Masahiro Tanaka returning to Japan. New York did bring in Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon to ensure the rotation with the frequent injuries to the rotation. The offense can certainly make up for an average staff if that occurs, as the Bronx Bombers will bring back a strong lineup top to bottom.
Yankees Odds to Win World Series: +500
Yankees Odds to Win AL: +210
Yankees Odds to Win AL East: -180
*Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook
New York Yankees Odds Analysis
Much like the last few years, the Yankees have been at the top of the American League odds and within an excellent group of teams for the World Series. They are currently favorites to win the AL East by a wide margin. It makes sense with Boston in the state they are in, Tampa making their usual trades, but Toronto will be the team people talk about. Nobody has a Gerrit Cole in the AL, but you can’t say the rotation is all that much better than most right now. I think it will be a bigger issue against National League.
While I like what Toronto has done and could certainly make a threat for the AL East, the Yankees would have to really struggle with injuries to give that up. Now getting to who comes out of the American League, if the rotation doesn’t get healthy or both Kluber/Taillon can’t find some second life in a new city, there is a chance for others to come out of the AL. The White Sox, Twins, and Blue Jays all have excellent offenses that can knock around the ball and hang with the best. Their rotations are not as good, which was where the Yankees had an edge. After Cole, there are question marks from 2-5.
New York Yankees Strengths and Weaknesses
The Yankees have a glaring weakness, and it is their durability. We can’t fully predict it, but we can take the last few years and have the injury history weigh in. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are two of the best power bats in the game but have struggled to stay healthy over the last few seasons. Now they have bats to cover, especially DJ LeMahieu re-signing and Luke Voit emerging as a major power bat. Luis Severino and James Paxton have missed a lot of late, but Paxton is now out of town. This led the Yankees to bring in Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon. Now they have a good bullpen to pressure off this rotation to go deeper into games because most of these guys haven’t shown that lately.
New York Yankees Prediction
With the usual powerhouse names like Houston and Boston not really in contention this year, the Yankees are the true powerhouse in the lead to win the AL. Many teams are looking to build a powerhouse, and within the division, Toronto has made that big stretch. Chicago and Minnesota have fun teams that can make deep runs as well. Health will be the deciding factor for how deep the Yankees can go. If they don’t get the pitching in line, I worry about them the deeper they go into the playoffs.
FAQ
Will the Yankees Make the Playoffs?
Are the Yankees a good betting value to win the World Series?
How many games will the Yankees Win?
Who is the best player on the Yankees?
Which team is the biggest threat to the Yankees in 2021?
What is the biggest challenge for the Yankees in 2021?
With the newly expanded playoff format, the Yankees are as good of a lock as any other Majors team to make the playoffs this season. With the top two teams in each division now making the playoffs, it is unlikely the Yankees finish third or worse in the AL East.
Yes. The Yankees are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best odds to win the World Series at the start of the 2021 season. Injuries are the only thing that can slow them down again.
We will need to wait and see what the schedule length is for the new season. We are looking close to a full year, and with their offense and bullpen, 90+ wins are certainly in their outlook.
Gerrit Cole is the best player on the Yankees. He has yet to win a Cy Young award but has been close in the voting. The Yankees needed a big-time ace and signed Cole a year ago. He will try and carry this rotation that is going to start the year with injuries.
The AL has seen some drop off in the big teams like the Red Sox and Astros. They have moved into a quick rebuild window, and we have now seen teams like the Twins, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Athletics emerge as contenders.
For the Yankees, health is their number one concern. After being baseball’s most injured team in 2020, the Yankees have already been hit with the injury bug. With an aging team with a rough injury history, staying healthy could be the difference between winning the World Series and making an early postseason exit.
