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3 Reasons the Yankees Will Clearly Be Better in 2020

By Steven Kubitza

The New York Yankees have a new ace in 2020.
The New York Yankees have a new ace in 2020. / Mike Stobe/Getty Images

The New York Yankees made it to the ALCS in 2019 and decided to go all in this offseason in signing Gerrit Cole to a $324 million deal. The team has not won a World Series since 2009, which is a long time for such a historic organization whose standards are typically "championship or bust."

Could 2020 be the year for the Bronx Bombers? Several offseason changes point to the Yankees possibly turning it around and building off of last year's successful campaign.

3. A Healthy Giancarlo Stanton

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was injured for most of 2019.
New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was injured for most of 2019. / Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

It's easy to forget the Yankees were without Giancarlo Stanton for most of the 2019 season. He's one of the most elite bats in baseball and the Yankees advanced to the ALCS without him, though he did return for the postseason in a limited role. The 2017 NL MVP is essentially another Cole-like signing for the Yankees given he's healthy for the start of the season. Expect this lineup to be even more threatening come Opening Day.

2. The Addition of Gerrit Cole

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is one of the best in the game.
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is one of the best in the game. / Mike Stobe/Getty Images

The Yankees finally landed Gerrit Cole after originally drafting him back in 2008. He signed a record $324 million deal that will have him in the Bronx for almost a decade. He finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2019 with a 2.50 ERA and an insane 326 strikeouts. He has had a sub-3.00 ERA each of the past two seasons will be the first surefire Yankees ace the team has seen in quite some time.

1. Red Sox in Turmoil

The New York Yankees have a leg up on their rivals.
The New York Yankees have a leg up on their rivals. / Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The biggest challenger to the Yankees in the AL East is (or at least was) the Boston Red Sox. That team recently fired its manager and is holding up the Mookie Betts mega-deal with the Dodgers, all the while still being under investigation by the MLB. The whole team is in a state of turmoil and may go through serious regression in 2020 with lack of proper management and talent. That gives the Yankees the advantage both in head-to-head matchups and in the standings over the course of the season. New York could cruise to another AL East pennant and only have the Rays pester them along the way.