Why I'm stupidly excited for the 2015 Yankees

Masahiro Tanaka. Ace of Diamond.
Aside from the memorable and nostalgic retirement tours for Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter (watch this epic video to relive those moments), the New York Yankees have absolutely stunk (relative to Yankee expectations) the past two years. Missing two consecutive postseason sucks. Watching an uninspiring cast of broken-down sluggers, struggling hurlers, and a bunch of replacement-level retreads sucks even more. Double ugh.

But...that doesn't mean I won't follow and root for the team anymore. There are still plenty of reasons to watch and cheer for the Yankees and well, here are mine.

Warning: The following list contains tons of baseball jargon, inside jokes, and unfamiliar names. Enjoy!

1. Masahiro Tanaka's splitter - An absolute thing of beauty. Unless you're the batter flailing helplessly against it.
Filthy.
2. The return of A-Rod - The most enigmatic Yankee ever is back and I am secretly rooting for him to mash this season.
How can you not like this guy?
3. Above replacement level performance from CC, Tex, and Beltran - This one seems more like a wish than something I would expect. But these three grizzled veterans need to perform well if the Yankees want to contend this season.
That belly is in the best shape of its life.
4. Big Mike's swagger - More biting slider, more impeccable control, less shoulder troubles (knock on wood!) and less pine tar incidents please.
Oh, and tilt that cap some more.

5. Dellin Betances and saves - While no one has been appointed as the new closer after D-Rob took his high socks to the White Sox, I would gladly accept seeing knee-bending knuckle curves in the 9th inning.

Filthy. Again.
6. Sir Didi Gregorius a.k.a the heir to Jeter - No easy feat to replace the greatest shortstop of the franchise but if you've got an 80 name and an 80 smile like Didi, I think you'll be fine,
Charming.
7. Nathan Eovaldi, the new toy - Anytime you get a 25-year old workhorse who throws mid-90s heat, you can't help but feel giddy about the possibility of that arm anchoring your rotation for years. Welcome to the Bronx, Nate.
We need that intensity, kid.
8. The International Free Agency bonus babies - Last year, the Yankees splurged and signed a ton of young kids from Latin America. This year, we get to see the debut of that historic haul.
16 year-old Juan De Leon and some random dude.
9. Lastly, the arrival of prospects from the farm - Severino, Judge, Lindgren, Bird, Sanchez, Refs, Austin, Webb, Rumbelow, etc all have a chance to debut this year. I don't think the farm has been this stacked since the days of The Big 3. Oh, the memories.
The Future.
Plenty of stuff and stories to look forward to. See you all on Opening Day! (This is actually my first Yankee-related post here. Hooray for that!)



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