2008 New York Yankees Picks & Predictions

May 22, 2008

Dave Price’s 2008 New York Yankees predictions may not tell pin-stripes fans what they want to hear. This team has plenty of offensive fire power, but a suspect starting rotation could cost them. Find out if the Yankees will be able to overcome their pitching problems in this season preview.

Pitching

Chien-Ming Wang has emerged as the ace of the Yankees. This guy is the best since Greg Maddux, in his prime, at getting ground balls. He has produced 19-win campaigns in consecutive seasons, but his playoff woes are what everyone in New York is talking about. If the Yankees want a shot at another World Series title in 2008, Wang will have to take them there. Andy Pettitte will likely have all the HGH mumbo jumbo behind him so that he’ll be able to focus on playing baseball. With that being said, it’s crazy that he looks to be the Yanks’ number two. He had a 15-win year in 2007, but if he does it again, we may want to re-test him. Mike Mussina was passed over in last year’s MLB playoffs. His best years are far behind him now and this could be the year that the Yanks are forced to replace him for good. Youngsters Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy are the future, but will not be ready to give the Yankees the boost they need this season. The pen still has one of the best in Mariano Rivera, but we did see some decline last year, and he has lost some noticeable pop on his fastball. He may not be able to bust guys inside the way he once did, but if he works the outside corner and brings the hard slider, he can still get the job done. Kyle Farnsworth could emerge as Mr. Reliable out of the pen as his reunion with his ex-catcher, manager Joe Girardi, should bring improvement.

Offense

Reigning AL MVP Alex Rodriguez hit 54 bombs and added 156 RBIs in 2007. He’ll be good for 40 and 130 without breaking a sweat in 2008. Yankees fans are still waiting for him to be the man in the postseason. Shortstop Derek Jeter is the guy I would want at the plate in a critical situation. Captain Clutch hit .354 with runners in scoring position. No hitter in the game works counts as well to get a pitch that they can drive. Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada, and Robinson Cano are all guys capable of hitting 100 RBIs. I guess I could even add Jason Giambi to the list if he’s healthy. The Yankees have one of the best lineups in baseball.

Defense

It’s hard to find a better middle infield duo than Jeter and Cano. Few shortstops have had Jeter’s range and Cano has the strongest arm of any second baseman in the game. A-Rod seems to finally be comfortable at third base, but Giambi is a question mark at first. He scoops well, but his throws are adventuresome. When he plays first, it does free up Matsui to DH so expect that to be the scenario unless Giambi gets hurt. Moving Melky Cabrera to centerfield was a big move last season as his rifle arm kept runners honest the way Damon’s arm could not. The move to left seemed to take some pressure off Damon and his offense improved because of it. Abreu is in right for his bat, but he is still an average outfielder.

If defense wins championships, then it would appear the Yankees have enough. They certainly have plenty of offense. Baseball is a bird of a different feather however, with pitching meaning everything, and that is where the Yanks are lacking. It is going to be difficult for New York to beat out Boston in the AL East because Boston’s staff is superior, but the Yanks should be among the favorites to take the AL Wild Card.

Dave Price’s baseball betting picks will help you beat the MLB odds all season long. Why settle for mediocre numbers with anyone else when you can win big with World Champion Handicapper Dave Price on a daily basis.

Odds to win AL East: 11/10

Odds to win AL Pennant: 11/4

Odds to win World Series: 5/1

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2008 New York Yankees Picks & Predictions

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