What Would Shortened MLB Season Look Like For Yankees?

With news coming out today that the MLB season is once again hanging in the balance, this article may have been written for no reason. Major League Baseball players are “disgusted” with Commissioner Rob Manfred backtracking on his guarantee of a 2020 season.  With hopes of a season waning each and every day, baseball fans just have to sit and wait.

That being said, IF there is a 2020 MLB season played, the New York Yankees would be one of the beneficiaries of the extended layoff.  There have been proposals from both sides with the amount of games ranging from 45 to 115.  Regardless of the length of the season, how would a shortened MLB season affect the Yankees?

It gives time for their big boys to heal up before an MLB season

One of the benefits of this break is the fact that three of the Yankees’ top players will be back in time for the start of the season, if there is one.  The Yankees had a plethora of injuries during spring training, including but not limited to James Paxton, Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

In the case of Severino, there’s no hope for his return, as he is out for the year after tearing his UCL.  However, James Paxton is currently throwing in Wisconsin and if all goes well will be able to return for the start of the season.  Paxton had surgery on his back for a “long-standing injury” that he fought through last season.

As for the Yankees’ two big sluggers, it looks like both will be able to return for the start of the season.  Giancarlo Stanton, who seems to be injured more often than he’s healthy, is “ready to go” according to Aaron Boone.  Stanton had been sidelined at the beginning of spring training due to a calf injury.

Aaron Judge’s case is a little more complex but it looks like he will be ready to go as well.  Judge suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung that stemmed from a dive late last season.  Other than surgery, the only remedy for a broken rib is rest.  Judge has had plenty of that over the past few months.

This is now a sprint, not a marathon

One thing working against the Yankees is the uncertainty of the length of the MLB season.  Usually in a 162 game season, a team can go through multiple losing streaks and be perfectly fine.  As Macho Man Randy Savage once said, “The cream always rises to the top”.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, they can’t afford a long losing streak or they may see themselves out of a playoff spot.  The Seattle Mariners started the season off 13-2 last season, then faded in the second half and were one of the worst teams in baseball.  If there were only 50 games played this year, one bad West Coast road trip could spell doom for the American League favorites.

The Yankees need to come out of the gate hot and stay hot the whole season.  If they fail to do so, a young team like the Toronto Blue Jays can knock them off and take the A.L. East crown.  Because of the uncertainty surrounding the length, who knows what could happen in such a shortened season.

Regardless of how negotiations are going, the Yankees are still in a good spot.  They are still one of the most talented teams in baseball and at the end of the day talent should win out.  It’s going to be a weird season but some baseball is better than no baseball.  As long as the MLB and MLBPA can come to an agreement sometime soon, they’ll be fine.  We shall see if that happens though.

For more on MLB negotiations, continue to follow Double G Sports.