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2008 MLB
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2008 New York Yankees Predictions & Season Preview
What can we expect from the Yanks without Joe Torre
calling the shots from the dugout? Get Jimmy Boyd’s take
in this 2008 New York Yankees predictions
article.
Starting Rotation/Bullpen
Chien-Ming Wang is the new Greg Maddux with his ability
to get ground ball after ground ball. He is a dependable
workhorse who has won 19 games in back-to-back seasons,
but his postseason woes may ultimately be how he is
remembered. Andy Pettitte can still pitch and his elbow
stayed healthy last season, but how he does in the face
of the HGH issue is yet to be seen. He had 15 wins in
his return to the Bronx and we expect a solid year in
2008, which might be his last hoorah. Mike Mussina
doesn’t have the stuff that made him a reliable
top-of-the-rotation starter for years. Experience is on
his side, but he’ll need to be better than he was last
season for the Yanks to challenge the Red Sox for the
East. His 5.15 ERA won’t cut it. Joba Chamberlain and
Phil Hughes will likely take the last two sports in the
rotation. The Yank’s organization sees Hughes as a
future star and Chamberlain also shows a great deal of
potential. As far as the pen goes, I haven’t lost faith
in Mariano Rivera yet. His 3.15 ERA was the highest
since his 1995 rookie season, but he still had 30 saves.
I anticipate him adjusting his style since his fastball
has lost some pop. Don’t be surprised if he starts
nipping at the corners a little more instead of just
trying to blow it by guys. LaTroy Hawking and Kyle
Farnsworth will be solid relievers for the Yanks. I
especially see a benefit for Farnsworth with his former
catcher in Chicago taking over managerial reigns.
Batting Order
While Torre is gone, the Yanks will remain solid. There
is just too much talent on this team for them not to.
The Yankees have one of the best batting orders in the
majors. If Johnny Damon can get himself in shape, he is
still one of the elite leadoff men in the game. Captain
Clutch, Derek Jeter, hit .354 with runners in scoring
position last season. Bobby Abreu finally got adjusted
in the second half of the season and put up some strong
numbers. The Yankees are expecting him to improve on his
16 homeruns and 101 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez survived all of
his negative publicity to win the AL MVP Award with 54
homeruns and 156 RBIs. But keep in mind that he has
followed his last two MVP seasons with drop-offs and he
still hasn’t proven himself in the postseason. Hideki
Matsui hit 25 homeruns and added 103 RBIs. He has been
Mr. Steady for this team and provides as much protection
for A-Rod as the Yanks could hope for. Jorge Posada is,
perhaps, the game’s best hitting catcher. Jason Giambi,
Robison Cano, and Melky Cabrera round out the order. The
Yanks have the deepest batting order in the AL East,
however, their starting rotation has dropped off to cost
them.
The Yankees scored 968 runs in 2007, which was the most
for the team in 70 years, but it was not enough to add a
championship to this storied organization. It’s going to
take New York’s young pitchers getting more experience
before the Yankees will be ready to really challenge. We
like the Yankees to finish second in the AL East to
rival Boston.
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Odds to win AL East:
6/5
Odds to win 2008 AL Pennant:
3/1
Odds to win 2008 World Series:
5/1
Other Predictions for the 2008 Season:
Updated February 12th, 2008
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