The New York Yankees have officially gotten through one week of the 2024 MLB season, and it could not have gone much better.
Through the first seven games, the Yankees hold a league-best 6-1 record and .857 winning percentage. A thrilling four-game sweep of the Houston Astros set the tone and was followed by another hard-fought series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The fact that both came on the road is impressive enough, and it's even more so considering both teams are contenders.
Yankees' takeaways from Week 1 of the season
1. Juan Soto is as advertised
This Soto guy is pretty good, huh? While that's the least-shocking statement a Yankee fan can make, it's nice to see what kind of an impact he's had both on the field and in the locker room. He was the savior of the four-game sweep over the Astros both with his bat and his glove. He cooled off a bit against Arizona, but he's still slashing .345/.441/.483 to open the season.
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2. The bullpen is lights out
The Yankees continue to boast one of the best bullpens in MLB coming off a spectacular 2023 season in which they led the league with a 3.34 ERA. Closer Clay Holmes has yet to give up a run, though he's been very close to doing so, while Ian Hamilton has been incredibly effective. He's allowed just one hit in 5.2 innings pitched while striking out seven. Their 1.27 ERA ranks third-best in MLB entering Thursday.
3. Aaron Judge will get things going
It has been a slow start for Judge, whose timing is still coming around. Slashing .179/.273/.357 could not be less like the Judge we know. However, he has begun to show some life during the extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. The Captain crushed a two-run homer to right center field and then provided some insurance in extra innings with a double. It's best to give Judge the benefit of the doubt that he will turn things around.
MORE: Yankees winning despite Aaron Judge's struggles is a good thing
4. Starting rotation has had ups and downs
Both Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon have made two starts for the Yankees. There have been some moments that looked like they wouldn't get out of an inning. Then, there are other moments in which they look unhittable. Marcus Stroman was the most impressive of the bunch, going 6.0 strong inning in his Yankees debut. Clarke Schmidt had a solid outing while Luis Gil made an impressive season debut against Arizona. The Yankees probably need more from the rotation as the season gets going, but it has been a decent enough start to the campaign.
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5. The at-bats are so different
The biggest difference on offense has been the patience at the plate. It has made a world of difference for guys like Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera. This Yankees lineup is going to wear pitchers down, and the talent that is present throughout the entire lineup means they are likely going to get the better of opposing arms more than they won't. It's nice to see the Yankees working counts because it has been a while since the lineup inspired this much confidence.
6. Giancarlo Stanton continues to struggle
While a strong showing in Spring Training gave some hope, it seems we're getting more of the same from Stanton. The full-time DH has 11 strikeouts in 21 plate appearances with just one walk and three hits. How much longer will he continue to be the everyday DH?
