Most Ideal Possible Yankees Lineup For 2024

     Going into last season, the New York Yankees were a team of "ifs." The organization bet on Josh Donaldson hitting 25 homeruns, Oswaldo Cabrera having a good year, Anthony Volpe being ahead of schedule, the pitching staying healthy, and Aaron Judge staying healthy all year to carry the lineup just to name a few things. Last year, Brian Cashman and the Yankees organization looked like one denying the existence of adversity, rather than one preparing for it. But after their 82-80 2023 campaign, they seem to have changed their ways this offseason with the acquisitions of Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham. With these moves, the Yankees are clearly doing something that they haven't done in a while: finding major league depth, and not relying on "iffy" minor league players as a means to achieve that. Even so, there are a few more glaring holes in the Yankees' lineup that need to be addressed. As it stands today here is my 2024 projected lineup: 

1. Gleyber Torres 2B                                              
2. Juan Soto RF
3. Aaron Judge CF
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. Giancarlo Stanton DH
6. Alex Verdugo LF
7. DJ Lemahieu/Oswaldo Peraza 3B
8. Austin Wells C
9. Anthony Volpe SS

     Though I absolutely think that Oswaldo Peraza should be the starting third baseman over DJ Lemahieu because of the fresh young energy that he would bring to the team, I also think that it is undeniable that the Yankees would start the veteran over the young gun. But even despite the fact that Peraza would provide some youth to the lineup if it was that the dream scenario occurred, he is clearly not the best option for the success of the 2024 Yankees because the lineup is clearly missing reliable bottom of the order protection. Volpe is a risk that the Yankees should absolutely take. He is a proven plus at shortstop after his gold glove performance in 2023, and though his average wasn't great, he still provided reasonable power numbers and stole a good number of bases. As it stands today, he would be one of the best nine hitters in the Major Leagues. Austin Wells provides enough pop as a catcher to reserve the worst lineup spot —the eight hole. Austin Wells also has gotten high praise from his pitchers for his willingness to go in depth with game planning. It could just be rookie excitement, but that type of preparatory effort at the catcher's position is promising. That leaves the seventh spot in the lineup between Lemahieu and Peraza. Peraza has still yet to prove that he can be a reliable bat in a Major League lineup, and though Paul O'Neil insists that he has a great swing, I bring to O'Neil Gary Sheffield. Sheffield had 500 career homeruns with one of the ugliest swings ever, proving that a swing isn't everything when it comes to productivity at the plate. As for Lemahieu, the whole narrative that he could be good next year based off past success and how he performed in September during meaningless baseball games applies to how the Yankees had done things in 2023 when they were an organization willing to go into the season with a bunch of "what ifs." With all the positions that Lemahieu can play at a gold glove level, why not make him a super utility man and bring in another bat to play every day third base? You'd be killing two birds with one stone. You'd be obtaining infield versatility and you'd be obtaining another bat in the order, extending pitcher problems to even the bottom of the order. The question is who the Yankees would get to fill in third base, and that is a really obvious answer. Sign Justin Turner to a one-year deal. Though 39 years of age, Turner didn't slow down last year hitting .276 with 23 homeruns and 96 RBIs. The guy not only drives in runs but doesn't strike out a lot and gets on base at a steady clip. In a new Yankees lineup that seems to prioritize getting on base around Aaron Judge, Turner would be a perfect fit in the short term that wouldn't cost the Yankees a lot of money. He is also very durable, playing 146 games last year. In my opinion, this would be the Yankees lineup with Justin Turner around: 

1. Gleyber Torres 2B                                              
2. Juan Soto RF
3. Aaron Judge CF
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. Justin Turner 3B
6. Alex Verdugo LF
7. Giancarlo Stanton DH
8. Austin Wells C
9. Anthony Volpe SS

     There is a noticeable shift in the order in terms of where Giancarlo Stanton is placed because we can't credit Stanton when he was highly unproductive last season. He is also a huge "what if," and if the Yankees want to throw out their best lineup, he needs to be traded to a team who will not only take him, but also give the Yankees more bullpen depth. They should be willing to eat some of the salary if they have to. The truth is that the Yankees have enough outfield depth now to where they don't need Stanton. But if Stanton were to be traded, which won't happen because Cashman is dead set on Stanton being a focal point of the team, who would be the DH? The obvious thing is that you could flip flop Trent Grisham into center field, place Judge in right, and make Soto the DH, but then what about the days when Soto is playing outfield? The Yankees could put Lemahieu at DH, but again, that is a big "what if." If the Yankees were to trade Stanton, which won't happen but should, they would need another bat who is an outfielder for the 2024 season who provides reliable production at the plate. Oh, wouldn't it have been great if Jasson Dominguez didn't get hurt? Then again, knowing that Dominguez is coming in a couple of years would give the Yankees reasonable justification to sign an outfielder for the very short term like they should be doing with Justin Turner. Wouldn't it be something if the Yankees went out and got JD Martinez? He's not good defensively by any stretch of the imagination. Then again, with the Yankees he wouldn't have to play outfield that much and he'd be a hell of a bat to fill in at DH every day. He strikes out a little bit, but for a power hitter it is a reasonable amount because the production and the scare factor make up for it. It would certainly be less embarrassing than watching Stanton flail at breaking balls in the opposite batter's box in half his plate appearances. My projected lineup with Martinez and Turner would look like this: 

1. Gleyber Torres 2B                                              
2. Juan Soto RF
3. Aaron Judge CF
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. JD Martinez DH
6. Alex Verdugo LF
7. Justin Turner 3B
8. Austin Wells C
9. Anthony Volpe SS

     If this were the Yankees order, which is one that is very obtainable, there wouldn't be a part of the order where an opposing pitcher would be given a break. Furthermore, opposing managers wouldn't be able to play the matchup game with their bullpens because after every righty hitter comes a lefty hitter, and every hitter would be a formidable one for their lineup spot. Then, this is your bench: 

DJ Lemahieu: 2B, 1B, 3B

Jose Trevino: C

Oswaldo Peraza: SS, 3B, 2B

Trent Grisham: CF, LF, RF 

The Yankees would have everything set in place for a championship run in terms of their lineup and their bench if they did this. I can't understand why guys like Justin Turner and JD Martinez are undervalued on short term deals when they are proven to be very productive hitters. It's very low risk, high reward.