2024 MLB Draft: Yankees linked to four possible picks

2024 MLB Draft: Yankees linked to four possible picks

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The 2024 MLB Draft is quickly approaching, and now is the time of year when mock drafts start to really zero in on the young players who have caught teams’ interests, based on their scouting trends and industry information. After long stretches of Yankees fans being turned off by the draft, they can now look at a roster where four previous first-round picks have contributed significantly for the Yankees this year. So it’s worth a look around at some of the recent mocks and see who is being linked to the Yankees with the 26th overall pick.
Baseball America’s Mock Draft 5.0 has the Yankees taking high school shortstop Luke Dickerson, from Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway, NJ. Dickerson is a prospect whose stock has risen this spring based on his on-field performance — most notably clubbing 18 home runs this spring, tying Mike Trout’s New Jersey high school record.
Dickerson has the athletic ability to stick at shortstop but there are some questions about his arm strength and if that will eventually see him move to center field or second base as a professional. He is a multisport athlete who was helping his school win a state hockey championship into March of this year.

‘24 Luke Dickerson (NJ) After HBP & 4-pitch walk, the @UVABaseball recruit goes down & gets this CB keeping the barrel ITZ before sending this one sailing over the CF fence. Slows the game exceptionally well before controlled aggression takes over.| #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/DlYmNFcOMV— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) April 21, 2024

Dickerson has a commitment to the University of Virginia and is currently rated as Baseball America’s 56th-best prospect, and the 49th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Yankees have shown that they are not afraid to take players in this range of the draft rankings in the past, as evidenced by Anthony Volpe (2019) and Trey Sweeney (2021).
ESPN’s recent dueling mock draft had Billy Amick, a corner infield prospect from the University of Tennessee, being selected 26th overall. This was not a traditional mock draft, as the three writers making selections were not using their sources to see who teams were heavily scouting but just taking who they thought were the best available players. Veteran MLB writer Jeff Passan picked at 26th overall and used his selection on the hard-hitting Amick. The infielder was also mentioned by Baseball America as a player who the Yankees may be interested in if they do not select Dickerson.
Amick comes with a lot of experience in high-level college baseball. After starting his career at Clemson, he transferred to the University of Tennessee this past season, helping the Volunteers win their first national championship. At Clemson, he was cast as a first baseman and DH, whereas upon his move to Rocky Top, he showed scouts enough ability that most now think he has a chance to stick at third base in the professional ranks.

Amick first jumped on the radar as a sophomore at Clemson, when he hit .413 with 13 home runs in 46 games. He followed that up with an abbreviated stint in the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2023, as he played 11 games with Hyannis, hitting .368/.442/.579 with two homers.
Overall, Amick’s tools grade out as a solid hitter with slightly above average power. He struck out 19 percent of the time and while his power is mostly to the pull side, he has the ability to hit it out to any direction. Amick would be the first corner infielder selected by the Yankees in the first round since Notre Dame’s Eric Jagielo (another No. 26 selection), who was taken six picks ahead of Aaron Judge back in 2013. It is not a demographic the team focuses on in the draft, but if they believe in the bat then Amick may be their guy.
MLB Pipeline’s most recent mock draft has the Yankees selecting Jurrangelo Cijntje, a rare switch-pitcher from Mississippi State University. A native of the Netherlands who also lived in Curaçao, he first drew major attention for his ambidextrous abilities when he played in the Little League World Series in 2016. It’s been a minute, but the Yankees have experience with switch-pitchers, as MLB alum Pat Venditte was drafted by New York in 2008 and spent seven years in the organization before finding his way to The Show with Oakland in 2015.
A natural left-hander, Cijntje has been using both hands to throw since he was six years old. He is now considered to be a better prospect as a right-hander, who can get his fastball up to 98 mph from that side. He largely stopped pitching left-handed this past season, except to certain hitters. He has a strong three-pitch mix as a righty with an above average fastball, slider and solid changeup that will need to continue to develop in order for him to progress as a starter.

Cijntje’s left-handed offerings are fringier, as he has a lower arm slot, that he uses to deliver a low-90’s fastball and a sweeping breaking ball. The Yankees have not selected a pitcher with their first pick since Clarke Schmidt, back in 2017, before the organizational focus shifted to taking hitters early.
In the latest Baseball America staff draft, the Yankees selected right-handed pitcher Brody Brecht from the University of Iowa. This article was done by the Baseball America staff based on how they would pick, and not necessarily based on industry information.
With elite arm talent, Brecht’s fastball and slider are among the highest-rated individual pitches in the draft. On his better days, he draws comparisons to Paul Skenes, and those are not exaggerations. He is only potentially available in this range due to poor control and a very high walk rate (5.6 BB/9 in 15 starts this past year). Brecht split time with the University of Iowa’s football and baseball teams over the first two years of college, and only started focusing on baseball full-time this past fall. His story is fascinating, and we’d encourage you to check out Yahoo Sports’ interview with Brecht from the MLB Draft Combine.
Bringing Brecht into the organization would give the Yankees a prospect in lines of Luis Gil, or from a few years ago, Luis Medina. He is an electric arm who can sit 96-99 mph through an outing with massive upside if it all comes together, but significant questions if it ever will.

There is no overwhelming favorite to land with the Yankees in this years MLB Draft. There are many solid candidates, but 25 other teams will have their say before the Yankees are on the clock. On Sunday night, we will find out if they stick with their recent philosophy of up-the-middle players with advanced hit tools, or if any player can get them to deviate into riskier demographics.



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Rays tried, but Aaron Judge couldn’t imagine joining Yankees’ rival

Rays tried, but Aaron Judge couldn’t imagine joining Yankees’ rival

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ST. PETERSBURG — There were twists and turns during the fall of 2022 that Aaron Judge expected. After breaking Roger Maris’ American League home run record with 62, the slugging outfielder entered the offseason as the biggest name on the market.When he turned down the Yankees’ offer to enter free agency, Judge knew he’d at least be entertaining the idea of leaving his comfort zone in New York and talking to teams across the country.“The Giants and the Padres, I kind of expected that,” Judge, a California native, said Tuesday, “and it was different because they weren’t teams we see all the time (playing in the American League).”But there was one team Judge didn’t expect to hear from.“The Rays, that surprised me,” he said. “And just because it was a divisional rival, and I’ve spent my whole career trying to game-plan against them.”Judge confirmed that the Rays reached out to his agent, Page Odle, to express their interest in talking to him, as first reported in the 2023 book “62” by Bryan Hoch.The Rays are believed to have been willing to talk about a contract of about 10 years and $300 million.“It was a very respectful (offer), and I appreciated that they reached out and that they thought enough of me to do that,” Judge said. “And I respect their team. I respect what they have built here. They have a good club, and their team is tough.“But it was so hard to think about (playing for them), because I’ve spent my whole career game-planning against them and trying to beat them.”Still, the Rays thought it was worth a shot.Judge and his wife, Samantha, have made Tampa their offseason home. Aaron has been spotted at Bucs and Lightning games. Given his connection to the community and status as a generational player, he could have become the immediate face of the Rays and changed the narrative around the franchise as it tried to build a new stadium and future in the Tampa Bay.The Rays made a similar pitch a year earlier, reaching out to Freddie Freeman’s agent and giving him the parameters of where they would be comfortable going on a contract. In that case, the market for the first baseman, who signed with the Dodgers, was slow enough that it became news the Rays had made an offer.With Judge, it got lost in the bidding war between the Padres, Giants and Yankees, who eventually won back their captain with a nine-year, $360 million deal.Judge, however, remains a part-time Tampa resident with an interest in the Rays’ plans to build a new stadium in the area.“I go to the hockey games at (Amalie Arena) in the offseason and see the support they get there. I just hope that the Rays can get a stadium that will help them get that kind of support,” Judge said. “They have had a really good team for a couple of years now. I hope it works out for them.”• • •Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports sceneSubscribe to our free Sports Today newsletterWe’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.Explore all your optionsNever miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.

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Yankees’ bad luck continues off the field

Yankees’ bad luck continues off the field

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New York Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera is picked off at first base against the Boston Red Sox on July 7.The New York Yankees’ bad luck carried over off the field Sunday morning.After a 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox — their 16th in 22 games — the Yankees’ ran into some serious transportation issues.SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER:RESTORING THE GLORYAccording to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, “A team bus had a mechanical issue, and their flight had a mechanical issue, delaying their departure two hours and getting them into Tampa around 4 a.m.”The silver lining for the Yankees? They don’t begin the series against the Rays on Monday, so players will have enough time to rest.The three-game set continues the Yankees’ three-series battle against fellow AL East teams. The ramifications heading into the All-Star break that begins July 15 are significant. While the Rays are 5 1/2 games out of the wild card, they could further sink the Yankees and create further doubt about their ability to be a contender in the second half — at least without moves by general manager Brian Cashman by the July 30 deadline.The Yankees then visit the Baltimore Orioles later in the week. Baltimore is first in the AL East by three games.MORE YANKEES COVERAGEThank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

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The New York Yankees Dynasty is Dead

The New York Yankees Dynasty is Dead

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The New York Yankees Dynasty is Dead and has been dead since Derek Jeter led the team in WAR and a World Series Championship in the 2009 MLB Season.
The New York Yankees are currently on their second longest World Series appearance drought at 14 years, short of the 18-year drought from 1978-1996. Brian Cashman and the Yankees have been known to spend big for the big stars, the home run hitters, and for 14 consecutive seasons it has not been good enough to even touch a World Series game. The Yankees aren’t a bad team, not bad at all. They have the best player in the game in Aaron Judge. The best player in the game does not necessarily mean you win the World Series though, for example: Mike Trout, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. 
 
The Yankees are a fraudulent World Series Contender again this season. 
 
The Mashers of New York currently sit second in the AL East only 3 GB and comfortably sit atop the AL Wild Card with a lead of 4.5 games, which is great a position to be in. Yankee fans are in a frenzy though. Since June 14th when the Yankees had a stellar record of 50-22, they have gone a measly 5-15. 
Now this abysmal stretch could be easily explained with Anthony Rizzo going on the 10-day IL on June 18th and then immediately placed on the 60-day IL on June 19th. Another great reason could be Giancarlo Stanton going on the 10-day IL for a hamstring issue on July 2nd. Now Stanton is primarily a DH now as a Yankee and will hopefully limit his reinjury risk, but Hamstring injuries are difficult and can easily come back at any awkward step. 
Stanton and Rizzo are now 34 years old, and bouncing back from injuries are harder. Age could be a factor in the Yankees future. The Yankees are currently the 7th oldest teams in the MLB, and the older players on the roster are the impact players outside of Juan Soto. The young players of Volpe and Rice’s welcome to the MLB look like they will become strong players.
The Yankees farm system has always been there to bargain for trades to get the big names, but currently the Yankees farm currently only has 3 players in the top 100 on MLB.Com’s prospect list. Are the Yankees willing to trade their future, for a quick fix to win this year?
Since the 2009 World Series, the Yankees Postseason record is 27-37 with a 7-20 record in the American League Championship game. Current Manager Aaron Boone postseason record is 14-17. Boone’s regular season record is 564-397, a .586 winning percentage. These aren’t horrible numbers. A lot of Major League Programs will gladly take Aaron Boone, but the New York Yankees are a different breed. They are expected to win a World Series every year, and Yankees fans are done with Boone, this stretch of poor play looks like they are done with Boone. The Yankees play has been sloppy, no sense of urgency. They look like we got a lead, we can just coast from July to the postseason. A horrible mindset and no team coasts into the playoffs and start playing well all of a sudden. 
Derek Jeter New Manager instead of Aaron Boone?
It’s World Series or bust for Aaron Boone this year, and if they don’t make it to the World Series, they need to fire him immediately after they lose in the playoffs. A name to be considered to become manager of the Yankees, to see if he has any interest could be Derek Jeter. The one who led the Yankees to their last World Series Championship.
The 1 seed for the AL will be so important this year with a loaded American League, if the Yankees aren’t even in the fight for it, they will not make the World Series for a 15th year.
Want more New York Yankees Articles?
Aaron Judge is the New Face of MLB | The Wright Way Network (twsn.net)
2024 MLB Mid-Season Awards | The Wright Way Network (twsn.net)
MLB 2024 Hitter Power Rankings 5.0 | The Wright Way Network (twsn.net)

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Fantasy baseball waiver watch – Yankees’ Rice swinging hot bat

Fantasy baseball waiver watch – Yankees’ Rice swinging hot bat

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A three-homer game can do a lot to elevate a player’s fantasy baseball profile. If said player also carries catcher eligibility, that’s a help, too.Ben Rice, a 2021 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth, and the New York Yankees’ fill-in for the injured Anthony Rizzo, achieved the feat Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. Most significantly, he did it in his third game since his promotion into the leadoff spot, supplanting Anthony Volpe, who had batted .183/.203/.244 in his final 25 games atop the Yankees’ batting order.The swap made a heck of a lot of sense, considering Rice’s career minor league .397 on-base percentage, 13.5% walk and 76.6% contact rates, which compare favorable to Volpe’s big-league-career .292, 7.8% and 72.2% numbers. Rice possesses a keen batting eye, competitive with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and for as long as he’s batting ahead of those two, even if only against right-handed pitchers, he’s still fantasy relevant as a catcher-eligible player. Rice, incidentally, remains available in nearly 75% of ESPN leagues.The Yankees could, in the next 22 days leading up to the trade deadline, seek to upgrade their lineup by acquiring a first baseman (Pete Alonso or Cody Bellinger, anyone?), and that’d impact Rice’s role in the season’s final two months. Especially in ESPN standard leagues, however, stats today matter, and Rice is delivering meaningful ones.How are they still available?Jose Miranda, 3B, Minnesota Twins (32.0% rostered in ESPN leagues): In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by his roster percentage you haven’t, Miranda has managed to hit a few baseballs and is threatening to climb into fantasy relevance. The player previously best known as Lin-Manuel’s cousin, Jose over the weekend matched the major league record with hits in 12 consecutive at-bats, becoming the fourth player to do so overall and first since Walt Dropo in 1952. Typically that would be a “’nuff said” blurb, but bear in mind that Miranda’s profile makes him one of the better batting average specialists with a points-league high floor, as among the 174 players with at least as many as his 263 plate appearances, he has the 10th-best strikeout (13.3%) and 40th-best line drive rates (26.2%).Sign up for free fantasy baseballThe 2024 fantasy baseball season is here! Get the group together, or start a brand new tradition.Join or start a league for free >>
Shane Baz, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (17.2%): I get it, he was a difficult pitcher to stash during the three-plus months he was recovering from July 2022 Tommy John surgery. Even I struggled to keep him around in the two leagues in which I roster him, especially after his minor league rehabilitation stint expired back on May 23, forcing the Rays to activate him while keeping him in Triple-A Durham and tying many fantasy managers’ hands as far as roster maneuverability. Last Wednesday’s trade of Aaron Civale, however, signaled the Rays opening up rotation opportunities for Baz, and soon Jeffrey Springs, and Baz was outstanding in his return outing with the Rays on Friday. Baz delivered a quality start in which his average fastball velocity was a solid 96.2 mph, with the only drawbacks being that his slider and curveball failed to meet the whiff-rate levels he exhibited in 2021-22. It was a big step forward for a pitcher who has top-25 positional upside when healthy.Deeper league addsBrooks Lee, SS, Minnesota Twins (12.5% available): Royce Lewis’ injury history has been maddening for his fantasy managers, who have now dealt with his having been on the Twins’ active roster for only 102 of 388 games since his May 6, 2022, big league debut (eat your heart out, Byron Buxton). This injury stint, at least, resulted in the promotion of one of the team’s top prospects, the contact-oriented Lee. He’ll serve as the team’s third baseman in the interim, and in this columnist’s opinion, his batting eye exceeds that of the aforementioned Rice, meaning there’s the potential for a quick acceleration into a premium lineup spot — note that Willi Castro is the currently handling the leadoff chores. Lee needs to be added in every league exceeding 12-team mixed depth.Editor’s Picks1 RelatedMichael Mercado, RP, Philadelphia Phillies (2.6%): Forgive him his terrible Sunday start, as that one came against the Atlanta Braves, still a loaded lineup in spite of the injury absences of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II. Mercado, the Phillies’ temporary substitute for the injured Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull, was picked up via trade in November from the Tampa Bay Rays, who were facing a 40-man roster crunch at the time. Though he has a history of struggling with both control and serving up home runs, Mercado dazzled while with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, posting a 1.98 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his 10 starts there, reestablishing his prospect status after his career seemed somewhat derailed due to 2019 Tommy John surgery. He’s a good speculative arm for NL-only managers.Feel free to cut

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Where’s the pulse? Yankees playing like it’s 2023 all over again

Where’s the pulse? Yankees playing like it’s 2023 all over again

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NEW YORK — I walked into the Yankees clubhouse Sunday night to take the temperature of a team that’d just suffered its 16th defeat in 22 games. It was a bad loss to the Red Sox – aren’t they all at this point? – but this one was significant. Here’s why:*The Bombers should’ve had momentum after Saturday’s 14-4 laugher, which included Ben Rice’s three-HR tour de force.*Luis Gil finally emerged from a deep slump of his own, throwing six shutout innings against Boston. That was before Aaron Boone made the mistake of sending the rookie back out in the seventh.*Rafael Devers hit two more home runs. That makes 16 in his career against the Bombers. No one in the Bronx can stop him.I expected the Yankees to be more concerned. The 3-0 loss on national TV should’ve been a wake-up call. The downward spiral has lasted for almost a month – too long for Boone to not be worried.Juan Soto was honest enough to say, “(the losing) has gone on longer than I expected” before adding, “you have to take it like a man, it’s baseball.”He then felt it was necessary to remind me, “I still think this is a good team.”Social media isn’t so sure. The anti-Boone/Brian Cashman army has renewed its call for regime change. They blame both for the collapse, even though the Yankees still have three months to make everyone forget this terrible stretch.But Boone and his crew need to accept their predicament. After playing .700 ball in April, May and half of June, the Yankees haven’t won any of the last seven series.There’s a weekend showdown coming up with the Orioles which, at their current level of under-achievement, could go a long way in demoralizing the Yankees.SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER:RESTORING THE GLORYBut despite the high stakes, I didn’t sense this was a seminal moment in the clubhouse. It should have been the night for the captain, Aaron Judge, to emerge as the voice of reassurance.Judge could sell that message on YES. That’s one of his strengths – a leadership vibe that makes you feel like everything’s under control. The Yankees need to hear that. So do the ticket buyers.But Judge, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, chose not to speak to reporters. That was a mistake, although if anyone deserves a pass, it’s No. 99.Still, there were other errors and moments of questionable judgment, starting with Boone’s decision to let Gil pitch into the seventh inning of a scoreless game.Luke Weaver, one of the Yankees’ most trusted relievers, was ready to go. Gil could have walked away with an unblemished, six-inning masterpiece, his confidence restored after his best start in a month.Instead, Gil surrendered a home run to Devers with one out in the seventh. The Yankees never recovered. Boone did his best to say dropping another series wasn’t the end of the world, but his choice of words was hardly inspiring.Boone at first admitted the current trend-line feels, “terrible” – a rare, unfiltered moment of candor – before trotting out an eerily familiar phrase from ‘23.“It’s all there in front of us,” Boone said.Whether he was aware of it or not, Boone had borrowed a line, word for word, from last year’s epitaph. That’s precisely why fans are freaking out, because lately it feels like 2023 is happening all over again.No one’s hitting. The losses are starting to blur. The days of lousy baseball become weeks, then months until finally the season ends in disaster.Of course, it’s premature to say with any certainty the Yankees are doomed. They’ll finish with more than 82 wins. There’s more talent on the ‘24 current roster than in ‘23.Fans who think Cashman deserves to be fired forget he acquired Soto and Alex Verdugo, who are upgrades over Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson. And Rice just might be a legit long-term replacement for Anthony Rizzo.That means Hal Steinbrenner won’t need to shop for a first baseman this winter. Aside from Rizzo’s $6 million buyout, there’ll be extra cash to sign Soto.But the Yankees’ daily issues are real enough for them to consider the unthinkable. What if they do tank – say, a first-round exit in the post-season? Why wouldn’t Soto bolt?It was easier to imagine Soto falling in love with the Yankees when they were monsters in the East. He and Judge were besties. But the Orioles have proven they’re younger, more athletic and unafraid of Boone’s roster.The same now goes for the Red Sox, who spent the weekend proving a) the Yankees don’t have an answer for Devers b) they can spot the Bombers 26 outs and two strikes and still get to Clay Holmes and c) there’s no one to worry about after Judge and Soto.After all, Boston starter Kutter Crawford needed just 68 pitches to get through seven innings. The Nos. 1-through-6 slots were a combined 1-for-21, including Rice, who followed up his breakout game on Saturday by going 0-for-4 with two K’s.That’s a heck of a reality check for a team that thought the worst was over. Twenty-four hours later, the Yankees had absorbed another “L” and had taken another step backwards in the standings.Tell me that isn’t déjà vu.Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.

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Yankees Fan Showed Off Very Impressive Arm While Hurling Back Red Sox Homer

Yankees Fan Showed Off Very Impressive Arm While Hurling Back Red Sox Homer

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The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees combined to play a 2-hour, 23-minute game on Sunday Night Baseball, which has to be downright shocking information for anyone who remembers some classics of the genre that didn’t even think twice about blowing past the four-hour mark. Kutter Crawford outdueled Luis Gil and the hated visitors emerged with a 3-0 victory on the strength of two Rafael Devers solo homers. The first came in the seventh and provided the contest’s first run. It also provided a Yankees fan with an opportunity to show off his cannon by whipping it back from whence it came.An opportunity that was seized. Yankees probably should start warming this guy up in the bullpenpic.twitter.com/TYX4aZ4I5a— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 8, 2024Now unfortunately, the ESPN brodcast opted to cut away from the returned souviner to a triumphant Devers stepping on the plate, but just eyeballing the heave, it definitely had enough momentum to reach the pitcher’s mound. Which is quite a heave from the bleachers in left field, where it’s not the easiest to find a nice launching pad for a crow hop. So this person is probably going to have a great day at work showing everyone the video and feeling like a big shot. Not quite on the level of what Henry Rowengartner did from the confines of Wrigley Field’s centerfield but impressive nonetheless. Social media was of course replete with jokes that the struggling Yankees should put him in pinstripes and allow him to pitch an actual game but that type of thing should be reserved for someone whose tendons have healed a little too tightly.

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Clay Holmes joins Aaron Judge, Juan Soto as Yankees’ 2024 All-Stars

Clay Holmes joins Aaron Judge, Juan Soto as Yankees’ 2024 All-Stars

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NEW YORK — Clay Holmes has had the privilege of watching two of the game’s top performers each day this season, observing from the bullpen as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have partnered to power the Yankees’ offense. Now, he will join his teammates at the All-Star Game.
Holmes is an American League All-Star for the second time, as announced on Sunday evening. The Yankees closer will be part of the Junior Circuit’s bullpen for the July 16 festivities at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
“I’m excited,” Holmes said. “This place means a lot to me — the organization, teammates and coaches, all the people here. To be able to represent all the guys here, it’s something I don’t take lightly. It’s a huge honor, and I’m super grateful for this opportunity.”
It is the second career All-Star nod for the 31-year-old Holmes, who entered play on Sunday having converted 19 of 24 save opportunities this season. He owns a 3.00 ERA across 37 appearances. In 36 innings, Holmes has permitted 16 runs (12 earned) and 39 hits, with 37 strikeouts against just eight walks.
Two days after surrendering a game-tying two-run homer to Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, Holmes acknowledged that he was “probably a little surprised” to be named an All-Star. He’d been entertaining spending the break on a beach or in Nashville.
“All-Star Games are a hard thing to make,” Holmes said. “I don’t think you can ever fully expect it. I wasn’t coming in with a 0.00 ERA.”
Holmes’ 66.7 percent ground ball percentage ranked fourth highest among Major League relievers entering play on Sunday (third in the AL). He has reached double digits in saves for the third time in his career, previously notching 20 saves in 2022 and 24 saves last season.
“I always knew that I could be a good pitcher and had the tools to do it,” Holmes said.
Judge secured an automatic starting nod on June 28, when it was announced that he had received 3,425,309 votes in Phase One of All-Star voting, leading all Major Leaguers. This will be Judge’s sixth career All-Star Game (also 2017, ’18, ’21, ’22 and ’23).
Soto received his fourth consecutive All-Star nod when he was voted one of the AL’s starting outfielders, receiving 449,442 votes in Phase Two. The Guardians’ Steven Kwan is the other AL outfielder. This marks Soto’s first turn as an All-Star starter.
“They’ve been incredible,” Holmes said. “We knew the players they are and what they could do, but I think them doing it, and probably more than what you could expect — it’s not easy. You want to take it for granted because of who they are and what they’ve done, but it takes showing up every day, preparing every day.
“Stuff doesn’t just happen. I think just seeing how they work and how committed they are to this team and winning, it’s impressive. It rubs off on everybody here.”
Holmes thoroughly enjoyed his previous All-Star experience in 2022, especially the chance to chat with superstars from across the league in the clubhouse. Those days went by swiftly, and Holmes said he hopes to savor this trip more.
“It’s definitely fast, and you’re always kind of wondering where you should be and what you should be doing,” Holmes said. “Soaking it in, I think a lot of that is being present with the people around you.”

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Yankees should be fine with wild card in new MLB playoffs format

Yankees should be fine with wild card in new MLB playoffs format

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There is panic. There is over-the-top worrying. There is fear that an extremely poor month of baseball means the Yankees are a bad team.

After following Saturday’s rout of the Red Sox with a quick-work 3-0 loss in Sunday night’s rubber game, the Yankees have lost 15 of 20 games and are 10-18 dating back to June 6. They aren’t hitting (four hits on Sunday) or pitching (another two homers allowed to Rafael Devers) or fielding particularly well. A 50-22 record has become 55-37.

Suddenly, they are looking up at the Orioles, three games back in the AL East, which has Yankees fans collectively freaking out.

In the long run, though, this past month isn’t important, as long as it doesn’t continue.

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Ben Rice’s unexpected magic can’t fix all of the Yankees’ glaring issues

Ben Rice’s unexpected magic can’t fix all of the Yankees’ glaring issues

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Young Ben Rice is a nice story whether it’s a one-day story or he keeps his unexpected magic going. That the Yankees even discovered the Boston kid and Dartmouth alum was the first miracle. How many more are coming?

Yankees scouts worked overtime, staffing pickup games and practices in Northborough, Duxbury, Needham, Scituate and other Hub suburbs where Rice and aspiring Ivy League hopefuls played while the academic-first conference went on a two-year COVID break. The Yankees liked what they saw so they turned him into a 12th-round draft flyer that looks brilliant today.

Rice isn’t just a big plus because he may be that third, necessary threat in the two-superstar Yankees lineup or because he made himself the answer to a trivia question on Saturday by becoming the first Yankees rookie to have a three-homer game. He brings energy and youthful enthusiasm to a very veteran clubhouse that’s been missing that.

Ben Rice homered three times for the Yankees during their win Saturday. Charles Wenzelberg

Rice’s huge game against the team he grew up rooting against — really, he was a Yankees fan growing up in tony Cohasset, Mass. — represented a beautiful diversion from a dismal trend. But even manager Aaron Boone wasn’t necessarily buying a carryover effect.

“I think the focus switches to today,” Boone said, honestly, before the Yankees hoped to defy their recent downturn by beating their rival Red Sox on Sunday night on national TV and logging their first winning series in nearly a month.

Rice, mature beyond his 25 years, sees it the same.

“Yesterday was obviously a thrill. I’ll never forget it. But right back at it. Best thing about baseball is there’s a game the next day,” Rice told The Post.

Rice is a lovely tale, but the Yankees still have to prove they can get back to playing the way they did the first 70 glorious games. Three areas of concern remain.

1. The Rotation

Boone expressed faith, saying, “I feel like we have the people.” But the Yankees were checking on the starting market even when things were going superbly.

The rotation, the best in baseball the first 70 games, posted an MLB-worst 7.37 ERA (and overall MLB-worst full-staff 6.36 ERA) over their 5-14 slide. If anything, one would think the return of reigning Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole would make them better. But everyone else regressed.

Marcus Stroman’s ERA has jumped from 2.60 to 3.58. Charles Wenzelberg

Marcus Stroman has seen his ERA rise from 2.60 to 3.58. Carlos Rodon has seen his ERA go from 2.93 to 4.45. And Luis Gil, Sunday night’s starter, has seen the biggest jump of all. He had gone from 1.82 to 3.41 entering play.

Boone praised the talent, which is terrific, but conceded Gil is “a work in progress.”

The way it’s been going, it’s more like regress.

2. The Bullpen

The Yankees’ bullpen that’s been a revolving door at times has been taking their hits for not having enough “swing and miss” guys, and the numbers suggest there may be something to that. While their overall ERA of 3.63 places them eighth of 30 teams, they rank 18th with 8.62 strikeouts per nine innings.

Setup man Luke Weaver has generally been a revelation. But the Friday defeat to the Red Sox, where closer (and surprise All-Star selection) Clay Holmes gave up a game-tying homer a strike short of a win and Tommy Kahnle surrendered the game-winning homer an inning later illustrated why the Yankees have been working hardest to bolster their bullpen.

Clay Holmes blew a save Friday during the Yankees’ loss to the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

Fortunately, even in a deep sellers market overall, there should be some decent relievers out there. Even if they can’t get All-Star closers Tanner Scott or Mason Miller, several other bullpen pieces should hit the market.

3. The lineup

Boone may have solved the leadoff issue by inserting the meteor of the moment Rice into that spot, but the order still looks very top-heavy with him followed by two MVP candidates — Juan Soto and the great Aaron Judge — the six guys with an OPS plus below 100.

Based on early returns, Rice may actually be more suited to cleanup than leadoff but Boone said he likes Alex Verdugo’s “presence” there, and expressed faith in the ex-Red Sox player, suggesting he simply went through a “two to three week” stretch where he “struggled a little bit.”

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They are missing Giancarlo Stanton at least as much as predicted. Boone praised some recent at-bats by Anthony Volpe, but he’s looked like 2023 Volpe lately.

Gleyber Torres, who was out of the starting lineup a second straight game with a tight groin, generally has appeared tight in this his platform year. And two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu isn’t a threat lately (.497 OPS). He continues to play, but one wonders how much longer.

Boone couldn’t dispute the struggles of the bottom two-thirds of the batting order. “Hopefully,” Boone said, “we get other guys going.”

The Yankees have acted like they didn’t need to consider infielders on the trade market, but from here, they have little choice. The new kid provided surprising and quick satisfaction — minute Rice, if you will — but we will need to see more from many others to know they are out of their funk.

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