OPINION: Baby Bombers Give Yankees Newfound Hope

The New York Yankees have commonly seen young ballplayers rise through the ranks and start their illustrious careers take off in pinstripes. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera all wore a Yankee uniform past their 40th birthdays.

With the old core of the Yankees nearly a full year removed, there isn’t so much of a rebuild coming as a rebrand. Who is next big star in the Bronx?

Nearly halfway through the 2017 season, and there just might be an answer – it’s the young guns.

Several ‘Baby Bombers’ have only just begun their careers with the Yankees, but have already made an immediate impact into giving a team that has recently lost its most beloved players some hope as it transitions into once again becoming a formidable playoff team. Many players who have made key contributions to the Yankee lineup are under 27 years old.

In total, nine Yankee players have began their major-league journeys in 2017, with two being as recent as this weekend. Clint Frazier hit a home run in first MLB game on Saturday in Houston, just days after Dustin Fowler made his debut in Chicago against the White Sox, only to come to a horrific end with a brutal ruptured patella tendon injury to his right knee.

In his second season as a Yankee, former Chicago Cub Starlin Castro, 27, leads the team in hits as of June 27 with 92. Rookie sensation Aaron Judge, 25, has had as good of a rookie season as any MLB player in recent memory to this point, already blasting 26 home runs and is a legitimate Triple Crown candidate though the end of June. Gary Sanchez, 24, and Aaron Hicks, 27, have also been solid everyday contributors.

While the pitching has had its ups and down, especially in the bullpen and shown by the team’s recent skid, there is no reason for Yankees fans to worry. The poise and discipline that the young players show already vitalize key aspects not seen in last year’s team, when it always seemed like something was missing.

The Yankees have solidified the Bronx as hosts to ‘New York’s team’ after the Mets’ success the past few seasons but injuries and struggles this season have brought the Yankees back to life as of late. But if there’s any reason to think that this team will not recover, then you must not be watching the impressive seasons the young Bombers are having.