Grading the Yankees: How each member performed in 2024
Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Most teams would consider it a successful season when you get to the World Series and lose to the team with the best record in baseball.
Most teams are not the Yankees. The Yankees and their fans still consider a season a failure if they don’t win it all, which is an impossibly high standard.
The 2024 Yankees had some amazing individual efforts at the plate (Aaron Judge in the regular season, Giancarlo Stanton in the postseason, Juan Soto all season) and on the mound (Luis Gil as a Rookie of the Year favorite, Luke Weaver as an out-of-nowhere closer).
They also had some individual flops and face an uncertain future because of the free agent status of Soto, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle, and contract options for Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo and Weaver that have to be settled soon.
Here's a look at how the Yankees' key pieces grade out for 2024:
Manager Aaron Boone
The Yankees hadn’t been to the World Series since 2009, so Boone gets credit for that. His strategic missteps in Game 1 and team’s lack of fundamentals lower his grade.
Grade: B
Jon Berti, INF
Acquired from Miami to be a spark off the bench, Berti was too often injured to make much of an impact.
Grade: INC
Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B
Performed well in limited at-bats. Inability to hit much from the right side stops him from being a true weapon.
Grade: C
Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B
Showed flashes of power and speed after coming over in July from Miami. Played decently at third in his first exposure to the position.
Grade: B
Gerrit Cole, SP
Cole’s season started late because of injury, but he performed like the ace he is when healthy.
Grade: B+
Nestor Cortes, SP
Cortes never should have been put in the position to face Freddie Freeman in World Series Game 1 after a month off. He’s a gamer, though.
Grade: B
Jake Cousins, RP
A find from the White Sox, Cousins pitched well in relief after joining the Yankees.
Grade: B
Jasson Dominguez, OF
Flubbed a chance to take over leftfield because he couldn’t catch the ball and didn’t hit much. Ceiling still high.
Grade: D
Luis Gil, SP
A Rookie of the Year candidate, Gil surpassed all expectations and even performed well in two postseason starts.
Grade: A
Trent Grisham, OF
Didn’t play much — and didn’t do much when he did. Why he was on the postseason roster was a mystery.
Grade: D
Ian Hamilton, RP
Effective when healthy, but Hamilton often was injured and spent too much time on the shelf.
Grade: C
Tim Hill, RP
Another find from the White Sox, Hill became the Yankees’ top lefty out of the pen.
Grade: A
Clay Holmes, RP
Holmes lost his job as closer but found his niche as a setup man, especially during the playoffs.
Grade: B
Aaron Judge, OF
Another wondrous regular season for the probable AL MVP -- and another disappointing postseason. The error in Game 5 was shocking.
Grade: A
Tommy Kahnle, RP
The changeup artist pitched well as a setup man, though his failure in World Series Game 5 looms large.
Grade: B+
Mark Leiter Jr., RP
Only added to the ALCS roster because of Hamilton’s injury, Leiter got some of the biggest outs of the postseason.
Grade: C
D.J. LeMahieu, 3B
Two-time batting champ is oft-injured and can’t hit anymore. If he didn’t have a contract, he’d be gone already.
Grade: F
Tim Mayza, RP
The Blue Jays castaway was effective in low-leverage roles as the second lefty out of the pen.
Grade: B-
Ben Rice, C
A catcher, he was pressed into service as a first baseman and started hot before fading and getting returned to the minors.
Grade: C
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
A steadying force who played in the postseason with two broken fingers. Only marginally effective on both sides of the ball when healthy.
Grade: C
Carlos Rodon, SP
Much better, much better. Year Two in pinstripes was a good one for Rodon, who showed what his upside can be.
Grade: B+
Clarke Schmidt, SP
Schmidt showed the stuff to be a solid No. 3 or 4 starter, though a lat injury caused him to miss much time.
Grade: B
Juan Soto, OF
One of the best walk seasons in MLB history. Played all the hoopla around his free agency as well as he performed on the field.
Grade: A+
Giancarlo Stanton, DH
Bounce-back season for the slugger who only had one stint on the injured list. Postseason monster.
Grade: B+
Marcus Stroman, SP
Stroman started hot and then faded and lost his rotation spot. He did not pitch in the postseason.
Grade: C
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Another confounding season by the talented but frustrating Torres. Picked it up in second half and postseason.
Grade: B-
Jose Trevino, C
Mostly invisible as a backup catcher once Austin Wells took over the job. Filled mentor role.
Grade: D
Alex Verdugo, OF
An automatic out for large stretches of the season. Contributed with his defense, especially in the postseason.
Grade: D+
Anthony Volpe, SS
Was his best self during the postseason, when his Game 4 Grand Slam helped bring the Yankees their only World Series win.
Grade: B-
Luke Weaver, RP
The surprise of the season for the Yankees: a failed starter who turned into a lockdown closer.
Grade: A+
Austin Wells, C
Faded at the end but took over the catching position and was a real threat for most of the season.
Grade: B
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
