Every year, the same expectation hangs over the Bronx: winning the championship. The New York Yankees, who own 27 titles—but not a single championship or pennant over the past 13 years—marched into 2022 with World Series aspirations and a retooled roster. After unloading Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela and acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson in their marquee offseason move, the Yankees set the league ablaze in the first half of 2022. They sprinted to a 64-28 record by the All-Star Break, buoyed by a roster that seemed remarkably deep and a historically ascendant season from Aaron Judge. Then, the Bombers stumbled in the second half of the season, posting a .500 record in July and a .357 winning percentage in August. A hot September and a final stretch that saw Judge smashing Yankee and American League records with his 62nd home run left Yankee fans with high hopes for the team’s playoff run.
Postseason grade: C+
In the Yankees’ first playoff series, New York struggled to put away a scrappy Cleveland Guardians team, who pushed the series to five games. Clutch hits in the last innings of Game 2 and 3 gave the Guardians a 2-1 lead, but the Yankees fought back to win Game 5 and seal a berth in the ALCS.
With a chance to win the pennant against one of their greatest rivals, the Yankees crumbled in the ALCS. The Houston Astros swept New York in a dominant performance that left no doubts about who was in fact the better team. Nonetheless, the Yankees made almost every game close, as three out of four of their losses came with a one or two-run margin. Thus, after an abject failure to make it to the World Series and a bitter loss to a superior team, the Yankees earn a suboptimal playoff grade.
Regular season MVP: Aaron Judge
In 2022, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge posted one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time. The numbers almost sound fake: the 6-foot-7 star slashed .311/.425/.686 for a 207 wRC+ and 11.4 fWAR, hitting 62 home runs. 11.4 fWAR is tied for the fifth-most among position players since integration. To put it simply, his 2022 season may be a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
Postseason MVP: Harrison Bader
A midseason trade acquisition, the speedy outfielder who came up with the St. Louis Cardinals exploded in the playoffs. Bader, who owns a career 97 wRC+, hit five home runs in the playoffs for a Herculean 252 wRC+, carrying a Yankee offense with a number of hitters who looked lost.
Notable free agents
Aaron Judge, Jameson Taillon, Zack Britton, Chad Green, Andrew Benintendi, Matt Carpenter
