Yankees offense looks more potent with healthy Anthony Rizzo

The New York Yankees made big additions to their offense and depth when they traded for outfielders Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham this offseason. They still have star outfielder Aaron Judge and second baseman Gleyber Torres. 

An aging but dangerous Giancarlo Stanton will get plenty of at bats at DH, if healthy, and the steady DJ LeMahieu should be able to hold down third base for at least one more year. That doesn't count the exciting young Anthony Volpe at shortstop. 

One key player, however, could give this potentially potent lineup an even bigger boost. Think about what this offense would look like with a healthy and productive Anthony Rizzo in the lineup every day. Rizzo turns 35 in August, but is only two seasons removed from posting productive numbers in 2022. 

That season, Rizzo swatted 32 home runs and knocked in 75 runs despite a paltry .224 batting average. He still posted a healthy on-base Percentage of .338 and a slugging percentage of .480. His average was held in check by an abysmal .216 Batting Average on Balls in Play. In 2022, he maintained a good walk rate (10.6 percent) and strikeout rate (18.4). He also played in 130 games. 

2023 was a different story. He wasn't healthy, which held him to just 99 games. His strikeout rate soared to 23 percent, the highest of his career outside of his rookie campaign in 2011. His walk rate plummeted to 8.3 percent, his lowest since 2012, and he hit just 12 home runs. 

Were his drops in production age-related or health-related? Or, most likely, a little bit of both? If he can bounce back one more time and have a season close to what he did two years ago, it would create a Yankees lineup that has very few soft spots.

When everyone is healthy, Rizzo will probably bat in the bottom third of the order. Having a player like Rizzo hitting in the seventh or eighth spot in the order would be an incredibly luxury.

Despite their offseason moves, it seems as if the Yankees might be flying under the radar just a bit. They won 82 games last year, finished fourth in the AL East and missed the playoffs. They play in probably the toughest division in the majors, but likely made more improvements to their roster than anyone in that division. 

If Rizzo, and Stanton for that matter, are healthy and productive, this offense is more than good enough to carry this team. The pitching should be strong enough not to be a liability, especially with a stud like Gerrit Cole anchoring the staff. 

The Yankees can still be competitive with a lesser version of Rizzo, but if he can come close to his 2022 numbers, the Yankees will be a hard team to beat. 

Age is going to catch up with this roster very quickly, but the Yankees could still have one more big season in them as currently constructed, and it very well could be 2024.