1. Stay the course. The Yankees are looking to get younger and there are plenty of stars in the making from Luis Severino to Greg Bird to Slade Heathcott to Rico Noel and slugger-to-be Aaron Judge. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are witnessing a return to the Core Four (plus Bernie Williams). By no means am I crowning any of these players as future HOFers but as a Yankee fan it is exciting to see young, homegrown talent that is hungry and anxious to prove itself. And I haven’t even mentioned the youthful double play combo of Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro.

 

  1. The improving health of CC Sabathia, physically and emotionally. The biggest surprise of last year was Sabathia’s request to leave the team before the Wild Card game to treat his little known alcohol addiction. It was especially surprising considering he was pitching his best baseball since 2012, with a sub 2.25 ERA in his last five starts. The Yankees have two more years of Sabathia and while he may zero trade value he can still be valuable at the back end of the rotation, as long as he is healthy.

 

  1. A hot April for Jacoby Ellsbury, so he can be traded immediately. I know the Yankees overpaid when they signed the former MVP candidate for 7 years/$153 million and he would never equal his 2011 campaign but the last two seasons have been injury-filled and promise-killing. Ellsbury has shown flashes of brilliance, especially in the field but his inability to remain in the lineup has worn out his welcome in the Bronx. Hopefully he can get out to another hot start this season, like in 2015, and Brian Cashman can find takers with the Yankees willing to eat significant salary. Also, moving him makes it easier for the youth movement of Slade Heathcott, Rico Noel, and Aaron Judge to get much needed playing time.

 

  1. The continued maturation of A-Roid. Despite an apocryphal August and September, the Yankee DH was a key component in the team’s offense, which ranked 2nd in the AL. A-Roid handled just about every game and situation with a newfound grace and humility. Not sure if he has a repeat performance in him but with two years left on his deal, Yankee fans are cautiously optimistic.

 

  1. Leave Joe Girardi alone. I have no idea how the fan base’s vitriol toward the Yankee skipper has gone from simmer to London broil but he has been the only constant holding this squad together for the last three seasons, in addition to being a perennial AL Manager of the Year candidate. Has he overused the bullpen? Yes, but did he have a choice with no ace to rely on. Despite having a fiery reputation, he has proved to be a calming influence on the at-times tumultuous Yankee locker room and has regularly deflected media attention to himself with Joe Torre-esque panache. There really are few mangers I would rather have managing my Yankees…until Don Mattingly becomes available.