Here are the 2016 MLB fantasy projections for the New York Yankees (ZiPS projections courtesy Dan Szymborski; Steamer projections courtesy Jared Cross, Dash Davidson and Peter Rosenbloom; Zeile projections courtesy FantasyPros):
Hitters
C Brian McCann
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 55 | 105 | 21 | 79 | 0 |
| Steamer | 59 | 107 | 23 | 67 | 0 |
| Zeile | 64 | 111 | 25 | 75 | 0 |
McCann is a consistent option at the catcher position and fresh off a 26-HR, 94-RBI season. He will supply value in both rotisserie and head-to-head formats, as he will be drafted in the 8th-10th round of redraft leagues. McCann is a steal for a player who has 25-HR, 100-RBI upside.
1B Mark Teixeria
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 41 | 72 | 18 | 64 | 1 |
| Steamer | 60 | 96 | 24 | 68 | 2 |
| Zeile | 63 | 101 | 28 | 73 | 2 |
Health has always been Teixeira's concern, and a fractured right leg ended an impressive 31-HR, 79-RBI season early. He no longer has the upside he once did, but still has 25-HR potential and can be had at the back end of most mixed league formats.
2B Starlin Castro
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 64 | 165 | 15 | 75 | 8 |
| Steamer | 60 | 142 | 13 | 62 | 7 |
| Zeile | 59 | 144 | 12 | 63 | 5 |
Castro was acquired from the Cubs via trade and should bring some stability to the bottom of the New York batting order. He has SS eligibility and possesses the elite speed to steal north of 15 bases. Castro will be available in the middle rounds of mixed drafts and is a starter in AL-only leagues.
3B Chase Headley
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 68 | 130 | 16 | 65 | 4 |
| Steamer | 59 | 126 | 14 | 60 | 3 |
| Zeile | 67 | 137 | 13 | 60 | 3 |
Headley hasn't been able to recreate the 2012 magic that saw him hit 31 homers with 115 RBIs, but he continues to hit for power and plays in a division with friendly hitting parks - making him an adequate option in the late rounds of drafts.
SS Didi Gregorius
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 58 | 130 | 10 | 52 | 4 |
| Steamer | 56 | 125 | 10 | 55 | 5 |
| Zeile | 57 | 127 | 9 | 52 | 4 |
The Dutch-born SS is a great defender with quick feet, though his woes in the batter's box hinder any value in fantasy. Gregorius should replicate his nine-HR, 56-RBI season, but continues to be a fantasy afterthought.
LF Brett Gardner
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 74 | 123 | 12 | 54 | 17 |
| Steamer | 75 | 136 | 13 | 58 | 15 |
| Zeile | 81 | 141 | 14 | 61 | 17 |
Gardner is not a power hitter, but his value in steals will help you win the stolen bases column in head-to-head formats. He will be available in the later rounds of drafts and is a great stash in mixed leagues with high upside.
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 66 | 132 | 9 | 46 | 26 |
| Steamer | 77 | 146 | 14 | 56 | 27 |
| Zeile | 77 | 148 | 12 | 55 | 29 |
If the Yankees want to have a shot at winning the AL East, Ellsbury needs to bounce back from a dreadful seven-HR, 33-RBI season. Ellsbury is a lock to steal 20 or more bases if he stays healthy. He's worth the risk in the early to middle rounds of redrafts.
RF Carlos Beltran
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 47 | 103 | 15 | 56 | 1 |
| Steamer | 47 | 100 | 14 | 52 | 1 |
| Zeile | 57 | 120 | 18 | 62 | 1 |
Beltran is strictly a power hitter, and at the age of 39 it's more than likely he will split DH time with Alex Rodriguez. He will be left undrafted in most mixed leagues, but is worth selecting in the middle rounds of AL-only drafts.
DH Alex Rodriguez
| SOURCE | R | H | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 60 | 98 | 23 | 74 | 4 |
| Steamer | 60 | 108 | 19 | 64 | 3 |
| Zeile | 67 | 109 | 24 | 68 | 4 |
Rodriguez returned to the diamond in 2015 and continued his illustrious career, crushing 33 home runs to go along with 86 RBIs at 39 years of age. Unfortunately, he's DH-only in the majority of leagues, limiting his value and restricting him to the middle rounds of mixed-league drafts.
Pitchers
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
| SOURCE | GS | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 25 | 157.7 | 147 | 30 | 3.82 |
| Steamer | 31 | 197 | 179 | 40 | 3.27 |
| Zeile | 31 | 183 | 167 | 38 | 3.60 |
Tanaka struggled through an arm injury that caused him to fall short of his sensational 2014 campaign. Despite facing difficult opposition in the power-heavy AL East, he is a must-have in all leagues and is worth as much as a ninth-round pick in mixed leagues.
RHP Michael Pineda
| SOURCE | GS | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 21 | 121.3 | 109 | 19 | 3.86 |
| Steamer | 29 | 157 | 176 | 30 | 3.35 |
| Zeile | 29 | 182 | 167 | 30 | 3.57 |
Pineda is the wild card of the Yankees' pitching staff. Despite his fly ball tendencies and daunting 4.37 ERA from last year, Pineda offers a pile of value in head-to-head leagues thanks to his high strikeout rate. He should, however, be avoided in standard 10-team leagues.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi
| SOURCE | GS | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 25 | 146.3 | 127 | 44 | 4.24 |
| Steamer | 26 | 150 | 114 | 42 | 3.96 |
| Zeile | 26 | 168 | 130 | 47 | 4.07 |
After a so-so first year in a Yankees uniform, Eovaldi will look to build on the positives - namely, a career-high 18% strikeout rate in 2015 on the strength of an average fastball velocity of 96.6 miles per hour. Eovaldi has the potential to be a decent sleeper and is worth a late-round draft choice in all formats.
LHP CC Sabathia
| SOURCE | GS | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 21 | 124.7 | 104 | 37 | 4.98 |
| Steamer | 24 | 141 | 112 | 41 | 4.09 |
| Zeile | 24 | 150 | 125 | 44 | 4.51 |
Sabathia has tailed off dramatically since 2013, going 23-27 with a 4.81 ERA and 66 home runs against in that span. Don't even bother selecting him.
RHP Luis Severino
| SOURCE | GS | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 30 | 154 | 147 | 51 | 3.80 |
| Steamer | 28 | 161 | 143 | 54 | 3.82 |
| Zeile | 28 | 160 | 143 | 56 | 4.02 |
Severino has the potential to surprise many owners this year and will be available as a mid-to-late-round draft pick. The 22-year-old righty has solidified his spot in the starting rotation and has major K upside.
Closer
LHP Aroldis Chapman
| SOURCE | IP | K | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZiPS | 62 | 101 | 29 | 2.47 |
| Steamer | 65 | 101 | 28 | 2.21 |
| Zeile | 60 | 103 | 26 | 2.33 |
The Yankees' most notable move of the 2016 offseason was the acquisition of Chapman and his flame thrower of an arm. He throws a four-seam fastball that has topped 103.9 miles per hour, making it nearly impossible for batters to hit. He adds depth to an already loaded Yankees bullpen, though a 30-game suspension to begin the season hurts his value and opens the door for Andrew Miller to close in the interim.
