Just one year ago it looked like the New York Yankees were on the verge of a long drought. The world was a different place the last time they had won the World Series. MCU had just begun, and romcoms still had a theatre-going audience. Since 2009 it has just been a long wait and 2023 proved to be the nadir of that wait. But 2024 has been different, in fact, it has been so different that the Yankee Nation has started to hope again.

With a 44-19 record, the team currently sits atop MLB. Their pitching staff ranks amongst the very best in the league. And what more can be said about their hitting staff? But what’s even more striking, the New York Yankees have done all of this without their ace Gerrit Cole. Imagine doing it all without having the best pitcher in the world (arguably). Perhaps that’s why top insider Jeff Passan couldn’t stop praising them during his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

Eisen opened up the discussion by giving the Bronx Bombers perhaps the biggest praise they can get currently. “They’re playing some of the best Baseball I’ve seen them play in a very long time right now, since 2009,” Eisen said and Passan agreed. Passan noted that he worried that “without Cole, the Yankees might have a problem making the playoffs.” But the Yankees proved him “dead wrong.”

The Pinstripes’ hitters have been on a roll from Aaron Judge’s tremendous May and Juan Soto’s deadly consistency. So have been their pitchers with Luis Gil leading the charge in a Rookie of the Year-esque performance. “They’re the favorite in the American League. Baltimore’s got a little bit of work to do and Seattle needs to go find some offense. Cleveland’s going to need to add before the deadline because this Yankees team looks scary,” Passan said.

So does it mean that the Bronx Bombers are absolute favorites? While calling them might be a little premature, the hints are there that they’ve now put the entire league on notice.

New York Yankees’ unreal rise and chances of even more improvement

The Yankees are currently undergoing a 7-game winning streak. The interesting part is just how dominant they’ve been in those wins. Nearly every game in that streak has seen them score more than 5 runs. As of now, the New York Yankees hitting staff ranks first in all of the AL in runs scored (313). They also rank second in total hits (537) and again first in home runs (92). (Per Baseball Reference)

Similarly, in pitching too, they’ve been near the top of every stat. But what’s even more absurd – Gerrit Cole is waiting in the wings. A pitching staff that was already one of the best in the league is about to get the reigning Cy Young winner back. Perhaps that’s why comparisons to 2009 are being made – maybe this is the best chance that the Yankees have of ending that 15-year drought. But will they?