Coming off a rebuilding year in 2016 that saw the Yankees sell at the deadline and ultimately finish fourth in the division, New York entered 2017 with an exciting group of young players, though no real expectations for the season. Headlined by the likes of Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez, Luis Severino, and Greg Bird, it appeared that the Yankees had the makings of a firm foundation upon which they could build a sustained period of success.
Little did they know how far that exciting Baby Bomber core would take them that autumn. Of course, they couldn’t get there without some early-season heroics from an unlikely veteran.