MLB on FOX's Saturday Slate Preview: Yankees-Giants, Twins-Orioles, Royals-Braves
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It's still too early to see how teams are shaping up, but the first Saturday of the MLB season always feels a bit special. We're answering the big questions ahead of Saturday's MLB on FOX slate, including the Yankees eyeing a sweep of a Giants team that still hasn't scored a run: 1. Did the Yanks do enough to get on top of the AL East? What could be the determining factor? Thosar: The Yankees are running back almost an identical roster as the one they ended with last year because they're relying on rising stars to take steps forward, and the rotation has the chance to be the best in baseball this season, particularly after Gerrit Cole returns from Tommy John rehab sometime around May. Catcher/first baseman Ben Rice has elite offensive metrics, second baseman Jazz Chisholm is motivated to have a super successful walk year, and catcher Austin Wells is due to breakout at the plate. If things go right, then the offense is built to go as far as Aaron Judge takes them, and the Yankees have done enough to win the AL East. Of course, it's not that simple, either. Their three determining factors are health, wins against division rivals, and sharpening their fundamentals. The Yankees performed poorly against the Blue Jays and Red Sox in last year's regular season, with Toronto winning the season series (8-5) and Boston dominating (9-4) in head-to-head matchups. Those results cost the Yankees the division title last year. This season, they have to prove they can step up against the top AL East teams from beginning to end. As much as the Bronx Bombers want to make a deep postseason run and go back to the World Series, they also have to play just as hard and keep up their intensity in the long 162-game schedule.The familiar June swoons and lapses in concentration have led to fielding errors and a complete absence of fundamentals in recent years. Too often, simple mistakes have been at the heart of frustrating and avoidable losses, to the point where opponents are just waiting fo
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It's still too early to see how teams are shaping up, but the first Saturday of the MLB season always feels a bit special. We're answering the big questions ahead of Saturday's MLB on FOX slate, including the Yankees eyeing a sweep of a Giants team that still hasn't scored a run: 1. Did the Yanks do enough to get on top of the AL East? What could be the determining factor? Thosar: The Yankees are running back almost an identical roster as the one they ended with last year because they're relying on rising stars to take steps forward, and the rotation has the chance to be the best in baseball this season, particularly after Gerrit Cole returns from Tommy John rehab sometime around May. Catcher/first baseman Ben Rice has elite offensive metrics, second baseman Jazz Chisholm is motivated to have a super successful walk year, and catcher Austin Wells is due to breakout at the plate. If things go right, then the offense is built to go as far as Aaron Judge takes them, and the Yankees have done enough to win the AL East. Of course, it's not that simple, either. Their three determining factors are health, wins against division rivals, and sharpening their fundamentals. The Yankees performed poorly against the Blue Jays and Red Sox in last year's regular season, with Toronto winning the season series (8-5) and Boston dominating (9-4) in head-to-head matchups. Those results cost the Yankees the division title last year. This season, they have to prove they can step up against the top AL East teams from beginning to end. As much as the Bronx Bombers want to make a deep postseason run and go back to the World Series, they also have to play just as hard and keep up their intensity in the long 162-game schedule.The familiar June swoons and lapses in concentration have led to fielding errors and a complete absence of fundamentals in recent years. Too often, simple mistakes have been at the heart of frustrating and avoidable losses, to the point where opponents are just waiting fo
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