There are hardly any talent evaluators who think the Yankees are better than an 85-win team this year, and even that might be stretching it. But no one foresees outright collapse, either. To the contrary, those same industry peers love the Bombers' farm system and predict the beginning of another renaissance in 2018.
But what would it take for the Yankees to ambush the American League this summer instead of next? While unlikely, it's not impossible for the Bombers to creep to the fringes of the wild-card race and find themselves in the shootout game. To do that, however, several open questions have to be answered in the affirmative. And, let's face it, the Red Sox, a heavy favorite to get to the World Series, will have to wildly under-perform as well.
Still, there's enough talent in the Bronx to have an anything-is-possible conversation. We're in the home stretch before pitchers and catchers, when optimism is at its highest. So here goes, a glimpse into an alternate reality where everything falls just right for the Bombers.
Or, as lottery ticket buyers say at the moment of truth: hey, you never know.
