Projecting the New York Yankees' Opening Day roster

While the NCAA Tournament takes center stage in the sports world we are closing in on Opening Day in the world of Major League Baseball. Just over two weeks are left in spring training, meaning there is precious little time left for players on the fringe of the roster to make impressions. This is certainly the case for the New York Yankees, who only have a handful of roster battles left to settle barring any major injuries.

Let's break down the potential Opening Day roster for the Bombers, starting behind the plate.

Catchers (2)

Gary Sanchez, Kyle Higashioka

This is the easiest position group to break down on the Yankees since they are set with Sanchez and Higashioka. Sanchez will get a chance to bounce back from a horrendous 2020 campaign while Higashioka is locked in as the backup. This could be a spot where the Yankees look to upgrade during the season if Sanchez can't recapture his old form.

Infielders (5)

Luke Voit, D.J. LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade

The starting infield was locked in once LeMahieu resigned over the winter. All four of last year's starters are back and Wade is on tap as a reserve infielder due to his defensive versatility. Mike Ford and Miguel Andujar have options and will likely start the season in the minors to get more regular at-bats.

Outfielders (6)

Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier, Jay Bruce

Stanton should be the Yankees' primary DH as long as he is healthy with Judge and Hicks starting as well. Frazier played very well in 2020 and will finally get his opportunity to play every day while Gardner is back again as the Yankees' fourth outfielder. The last spot on the bench comes down to Bruce and Mike Tauchman, with Bruce's torrid hitting during spring training giving him the inside track right now. Tauchman is out of minor league options so the Yankees will either have to try to sneak him back off the 40 man roster by DFAing him or using Tauchman as a trade piece to improve another spot on the roster.

Starting Pitchers (5)

Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, Domingo German

Cole is the ace while Kluber and Taillon were the Yankees' big offseason acquisitions. Montgomery did pitch to some bad luck last year and should improve as the fourth starter, leaving the fifth spot up to a battle between German and Deivi Garcia. German has pitched a bit better in camp and could head north with the team, allowing the Yankees to keep Garcia stretched out as a starter in case of a potential injury. That fifth spot is likely a placeholder anyway with Luis Severino rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Bullpen (8)

Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, Darren O'Day, Justin Wilson, Jonathan Loaisiga, Nick Nelson, Luis Cessa, Lucas Luetge

The injury to Zack Britton really hurts the Yankees' bullpen depth, forcing O'Day and Wilson to take on more important setup roles alongside Green. Loaisiga and Cessa should work primarily middle relief but the big surprise here is Luetge, who has pitched very well in camp as a non-roster invitee. Luetge will need to be added to the 40-man roster but his strong performance as a lefty makes him a valuable addition to the Yankees' roster.