Man Just Go!

The last few seasons of Major League Baseball have arguably reshaped how we view the league- And entire sport for that matter.  We’ve been introduced to instant replay, pitch clocks, and torpedo bats amongst other nuances and rule changes. Every change has made an impact on the game; I’ll leave it to the ballers to decide whether these impacts are for better or worse. While watching games has taken some getting used to, baseball still manages to capture the classic essence of elegance I remember from my youth. For my readers who know me outside the words of this blog, you know that there’s nothing in this world I love more than my Yankees.  For those who don’t personally know me, yes, you’re reading blog posts written by a lifelong New York Yankee fan. This is not a life I chose, but a life I was born into. First off, I’d like to thank the squad for another solid year as making the postseason and defeating those damn Red Sox in the Wild Card round is never and easy feat. Now, to move on from that sentiment, I’ll be sharing my top five favorite things about the 2025 New York Yankee season- things that have inspired me and given me faith that my guys will have another awesome run next year. 

1. It would be absolutely insane if I didn’t begin this with the Yankee captain, Aaron Judge. Carrying the honor of being only one of three captains in the entire MLB, my man (and my dad’s man for that matter) surpassed any and all expectations. After leading the league in home runs and winning his second MVP award in 2024, admittedly, I was a bit skeptical as to how he would perform this year. On paper, it looked like our offense lost some key pieces during the offseason and I was worried that the lineup didn’t have enough padding for him to maintain his pace. What the hell do I know? The first couple months of the season felt as if Judge was getting an extra base hit every other at bat and he even spent significant time leading the league in the triple crown categories. A right elbow flexor strain slowed his pace during the late season but he still managed to mash 53 home runs, drive in 114 rbi, and led Major League Baseball with a .331 batting average. His league leading 1.145 OPS was more than .100 points higher than the next ball players and he by far led the league in slugging. I was most happy to see Capt. win his first batting title and smiling all over the field. Nine plus years of Major League Baseball under his belt and the guy still shows the love for playing baseball. 
2. Now lets get to the starting pitching. Besides the lineup, I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the rotation going into the year. Our ace Gerrit Cole was set to miss the entire season after having Tommy John surgery due to a torn elbow ligament. Our young bull, Luis Gil, also missed about 80% of the year due to a spring training injury. Carlos Rodon was set to be our opening day starter but looked human last season and I was a little skeptical about Max Fried’s eight-year deal as shifts from the National League don’t always pan out in the behemoth that is the AL East. Man am I grateful to have been wrong again. The Rodon/Fried 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation felt like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. Rodon gave us a 3.09 ERA, 203 K’s, and finished with a 18-9 record. Opposing batters were limited to a .188 batting average over 195.1 innings pitched. Fried put up an equally monstrous stat line finishing with a 19-5 record, 189 strikeouts, and limited opposing batters to a .223 batting average over 195.1 innings pitched.  I swear that about mid-way through the season I randomly took a peak at Fried’s stats and fanned out because I realized he was comfortably carrying a sub-three ERA, finishing the year at an astonishing 2.86. Two absolute studs on the mound. 
3. For my next point, I’d like to talk about a player who has to be the swaggiest Yankee of all time- Jazz Chisolm Jr.. I really enjoy watching Jazz play in Yankee Stadium. He’s the kind of player that puts on the glove and carries himself with an immaculate sense of self confidence, no matter what position you put him at. Also, he doesn’t take shit from anybody. The second I saw his batting stance I knew he was perfect for the stadium, which was displayed with his slugging percentage of .481 (third overall on the team). Jazz was a member of the 30/30 club this season and in my opinion attracts a new generation of fans to the pinstripes. He’s already an MLB the Show cover athlete, two time all-star, super exciting to watch, and once he’s gotten enough of the New York limelight- Will surely grow into a leadership role on the squad. 
4. Besides the aforementioned names in this article, the team had a GREAT supporting cast. The lineup offered the perfect opportunity for any baseball fan to slow down, breathe deeply, and soak in the beauty of a true power hitting lineup. Cody Bellinger remained true to his name with 29 home runs and 25 doubles. Despite all the critique, Anthony Volpe managed to mash 19 home runs with 32 doubles. Besides having a great mustache, Austin Wells knocked 21 balls over the fence and hit 22 doubles. Ben Rice displayed phenomenal growth in his second season with the Bombers with 26 home runs, 28 doubles, and a higher slugging percentage than anyone on the team not named Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. While we’re on Giancarlo Stanton, the man definitely showed flashes of his healthier self as he managed to hit 24 home runs in just 249 at bats. In total, the Yankees led the league with 274 home runs and developed a really entertaining high five trot celebration in the dugout. 
5. The final spot on my list belongs to the man with my favorite name on the squad, Trent Grisham. Yes, I wrote Trent Grisham. Grish’s season was a pleasant surprise as I did not once think that other guy we got in last year’s deal with San Diego would become a key part of the Yankee lineup. Oddly enough, I was at peace when he came up to the plate in pressure situations and he did deliver with plenty of clutch moments. He honestly changed my perspective on how I value everyday Yankee players and I loved yelling out “Trent Grishaaaaaaaaaaam” after his big moments- I even made a hobby of reposting his home runs on social media. I don’t know if it was the 34 dingers, the poof, or the mustache, but Grish definitely became one of my favorite players to watch this season… 

To wrap things up, in the spirit of inclusion here at ManJustGo, here goes a quick list of my favorite stories from the entire 2025 MLB Season:

1. The Big Dumper’s historic year.
2. Shohei Ohtani AKA The Greatest Show on Earth.
3. Jose Reyes’ and Juan Soto’s 30/30 seasons.
4. The legend who is Clayton Kershaw’s last career regular season start at Dodger Stadium.
5. The Cleveland Guardians overcoming a 15.5 game deficit to take the AL Central.

And that’s all I got! 

-Giovanni Alvarado