New York Yankees: This is the most likable Yankees team in a long time

With immense success comes immense hatred. It is the New York Yankees who know that better than any team in baseball. However, it is really that easy to hate this Yankees team?

The New York Yankees are changing the narrative and perception of what people think of them on a daily basis. Once Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and really any big money player retired, the Yankees began to rebuild. This time differently.

The rebuild did not last long, however. With all the years the Yankees make the playoffs, there come over-dramatic concerns whenever they do not make it. That is much due to either expectation or standards. But, those years help them get younger players for later.

With the Yankees, and it is hard to argue this is not true, they did use to but a lot of their talent. Big money free agents or just always getting the best players. Look at the 2009 World Series team.

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But even before that, it was getting Dave Winfield, even Reggie Jackson. Whoever it was. The Yankees have really always been good. Rarely going more than a handful of seasons without making the playoffs.

Their success is what has them a lot of their fans. But, that is also what has them a lot of haters.

I will give the Yankees this, they are the victims of a lot of false narratives. Even more so this year.

They did not buy their team this year. They have not done that in a while. Brian Cashman understands the success of baseball now. Draft well, spend smart, and have good scouting and talent development.

That is what the Yankees have with this 2018 team barring only a few exceptions.

They also had the false narrative that the New York market is an easy draw for the players. That is true and this market most definitely gives the Yankees an advantage but guess what team built the New York market into what it is now? The Yankees.

Their run in 2018 just is not the case though. It does not feel like just another Yankees team. Aaron Judge spent years in their system before becoming the star he is now. Gleyber Torres was the product of a brilliant trade. Gary Sanchez? He is homegrown too.

Yes, the Yankees are paying to have Giancarlo Stanton but that is not “another big money signing” by the Yanks. They traded for him too. The Yankees gave up stuff just to pay him.

Also, whatever free-agents the Yankees do attract in the future, it will be because they have a young, solid foundation in place. Will not be due to all money or just because it’s New York.

It is difficult to compare this Yankees team to any other team in franchise history. It is just not like those other teams. The Yankees methodically got this core of talent.

Brian Cashman has his players from being nothing short of brilliant. He put a plan in place and spent years to be able to have players who are in the bigs now and other players who are expendable in the system later.

Aside from the fact that this Yankees team is changing the narrative of what the Yankees are, I still see why people might hate them.

The Yankees are still the Yankees and are rivals to most teams. It is engulfed in people’s blood to hate the Yankees too. Baseball is now a game that is generations deep.

If you ask someone who got into baseball by themselves, with no outside influence, they are likely Yankee fans. but, if baseball is something that runs deep in the family and it is not allegiance to pinstripes then that is a good reason to hate the Yankees too.

However, to say you dislike this Yankees team because you think they “pay for all the best players” or whatever stereotype you told yourself existed before is flat-out wrong.

2017, 2018, and beyond Yankees have been built from the ground up. Years of falling behind in the division and losing early in the playoffs will do that.

All their stars are just lucky enough to be in the system since day one or at least at some point.

Brian Cashman is one of the best GMs in baseball too. It is like getting mad at Bill Belichick in the NFL.

That brings me to my next point, if you still hate the Yankees it should just be because they are better than your team. That is fair. You cannot blame brilliant roster building and management.

That is literally the entire point of playing baseball or any sport. To be the best and build to have a good team.

I get it is fine to hate the Yankees too. The fun of sports is to be fueled with passion by the teams you love or hate. However, this Yankees team is by far the least hate-able.

The way they were built, the excitement they play with, and the stars in the making they are morphing is not like anything we have seen in a while.

The players do not deserve to be hated for why they are Yankees or how they got together. This is not the Golden State Warriors.

The Bronx Bombers current team is just a group of guys who are good and morph well. Whatever players the Yanks have that weren’t prospects, the Yanks gave up something for.

Whatever free agents they have, were not excessively paid. The Yankees are doing nothing to destroy parity in baseball like it once seemed.

To put it in perspective, just take this group of young guys who hit a lot of home runs, hustle, pitch well, are clutch, and give up stuff to get better. Picture them in your head.

Now, take them away from the Yankees and their reputable colors and what do you get?

Something similar to the 2017 Astros or 2016 Cubs. Do you hate them too? Probably not. I am not even a Yankees fan but this is a baseball team that was built fairly and correctly and meeting the standards set by other teams.

If it was not the Yankees they would be more accepted and rooted for. Also, this is not a pitch to go and root for the Yankees. Rivalries and hatred fuel the sports market, keep it alive.

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What I am saying is it is time to throw the old narratives out the window and find a brand new reason to hate them if you must. Because “they are just the Yankees” does not work anymore, it is not even true. We have never seen a team like this in the Bronx before.

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