New York

Yankees

The 24-year-old has spent his entire career with the Mets and posted a 2.96 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 55/20 K/BB ratio in 48 2/3 innings across three levels for the Mets in 2024, ending with 9 1/3 innings at Double-A. He has a plus breaking ball but a below-average fastball and seems like a longshot to make the major leagues.

Hill was released by the White Sox in June after posting a 5.87 ERA, 2.22 WHIP, and 13/10 K/BB ratio in 23 innings. However, after signing with the Yankees, the left-hander had a 2.05 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 18/9 K/BB ratio in 44 innings. He won’t be a fantasy asset but would be a strong addition to the Yankees’ bullpen.

Romero mentions some of the teams that have monitored the infielder are the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Mariners. Moncada is a free agent after the White Sox declined his $25 million option for the 2025 season. The former top prospect does have a career .756 OPS and offers the ability to play both third and second base, but has struggled mightily over the last few seasons both on the field and to stay healthy. He’s likely looking at a one-year “prove it” deal this winter.

Durbin set the AFL’s single-season stolen base record earlier this week and is now up to a remarkable 29 thefts. The stolen base landscape has changed pretty remarkably over the last few years, which limits Durbin’s overall fantasy upside slightly. However, his speed and defensive versatility is going to make him an impact contributor, especially in deeper mixed leagues. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier this week that he expects Durbin to play “a big role” next season, so it’s plausible to envision him taking over as New York’s everyday option at the keystone, especially if they don’t re-sign Gleyber Torres.

It’s the fourth Silver Slugger Award for Judge following a 58-homer, 144-RBI campaign where he finished with a surreal 1.159 OPS over 158 games. The other big takeaways here are Juan Soto tying Mike Trout for the most Silver Sluggers (five) before turning 26 and Brent Rooker becoming the first Athletics player to take home the hardware since 2002. Here are the rest of the American League winners: Salvador Perez (C), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Jose Altuve (2B), José Ramírez (3B), Bobby Witt Jr. (SS), Anthony Santander (OF), Juan Soto (OF), Aaron Judge (OF), Brent Rooker (DH) and Josh Smith (UTIL).

Martin’s homer gives him five for the Rafter in the AFL. The product of Austin Peay homered 12 times in 87 games in High-A Valley, and he won the Home Run Derby at the AFL showcase earlier in November. Martin is not a high-profile prospect and the fact he hasn’t played at the higher levels at the age of 24 is concerning, but there is offensive upside in his right-handed bat.

No surprises here as Judge is considered the heavy favorite to take home the hardware, which would be his second in the last three seasons, on the heels of a stellar 58-homer, 144-RBI campaign where he led the majors in both on-base percentage (.458) and slugging percentage (.701). Meanwhile, Soto is on the precipice of landing a lucrative multi-year contract on the open market after a stellar New York debut where he slugged a career-best 41 round-trippers. It’ll be the first top-three finish for Kansas City’s franchise cornerstone after Witt led the majors last season with an astonishing 211 hits, leading to a stratospheric .332 batting average.

Many people expected Dominguez to be a big part of the Yankees in 2024 after he hit .314/.376/.504 in 58 minor league games with 11 home runs and 16 steals. Yet, Boone continued to play struggling Alex Verdugo in left field over Dominguez. With Verdugo and Juan Soto both free agents, there may be space for Dominguez in 2024, but it depends on how the roster shakes out. The 21-year-old has played 239 minor league games in center field but just 58 in left field and one in right field. If the Yankees re-sign Juan Soto, they would be forced to leave Aaron Judge in center and make Dominguez adapt to left field, where he has struggled in the past. If Soto were to leave in free agency, then Judge could move to right field and Dominguez could play his more natural center field.

With Gleyber Torres hitting the free agent market, the Yankees could be looking to bring in a new second baseman in 2025. However, Caleb Durbin is making his case after hitting .275/.388/.451 across three levels in 2024, with 10 home runs and 31 steals in 90 games. He’s also currently on pace to tie or break the Arizona Fall League stolen base record. Even if Durbin isn’t named the starting second baseman, the 24-year-old has played three infield spots and two outfield positions this fall, so he could get into a lineup regularly thanks to his defensive versatility.

Walker is 33 years old, which may impact the length of the deal he gets, but he’s also averaged 33 home runs over the last three years and has won three Gold Glove awards at first base. His defensive value and likely short-term contract potentially makes him a more intriguing fit for some teams than Pete Alonso, and Nightengale reports that the Yankees, Mets, Nationals, and Diamondbacks are among the teams vying for his services. Given his power production, moving to a hitter-friendly park could be good news for Walker’s fantasy value.