Insider Makes Bold Claim On Yankees' Most Important Player

As the New York Yankees enter the 2024 season, stress is at an all-time high for them to win a World Series.

Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Juan Soto, Carlos Rodon, and others will face more pressure this year than they have for most of their career.

No matter what happens, the excuses are out of the window.

Fans don't want to hear about injuries, performing below standards, or anything else.

If the Yankees don't compete for a World Series, New York fans will let them know.

An MLB insider revealed one player from each team who the team would be lost without. His pick for the team in the Bronx was a surprising one.

According to Will Leitch of MLB.com, the most important player on the Yankees isn't Judge, it's Cole.

He writes that the lineup has struggled when Judge isn't playing, obvious from the 2023 season, but it's Cole who's irreplaceable due to his quality and quantity of innings.

He questions how New York would fill out their rotation if it wasn't for him.

Cole is arguably the best pitcher in baseball and proved that last year with his first Cy Young award. However, he can only play every five games.

With Judge making an impact, when healthy, for 140-plus games a season, his value is perhaps the highest in baseball.

In his own right, Cole almost guarantees the Yankees a win every five games. 

It's an interesting argument and frankly, a good one to have.

New York has three of the best players in baseball with Cole, Judge, and Soto. On any given day, they could be the most important player on the team.