Aaron Judge felt he was thisclose to reaching the World Series as a rookie in 2017. Though there was immense disappointment in falling short of that goal, the budding Yankees slugger zipped his bags expecting there to be a Fall Classic in his very near future.

That was five years ago now, and though Judge has emerged as one of baseball’s most recognizable stars, his right-field vantage point in a Bronx cathedral built upon past victories reminds him what he still must achieve. Judge thinks about it nightly; the unfinished business of leading this team to a championship.

“When you’re looking around Yankee Stadium, you don’t see division championships or ‘made it to the playoffs,’” Judge said. “You see World Series championship banners everywhere. To still not have a banner up that you’ve contributed to, it’s tough. It’s frustrating. But it’s also motivation every single year to go out there and make this year special.”

The 2021 Yankees experienced underperformance in several areas, prompting midseason roster changes that helped the club produce a 92-win season before falling in the American League Wild Card Game. Judge believes that better health and fortune will propel the Yanks’ roster of recognizable big names atop a very talented American League East.

“The big thing is just being consistent,” Judge said. “If this team stays even-keeled from April to October, we’re going to be dangerous. Health is a big thing. If we can keep everybody healthy, keep everybody on the field, I think we’re going to be in good position.”

What Needs to Go Right?
As Judge mentioned, health will be paramount for a roster counting upon bounce-back campaigns from several key members.

DJ LeMahieu was the Majors’ leading hitter during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, but his productivity was hindered last year by a core injury that knocked him out before the postseason. Aaron Hicks has played in just 145 of a possible 384 regular-season games over the last three years, but his switch-hitting presence and on-base skills are valuable as the Bombers’ center fielder.

Finding the 2019 version of Gleyber Torres would be a boon for the lineup; Torres hit 38 homers that season but has managed just 12 since. As a team, the Yanks struggled mightily to score runs in the first half of last year; they were better later, and the lineup has better balance with Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo.

On the pitching side, the Yanks are rolling the dice that Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon will be reliable contributors in the starting rotation. Severino has pitched just 27 2/3 innings (including the postseason) since 2019, and the club handled him cautiously this spring after the right-hander experienced arm soreness.

Great Unknown
LeMahieu is arguably the club’s best pure hitter, but the three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner is entering ’22 without a set infield position. The working plan is to have him bounce between second base, first base and third base -- an idea the Yanks first voiced in ’19 -- but no one in camp seems exactly sure how, when or where LeMahieu will find the at-bats he needs. LeMahieu called it “a good problem to have” and said he’s not concerned.

Team MVP Will Be ... Aaron Judge
Seems like a safe choice, no? Judge stands tall even on a team populated by former MVPs, coming off a season in which he paced the Yankees in all three slash line categories (.287/.373/.544), runs scored (89), doubles (24 -- tied with LeMahieu), homers (39), RBIs (98), walks (75) and total bases (299). You can make a solid case for Giancarlo Stanton, but we’ll give the nod to Judge. As he goes, so will the Yankees.

Team Cy Young Will Be ... Gerrit Cole
Cole might not just be the Yankees’ Cy Young -- oddsmakers like his chances of bringing home the AL’s Cy Young Award, having finished second twice in the last three years. Cole was 16-8 with a 3.23 ERA in 30 regular-season starts last year, striking out 243 against 41 walks across 181 1/3 innings, a 5.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio that paced the AL. He’s eager to put last year’s “sticky stuff” hubbub and hamstring injury in the past.

Bold Prediction
The Yankees will trade for a frontline starting pitcher before the All-Star break. General manager Brian Cashman said that the team you begin the season with is not necessarily the one you end with -- most times, it doesn’t work out that way. He also calls pitching “the key to the kingdom,” and this rotation would benefit from an upgrade behind Cole. That’s why the Yankees were involved in talks for the Athletics’ Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, among others. Even though those deals seem to have fizzled and manager Aaron Boone said the Yanks are prepared to go with what they have, look for Cashman to work some midseason magic.