Yankees' Complete Guide, Preview for 2nd Half of 2023 MLB Season

It has been a trying season for the New York Yankees to this point, with injuries and inconsistent performance undercutting a club that had legitimate title hopes when the season began.

Despite all of that, they still entered the All-Star break with a 49-42 record, which put them just one game out of a wild-card berth.

That glimmer of hope will likely be enough for them to buy at the trade deadline, though it remains to be seen whether they will be looking to make a legitimate splash, or if they will instead settle for secondary additions to shore up the roster.

Ahead, we've provided a preview for the second half of the season, complete with potential X-factors, a trade deadline outlook and a blueprint for this Yankees team to reach the postseason.

Second-Half X-Factors

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Carlos Rodón

Aaron Judge

The Yankees are 30-19 when Judge is in the lineup this season, compared to 19-23 without the reigning AL MVP on the field. It's not hyperbole to say his health during the second half will make or break the team's playoff hopes, and as of now there is still no clear timetable for his return from a toe injury that has sidelined him since June 3.

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Carlos Rodón

After years of battling injuries, Rodón finally broke out in 2021 then he tossed a career-high 178 innings last year. That was apparently enough to convince the Yankees that his injury issues were a thing of the past, and he was signed to a six-year, $162 million deal in December. Fast forward to the All-Star break and he made a grand total of one start during the first half of the season after a forearm strain sidelined him for the first 88 games of the year. Can he stay on the field during the second half?

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Luis Severino

With a 7.38 ERA and 1.81 WHIP over nine starts, Severino has looked completely lost on the mound this season. He closed out the first half by allowing 10 hits and seven earned runs in 2.2 innings against the Baltimore Orioles, and at this point it's fair to wonder if he will even hold onto his rotation spot. He can be an ace-caliber arm when everything is clicking, but that guy has been absent all year.

Trade Deadline Outlook

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Cody Bellinger

The Yankees have used nine different starting left fielders already this season, and the position has produced a combined .239/.300/.439 line on the year.

Even if they are comfortable with some combination of Billy McKinney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswaldo Cabrera holding down the position, the ongoing question marks surrounding Aaron Judge and the oft-injured Harrison Bader in center field make adding another outfielder a top priority.

Chicago Cubs rental bat Cody Bellinger is a popular hypothetical target, as he would add a left-handed bat to a righty-heavy lineup and a standout glove capable of handling all three outfield spots.

Another middle-of-the-rotation starter would also be nice, to serve as an insurance policy and help eat innings. Detroit Tigers All-Star and free-agent-to-be Michael Lorenzen fits the bill.

And like any team in the postseason hunt, another quality bullpen arm or two could never hurt.

The Yankees Make the Postseason If...

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Aaron Judge #99 and Anthony Rizzo #48 of the New York Yankees celebrate during a game against the San Diego Padres at Yankee Stadium on May 28, 2023, in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)

First and foremost, Aaron Judge needs to get healthy and he needs to stay healthy.

If a report comes out tomorrow that he is going to miss another month or the remainder of the season, they might as well pack it in and pivot to selling at the deadline, because they're simply not a legitimate contender without him in the lineup.

Beyond that, the starting rotation needs to find some stability behind Gerrit Cole, whether it's through in-house improvements or an outside addition.

The Yankees open the second half with 11 games against the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets, so that will be a golden opportunity to make up some ground in the AL East standings and to find more secure footing in the wild-card race. That is then immediately followed by a brutal 10-game stretch against the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.

Where they stand on Aug. 6 when they wrap up that gauntlet of games could ultimately tell the story of their season.