New York Yankees 2012: 7 Reasons Why Yankee Fans Should Be Excited

Despite an agonizing loss to the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS, Yankee fans have a lot to be excited about in 2012. 

Fans were disenchanted with the way the season ended, and rightfully so. Everyone believed that the Yankees would be hosting the Rangers in the ALCS after their performance in Game 4.

It was simply not their year.

Now it is time to turn the page and look forward to next season. The Red Sox are in free fall and the Rays are always handicapped by their payroll. Thus, the Yankees are poised yet again to win their 13^th AL East Title in 17 years.

Here are 7 reasons why the Yankees are in a prime position to chase number 28.

CC Aka Cap'n Crunch

Every Yankee fan let out a deep sigh of relief when CC Sabathia announced he had agreed to a five-year $122 million deal with the Yankees this offseason. CC has been monumental to the Yankees success, and he is a true ace.

Since joining the Yankees in 2008, Sabathia has gone 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA and 624 strikeouts. Equally as impressive, he has pitched at least 230 innings in each of his three seasons. To say he is a horse is an understatement.

CC is on track to have his best season as a Yankee in 2012. In his three Yankee seasons, his ERA has dropped each year from 3.37 in ’09 to 3.18 in ’10 to 3.00 in ‘11. Earned runs and runs allowed have decreased in the same fashion. His strikeouts also increased by 37 between ’10 and ’11.

CC gets a lot of heat about his weight. Even John Kruk, who appears to have double the height to weight ratio as Sabathia, criticized him.

As long as CC keeps putting up these types of numbers, he can eat as much Cap'n Crunch as his heart desires.

Expect a big year out of CC in 2012.

Sweet Jesus Montero!

Montero is perhaps the most exciting hitting prospect to come out of the Yankees farm system in years. 

In the 2011 season, the 21-year-old Montero played in only 18 games, but he certainly made his mark. He recorded 20 hits in 61 at bats with four home runs, four doubles and 12 RBI. He also scored nine times and displayed his plate discipline with seven walks. His slugging percentage and OPS were .590 and .996 respectively.

It is quite clear why Cashman did not want to relinquish Montero in a trade.   

With Jorge Posada out of the picture for 2012, Jesus Montero should be slotted as the starting DH. This kid has incredible opposite field power (three of his four home runs were to right field), and has a baseball maturity level that is impressive for a 21-year-old. He has often been compared to Miguel Cabrera, and time will only tell.

The sky is the limit for Montero, and he will be a dangerous hitter in an already stacked Yankee lineup.   

Super Nova

Ivan Nova was everything the Yankees could have asked for and more in 2011. In his first year as a starter in the majors, Nova was an impressive 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA and 98 strikeouts. His last loss in the regular season was on June 3rd, and proceeded to win his next 12 starts in a row. 

Nova has a live arm; his four-seam fastball averages 94 mph. He also has a two-seam fastball, a nasty slider and a slower curveball. He showed fantastic command for a rookie, as he only walked 57 batters in 2011.

The Yankees have found something in this 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic. He has been stellar in his young career, and has cemented himself as a legitimate No. 2 starter in the rotation.

Yankee fans can expect to see more of the same in 2012. 

The Grandyman

Curtis Granderson's 2011 season was simply remarkable. He set career highs in home runs (41), runs batted in (119), walks (85), runs (136), and OPS (.916). 

Granderson joined Willie Mays as the only players to belt at least 40 home runs, hit 10 triples, and steal 20 bases in the same season.

Pretty good company.

A criticism of Granderson in the past was that he could not hit left-handed pitchers effectively. With the help of Kevin Long (who is a genius), Granderson dispelled any doubt that critics might have. He crushed 16 home runs against south-paws in '11, and hit .272 against them (he hit .258 against righties).

Curtis was also stellar in the field, as he made only three errors and recorded 11 put outs. 

Granderson is a legitimate candidate for AL MVP. As long as he is patrolling center field and is a menace in the two spot, the Yankees are a force to be reckoned with.

Look out for a big year from the Grandyman in 2012. 

Houdini

When Joba and Rafael Soriano went down with injuries early in the season, many Yankee fans were worried that the bullpen would be a glaring weakness. The original game plan was as follows: Robertson pitches the sixth inning, Joba in the seventh, Soriano in the eighth and Mo closes the game. With Joba and Soriano unavailable, Girardi showed trust in Robertson and placed him into the eighth inning spot.

Robertson never looked back.

In 2011, he was virtually untouchable, posting a 4-0 record with an astounding 1.08 ERA. He was also a strikeout machine, racking up 100 Ks in only 66.2 innings pitched. Robertson only allowed eight earned runs and one home run in the entire season.

It seems like the Yankees have found an heir to Mariano's throne. Robertson is only 26 years old, and will only improve over time. 

The nickname “Houdini” refers to Robertson’s uncanny ability to escape out of any jam, and Yankee fans should be excited for more magic in 2012. 

Mariano: The G.O.A.T

As soon as "Enter Sandman" starts blasting in the top of the ninth inning, everyone in Yankee Stadium knows the game is over.

Mariano Rivera continues to defy age and time. At 41, Mo recorded 44 saves with a 1.91 ERA and .90 WHIP. There is not much more to say about him other than he is the greatest relief pitcher to ever live. 

Any non-biased baseball fan would agree, if they could choose any pitcher in baseball to pitch the bottom of the ninth, they would pick Mariano everyday and twice on Sunday.

The Yankees will always have a chance to win when Mariano is on the mound.

Larry

Larry Rothschild has proven to be one of the best additions that the New York Yankees have made. In 2011, he took a bullpen plagued with injuries and no-name players, and transformed them into one of the best bullpens in baseball.

He is an excellent teacher, and will be able to groom the Yankees' five-star prospects (Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances) in 2012.

If he can somehow make AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes more consistent in 2012, the Yankees will be set up perfectly for a serious run at their 28th championship.