New York Yankees: 10 Franchise Records That Will Fall in the Next Decade

Although plenty of New York Yankees franchise records will never be broken, there are 10 that their current players are capable of toppling in the next decade.

Half of the accomplishments being challenged on this list were career feats, while the remaining five would need to be surpassed in a single game or season.

I have chosen to present them from likeliest to most improbable.

169 Single-Season Strikeouts (Curtis Granderson, 2011)

Record Breaker: Curtis Granderson (or strikeout-prone free agent)

Swings and misses are more prevalent than ever in 21st century Major League Baseball, and the New York Yankees don't shy away from players who get punched out often.

The front office covets productive hitters and overlooks contact ability. For example, general manager Brian Cashman stuck with catcher Jorge Posada for many years despite his strikeouts.

Moving forward, Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson are prominent Yankees who have a tendency to whiff.

I expect center fielder Granderson to surpass his own franchise record of 169 single-season strikeouts in the coming years. Fresh off an MVP-caliber campaign, he'll get the prerequisite plate appearances.

This isn't a mark that anybody wants challenged, but the Yankees won't mind so long as plenty of hits come off his bat too.

534 Career Doubles (Lou Gehrig)

Record Breaker: Derek Jeter

When speaking of career records, accomplishments come to those who are consistent.

Team captain and shortstop Derek Jeter is certainly not an extra base-hit machine, but he's in line to exceed Lou Gehrig's mark of 534 regular season doubles. Jeter needs 43 more to top the New York Yankees' list, and his tenure with the franchise will last for at least two more seasons.

That inside-out swing of his will produce that many two-baggers before his current contract expires after the 2013 season.

$209,081,577 Payroll (2008)

Record Breaker: 2012-2021 New York Yankees

Courtesy of the Associated Press, fans can access information about the payrolls of all 30 MLB teams.

There's one obvious trend over the past several years: the New York Yankees annually out-spend the rest. They have flaunted their deep pockets since the 1999 season.

Set in 2008, the franchise record for highest single-season payroll won't last. History has proven that future MLB free agents will always have steeper asking prices than their predecessors.

So long as the Yankees remain profitable at the ticket window and aggressive on the open market, they'll end up committing more to player salaries than ever.

339 Career Stolen Bases (Derek Jeter)

Record Breaker: Brett Gardner

In the past, prolific base-stealers have starred on the New York Yankees, but none have stayed for the length of their careers.

Derek Jeter has become the team's all-time stolen base leader through accumulation. The bar has not been set very high, although he will likely tack on several dozen more before retiring.

Meanwhile, Brett Gardner has blossomed into an everyday position player. He will undoubtedly total more steals than Jeter as an MLB player because of his outstanding acceleration.

The important question here is if Gardner will remain with the organization.

Frankly, I believe the front office should offer him a contract extension immediately. He is a dominant defensive player according to advanced metrics, who can hold his own at the plate. And of course, stolen bases do more than buff up his statistics; they help the lineup manufacture runs.

Gardner is approximately five healthy and productive seasons away from surpassing Jeter.

18 Single-Game Strikeouts (June 17, 1978)

Record Breaker: 2012-2021 New York Yankees

In an earlier slide, I mentioned that strikeouts are on the rise. This is because pitchers across the league throw sharper breaking balls than ever and feature fastballs that reach unprecedented velocities.

The New York Yankees have several overpowering relievers in Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera.

The phenomenal ace of their starting rotation, CC Sabathia, had his long-term contract recently extended.

I imagine that over the next several seasons, the Yankees will play an extra-inning game where all five of these strikeout artists take the mound. The staff will be able to combine for more than 18 Ks if given enough batters to face.

1956 Career Strikeouts (Whitey Ford)

Record Breaker: CC Sabathia

Only one more strikeout record, I promise.

Despite spending his first eight major league seasons with other clubs, CC Sabathia is still capable of surpassing Whitey Ford for the highest total in a New York Yankees career.

Entering 2012, Sabathia will have 1333 opposing batters to punch out, but at least six more years to do it. He will surely stay with the Yankees through 2016, and through 2017 barring significant shoulder problems.

Sabathia's abilities to get ahead in the count and put his opponents away with a devastating slider give me confidence that he can out-do the Yankees' legend of the 1950s and 1960s. I also expect that he'll sign another multi-year contract with New York that will carry him through the end of his playing days.

114 Regular Season Wins

Record Breaker: 2012-2021 New York Yankees

So long as the cancerous AJ Burnett is starting every fifth day for the New York Yankees, the team will be hard-pressed to set a single-season wins record.

However, it might be possible several seasons from now.

First, the Yankees will need to make good on the speculation that has linked them to Seattle's Felix Hernandez and San Francisco's Tim Lincecum. A top-of-the-rotation starter must bolster the staff, which figures to include CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and at least one of the team's highly-touted "Killer B's" (Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances).

Next, suitable replacements will need to be found for Yankee immortals Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Fierce setup man David Robertson is a candidate for the latter, but it appears that a free agent would best fill Jeter's void.

If the awesome 2011 performance that Asdrubal Cabrera had for the Cleveland Indians proves to be repeatable, the Yankees should make an effort to woo him. Otherwise, waiting for Texas' Elvis Andrus would be worthwhile.

After the necessary talent is acquired, it's all about execution. Veterans will have to stay healthy and motivated during the dog days of summer.

12 Career Playoff Appearances as Manager (Joe Torre)

Record Breaker: Joe Girardi

Before 1969, there were only two MLB playoff teams each season. Through 1993, there were four. Sometime in the next decade—perhaps by October 2012—10 franchises will qualify for the postseason.

Joe Girardi is not necessarily the greatest skipper in New York Yankees history. He won't need to be to break Joe Torre's franchise record of 12 playoff appearances as team manager.

As I explained above, it has become progressively easier to clinch October berths.

Under the new labor deal, the Yankees will only need to finish with a top-five record in the American League to contend for the World Series.

Girardi already has made three consecutive playoff appearances with the team. Expecting him to continue that streak for another decade is not unrealistic. 

56-Game Hitting Streak (Joe DiMaggio, 1941)

Record Breaker: Robinson Cano

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak is among the most famous in the history of American professional sports. I have tremendous respect for it.

Any MLB offensive record is especially unlikely to fall in the coming years, as baseball has recently entered into a pitcher-friendly era.

Keep in mind, though, that second baseman Robinson Cano possesses incredible talent.

Reluctance to take pitches is imperative for any player aspiring to build a long hitting streak, and that is certainly characteristic of Cano. It means that he's willing to swing at the majority of a pitcher's offerings, making him less susceptible to falling into deep counts and striking out or walking (both waste a plate appearance when attempting to extend a hitting streak).

Such aggressiveness would be problematic for lesser players. Cano thrives, however, because of his smooth mechanics.

He makes contact regularly, so with enough luck, he'll threaten this timeless record.

2.14 Career Earned Run Average (Goose Gossage)

Record Breaker: Mariano Rivera

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera already has the only distinction that matters: unanimous acknowledgement as the best reliever in MLB history.

Still, a notable franchise record eludes him.

Hall of Famer Goose Gossage finished his Yankees career with a 2.14 earned run average in the regular season; Rivera's sits at 2.21.

If 2012 is his final season, achieving the record will be difficult. Assuming that he pitches 60-65 innings, Rivera would need to surrender no more than five runs!

Honestly, I don't think Rivera cares. After all, incorporating his unbelievable 0.70 postseason ERA places him comfortably in front of Gossage.

Considering his past feats, I wouldn't be completely shocked if Mariano Rivera had an all-time outstanding season at age 42 to break this silly record.