"I apologize to Aaron Boone for telling him he was managing a 3rd place team" - MLB insider Jon Heyman believes New York Yankees are the team to beat in AL this season

The New York Yankees are surpassing expectations to start the year and they're turning some heads while doing so. MLB analysts were in wide agreement before the season started that the Yankees would not be a World Series contender this year. Most early power rankings placed them outside of the league's top ten teams, even below struggling squads like the Chicago White Sox.

"With a .704 winning percentage, the #Yankees are currently on pace to win 114 games. That’s the same win total of the ‘98 club, the best Yanks team of our lifetimes." - @ Bryan Hoch

But the Bronx Bombers have loved playing the underdog. They're rocking a 20-8 record so far and have five straight series. They even managed an 11-game winning streak before the season was a month old. They've marched straight into first in baseball's toughest division, the American League East. The New York Yankees are making superpowers like the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays look silly. And they're changing the minds of MLB analysts who slept on them a little over a month ago.

Jon Heyman believes New York Yankees are the American League team to beat this season

The New York Yankees are 20-8 to start the season.

Love him or hate him, Jon Heyman is one of the most widely followed MLB insiders on the planet. The "New York Post" columnist boasts 762,200 followers on Twitter and averages roughly 300 comments per Tweet. He's got a lot of opinions and he's not afraid to tweet about them on a regular basis.

Jon Heyman showed his best side this afternoon when he tweeted out his first "mea culpa" — which is essentially Latin for "my fault" — of this season. In early April, Jon Heyman said he told Aaron Boone that he was going to be managing "a third-place team" this year. Quite the contrary is shaping up to be true. We're almost 30 games in, and Boone's New York Yankees sit comfortably atop the American League East division.

"First mea culpa of year. I apologize to Aaron Boone for telling him he was managing a 3rd place team. Not only was I wrong, but here’s why they are the team to beat in AL. In here: a rundown of flaws of other contenders." - @ Jon Heyman

In his related column, Heyman said that Boone didn't pay any attention to his verbal jab.

"Boone seemed unfazed, unannoyed. Boone answered calmly, saying he had great confidence in his team, more than many (apparently me included)."

Heyman recently followed up and asked Boone if he remembered the conversation. As it turns out, he didn't. His response was pure gold.

"On Sunday, when I asked Boone if he recalled that conversation, he said no. And the reason is plain: He hears a lot of stupidity, and gives it no heed. This is a great gift."

It's not only a great gift, but a necessary one for all Yankees' managers. It takes tough skin to tune out the New York media's pressure, questions, and ever-present jabber. Aaron Boone doesn't just tune it out. He owns it.