"On the hitting side, this is an older team" - MLB insider Jeff Passan not too hopeful with the New York Yankees this season, shares grim prediction with Max Kellermann

The New York Yankees were caught in some hot takes and bold predictions by ESPN columnist and media personality Jeff Passan. On Max Kellerman's ESPN show "This Just In," the New York Times best-selling author stated that the Yankees have older personnel on the batting side and if they sustain injuries, it would be a struggle to make up for the loss of firepower.

Passan: "On the hitting side, this is an older team," Passan stated. "And a team that if it sustains some injuries, I don't know if the depth is there to make up for them."

Passan also commented on the Yankees pitching rotation spearheaded by ace Gerrit Cole. He was worried that the pitching staff lacked depth compared to their previous years. The columnist mentioned Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon and wondered if the bullpen and backend of the Yankees rotation could sustain itself in the long run.

Kellerman and Passan also discussed the hotly-contested American League East, in which there are four teams vying for playoff spots, namely the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees. The consensus pick between the two was the Toronto Blue Jays, who Kellerman claimed "were due for a giant year." The pair agreed it could a battle just for the second or third spots in the division.

The New York Yankees will battle their arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in the first game of Opening Day on April 7, 2022, at Yankee Stadium. The first pitch will be at 1:05 p.m. EST.

Will the New York Yankees be able to escape the American League East?

The Yankees have appeared in the playoffs six times in the past seven seasons

To lend credence to Jeff Passan's claims, the New York Yankees had the third oldest batting lineup at the end of 2021 per baseball-reference.com. With the trade between the team and the Minnesota Twins to acquire Josh Donaldson (36) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (27), sending Gary Sanchez (29) and Giovanny Urshela (30) the other way, there will certainly be an uptick in the average age as well. The team also re-signed former World Series champion Anthony Rizzo (32) for two more years.

In sports and in life, fate favors the wise — and with the saying that the older you get, the wiser you should be — the Yankees should look to leverage this and apply it to their game. The Bronx Bombers finished last season in the top half of the league when it came to OBP and OPS. However, they finished in the lower half in batting average and runs. They can't afford to waste any more chances given by the opposition.

"We have nine impact players for eight spots." - Yankees manager Aaron Boone via @ MLB Network Radio

The American League East is as stacked as ever, and with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays stocking up on talent, the Yankees will look to lean on the newly acquired Josh Donaldson, who can still score some dingers when healthy, the Bash Bros tandem of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and the pitching staff led by Gerrit Cole this year in a bid to clinch their 28th world title.