Despite losing two out of three games to the Red Sox, the New York Yankees have had a strong start to the season, leading the AL East. Fans would be surprised that teams like the Rays and Blue Jays are competing closely with them. Aaron Judge is having an MVP-caliber season, complemented by strong performances from free-agent Max Fried and several key players including Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Rodón. The emergence of lesser-known players like Ben Rice has also contributed to the team's success.
Four surprises in particular have also been key. The Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt to bring first base back to respectability after cratering with a past-his-prime Anthony Rizzo the past couple years, but posting his best numbers at age 37 since his NL MVP-winning 2022? That's exceeding expectations.
Aaron Judge having yet another MVP-caliber season has been vital to this start, as has free-agent signing Max Fried truly stepping in for the injured Gerrit Cole as the unquestioned ace.
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