If and when the the 2020 Major League Baseball season begins, which slugger is poised to take home the home run crown?

SNY's Eamon McAnaney and Maria Marino discuss during the latest edition of What are the Odds?

Two outs in the bottom of the ninth, runners on first and second in a one-run game ... who gets the call?

The BNNY crew discusses which current Met or Yankee they'd want to have up at the plate with the game on the line ...

When the Yankees were set to face the Orioles last season, everyone knew to simply watch Gleyber Torres' at-bats. 

There was a very big chance the ball was going to go over the wall. 

Torres just raked against Baltimore last season, owning an insane triple slash of .394/.467/1.045 with 13 dingers, 20 RBI and four doubles in 66 at-bats...

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The 2020 MLB Draft is getting close, which means the Yankees will be working hard to be fully prepared for selecting 28th overall on June 10. 

While we've already looked at potential infielders and pitchers for the Yanks, outfielders are very important to this franchise, so that could be the mindset heading into this draft. Of the team's top 30 prospects, eight outfielders make the list with the top overall prospect in 17-year-old Jasson Dominguez leading the way. 

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

When you look at the Yankees' Top 30 prospects list, you won't find a single corner infield prospect on it. 

Loaded with power arms on the mound, outfielders and middle infielders, the Yankees could certainly use this 2020 MLB Draft to secure a top corner infield prospect who could crack that list. 

And it would make sense when you look at the current roster for the Yankees. Luke Voit is the presumptive starting first baseman with Mike Ford behind him. But neither player should be leaned on to produce on a consistent basis, though Voit has been solid since being acquired via trade from the Cardinals. 

When you think of potential MVP candidates on the Yankees, there are quite a few: Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and a former MVP in Giancarlo Stanton come to mind. Even Gerrit Cole can make his case. 

But what about DJ LeMahieu?

Yankee fans all know that LeMahieu was the team's MVP last season, breaking out in a big way in his first season in pinstripes. His 2019 campaign was tremendous, with a triple slash of .327/.375/.518, 102 RBI and 26 homers. Overall, he had a 5.9 WAR. 

Samantha Bracksieck, girlfriend of Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, was arrested in February on DUI charges in Arizona.

In police bodycam footage that was recently released by TMZ, Bracksieck name-drops Judge during her arrest, asking "Do you know who my boyfriend is?" and later saying "This is going to be bad for me." 

According to TMZ, Bracksieck was pulled over in Scottsdale, Ariz. in late February after police witnessed her driving without headlights on. She told police she'd had two glasses of wine at a restaurant, but then failed a field sobriety test. TMZ reports Bracksieck blew .12, .169, and .181 during three breathalyzer tests that night.

If there is a such thing as any kind of a silver lining to MLB's hiatus, it's that the break has allowed more time for injured players to rehab and get back to full strength. 

For Yankees lefty James Paxton, that seems to be exactly the case. After undergoing back surgery in February, Paxton now says that he expects to be a full go if and when the 2020 MLB season begins.

"I think I've thrown probably 12-14 bullpens," Paxton told YES Network. "It's feeling really good. Back is a non-issue, I feel totally healthy, so I'll be ready to go as soon as the season comes about ... I think I'm back to full strength."

New York always seems to attract some of the biggest names in sports. But which player would you want to see featured in a documentary?

SNY's Chris Williamson and Jeane Coakley tackle that question ...

The Yankees drafted LHP T.J. Sikkema from the University of Missouri during the Competitive Balance Round A, with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.

At the time, the then-20-year-old was ranked as the No. 57 prospect by MLB Pipeline, but the Yankees saw something else in him to exceed that when draft day came around. 

An uber-competitive pitcher, Sikkema is already the Yankees' 17th best prospect in their farm system with an estimated arrival time in the majors of 2022. 

Aaron Judge is still working hard to recover from the rib stress fracture he suffered last season. It's been a long process, with GM Brian Cashman saying this week Judge may not be fully healed from it until "summertime."

The Yankees obviously love Judge, being that he is the face of the franchise at the moment. He projects to be a perennial All-Star -- if he stays on the field. He's missed over 100 games in the last two seasons, which begs the question of whether or not these injuries will continue to bother him throughout his career. 

Paul O'Neill, who knows a thing or two about playing in right field at Yankee Stadium, believes Judge's massive size makes it hard not to get injured when he does run into the wall or dive, which is what caused his injury.  

Yankees OF Aaron Hicks might not be fully ready to resume play whenever the MLB season returns, but he is definitely working hard to do so. 

Hicks is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and manager Aaron Boone has said in his injury updates that Hicks continues to stay on track. Well, a video showed his progress, and Hicks looked to be in great shape as he took BP and showed off some conditioning workouts...

MLB released a very comprehensive report that explained all the safety precautions that will be taken if and when the 2020 season can be resumed. Everything from no high-fives or spitting to wearing masks in the dugout was in the 67-page report that went to players. 

So can the league actually enforce all of this to allow the season to run smoothly? That's the latest topic in Loud Mouths: The Great Debate, as Jonas Schwartz and Gary Apple talk it...

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Yankees have a plethora of options with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, which is still expected to take place virtually on June 10. 

New York could bolster its pitching prospects in their system, or even target a top catches. But what if they went the same direction as they did last year? 

With the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft, the Yanks selected Anthony Volpe out of The Delbarton School in New Jersey. And when the second-round came along, LSU's Josh Smith -- another shortstop -- was taken. 

Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell recently commented on MLB's negotiations with players concerning reduced pay for a shortened 2020 season, saying he wouldn't be willing to risk his health to take a pay cut.

But how many MLB players would side with Snell's case? The BNNY crew debates that topic Friday at 7 p.m. on SNY ...

Bob Watson, who served as Yankees GM from October of 1995 to February of 1998, has died at the age of 74.

At the helm during the Yankees' 1996 World Series victory over the Atlanta Braves, Watson became the first African American GM to win a World Series. 

Prior to becoming Yankees GM, Watson worked in the same capacity for the Houston Astros starting in 1993 after a stint as the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics.

No matter the differences between MLB owners and the Players Association at the moment, Yankees GM Brian Cashman is confident things will be settled so that a 2020 season can be salvaged. 

Speaking on a charity call with Family Centers on Thursday, Cashman answered questions with the main one being whether or not both sides can come to an agreement on playing so that baseball can return. The main battle is over player compensation, with the owners reportedly asking for a 50-50 revenue split, while players were under the impression they would be paid on a pro-rated basis.

"I am optimistic," Cashman told NJ.com's Brendan Kuty. "I don't represent the players and the (Players) Association. Obviously there's a lot of hurdles that everyone's trying to navigate here, and certainly trying to find common ground appropriately with the Players Association is one of those things and obviously the commissioner of baseball and his team are having honest, frank conversations and negotiations ... I'm optimistic that where there's a will, there's a way."

The MLB pause due to the coronavirus pandemic has given injured Aaron Judge extra time to heal from shoulder and rib issues, but he still might not be ready for the potentially rescheduled Opening Day.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Thursday during a video chat with reporters that while Judge continues to heal, he was never expected to be MLB-ready until the "summertime," noting that Judge "wants to play as much as anybody" and that the Yanks are looking forward to having him back in the lineup.

"Ultimately, the broken rib that Aaron Judge suffered, it's in an area that the blood flow to that region is more difficult," Cashman said. "Blood flow is a significant part of the healing, so that's why the time frame is longer. When it happened, I always felt that we wouldn't see Judge more likely until the summertime."

While "summertime" could theoretically mean June 20, it could also mean any summer date after that.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With the 30th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Yankees selected SS Anthony Volpe out of The Delbarton School in New Jersey. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Volpe was a true dual threat with his reliable leather in the field and bat at the plate. 

And with that selection, Volpe has quickly been put in the Yankees' Top 10 prospects list, coming in at No. 9 overall by MLB.com. 

Contracting mono during his pro debut last season didn't help matters, as he needed to jump back into the mix despite not being at full strength. He hit only .215/.349/.355 in 34 games, but that hasn't discouraged the Yankees in the slightest. 

It was first reported last fall that around 25 percent of teams' minor league affiliates could be contracted under a new MLB proposal.

While nothing is official, New York congressman Max Rose said on Wednesday that fans "should be extraordinarily concerned" about the Staten Island Yankees being among the teams that could be downsized.

There is reportedly a proposal under consideration that would eliminate roughly 40 minor league teams, with the logic being that the elimination of those teams would lead to improvements -- including regarding ballparks -- throughout the minors.

With the 2020 MLB Draft still expected to kick off on June 10 with virtual format that includes fewer rounds, the Yankees are set to select at No. 28 overall.

Last season, New York was quick to stock up on middle infielders in The Delbarton School's Anthony Volpe at No. 30 overall, and LSU's Josh Smith in the second round. 

Well, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel believes the Bombers will go for pitching instead with their first-round selection this year. 

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Over the past few seasons, the Yankees have been building themselves back into legitimate World Series contenders. A "rebuild," if you even want to call it that because it lasted about a season and a half, involved players like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres and Luis Severino trying to find themselves in the league. 

But it wasn't long before Judge became the AL Rookie of the Year, Sanchez burst onto the scene smashing balls over the wall, Torres became one of the best players in the league at 22 years old, and Severino -- before his Tommy John surgery -- showed dominance on the rubber.

That's why for the past two seasons the Yankees have played late into the postseason, and they just missed competing for a World Series last season when they lost in the ALCS to the Astros. Still, in 2020, they made even more improvements to be the team to beat -- if/when the season starts. 

Negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLBPA have already been leaked through the media, with the players seemingly unwilling to accept a 50-50 revenue split for the 2020 season, which they view as a salary cap put in place by the team owners.

So which side looks worse in these public negotiations? SNY's Jonas Schwartz and Eamon McAnaney discuss that topic on the latest edition of Loud Mouths: The Great Debate ...

MLB has reportedly had its plans for the 2020 season approved by team owners, but the biggest hurdle now has become players' pay.

With mega-agent Scott Boras saying earlier this week that the players he represents have already agreed to a pay reduction and they will not be willing to renegotiate that agreement, things could get ugly between the owners and players.

But one former Yankee doesn't believe things need to be that way. 

Mark Teixeira, currently an analyst for ESPN, said Tuesday on Get Up that the players simply cannot turn down any deal that would help bring back the game. 

CC Sabathia, who retired after the 2019 season following 11 seasons with the Yankees and 19 seasons in the majors overall, looks nothing like the left-hander who took the mound during his career.

The 6' 6" Sabathia, whose playing weight was around 300 pounds, is now absolutely jacked.

Click below to see...

On Monday, MLB owners agreed to the proposal by the league to resume play in July, and it will be delivered to the Players Association on Tuesday. 

But it isn't expected to be received with open arms right away. There is expected to be pushback from the players, mostly due to compensation that was agreed upon back in March but the owners want to change due to no fans being in attendance.

So the latest topic in Loud Mouths: The Great Debate centers around this proposal, as Jonas Schwartz and Gary Apple discuss whether or not both sides can eventually come to an agreement...

SNY's Doug Williams checks in from home with a new edition of Doug's Diary, where he writes about the safe return of baseball one day.

MLB teams know you can never have too much pitching, which is why teams love to stock up on young, talented arms in their minor league systems each year. 

For the Yankees, it has been a staple to have powerful arms at the ready, whether it be to come up and dominate in the bigs like Luis Severino, or use as a trade chip down the road. 

At the moment, top prospects like Clarke Schmidt, Deivi Garcia and Luis Medina are on the cusp of the majors, and they are all homegrown products. Could the Yanks be envisioning their first-round pick of the 2020 MLB Draft doing the same one day?

The foundation for the salvaged 2020 MLB season is expected to be proposed to team owners on Monday with the hope that it can be agreed upon, and then delivered to the players on Tuesday. 

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal broke it all down in his latest report, and the proposal has some interesting tidbits that combine to create an MLB season we've never seen before. 

Here are just a few changes that are expected to be made: 

As part of the lengthy report from The Athletic about MLB's proposal to the owners expected to go down on Monday, players are likely going to be asked to take a pay cut due to no fans being allowed in attendance for whenever, if at all, the 2020 season starts. 

And it could be the key factor in baseball's return. 

It hasn't been solidified yet, but the thought at the moment is owners are going to try to walk back their initial agreement from March 26 that stated players would be paid on a pro-rated basis based on the number of games played due to no fans. A big chunk of a team's revenue to pay those millions of dollars per year to players comes from ticket sales, concession sales, etc. In turn, a compromise between the owners and players on the matter will have to be reached if that does in fact become the case. 

It's Mother's Day and the Yankees were set to take on the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. But, unfortunately, we won't be able to see that matchup with the pink bats, wrist bands, and much more. 

So let's instead flash back to some of the most recent Mother's Day moments for the Bombers, who have had some success of late in these games. There have also been some iconic moments, too. 

We're going to start this list with one cool moment for Dot Jeter...

Fans everywhere are waiting for Major League Baseball to return. But for Miguel Andujar, the wait feels even longer. 

After a sensational rookie season in which he hit 27 home runs, Andujar missed just about all of 2019 due to shoulder problems, including being diagnosed with a torn labrum in mid-May. 

Now that pro baseball is on pause, Andujar is itching to finally make his return to the field, and he's ready to prove he's entirely healthy as well.

The 2020 MLB Draft is expected to kick off on its original June 10 date, and that means the Yankees will still be selecting in the first round at pick No. 28. 

Last year, it was Delbarton High School (N.J.) SS Anthony Volpe who went 30th overall, and he signed for $2,740,300 at that slot. 

Who will it be this year? There are a few top prospects that could interest the Yanks come Draft Day, but being so low in the first round means they'll have to wait to see who they can select by the time they're on the clock. 

Yankees president Randy Levine knows what sports can do for a country in times like these, and that's why he believes MLB's players recognize the type of impact they can make if baseball can return soon. 

Speaking on Good Day New York on Thursday, Levine called the players "patriots" who want to help out their country by giving people the game they love back. 

"I think our players are patriots," he said. "They want to do it. We all are trying to get there. The commissoner's doing a great job. So hopefully in a little bit, we'll hear, 'Play ball!'"

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With the MLB season still paused, let's dip into the Yankees mailbag...

@muscigerard1: If Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan walked into a bar together who buys the first drink?

Ruth would buy the drink and then Jordan would commission a documentary about what a great drinking buddy he was. In that documentary, he would go out of his way to call the hardworking bartender short and ugly.

Throughout the 2000s, the Yankees have had numerous stars don the pinstripes. The likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera and more brought championships and glory to the franchise. 

But among those stars were players who also produced at a great rate, though they might not have received the proper credit. 

Fear not, we're here to point those players out. You'll recognize these names from the last 20 years, but you may not know exactly how crucial they were to the Yankees success or remember what numbers they were putting up because they didn't make as many New York headlines. 

Major League Baseball has been paused since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and while nothing is official yet, it sounds like the league is making plans for a best-case scenario in which spring training would resume in June and the regular season would begin in July. 

According to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the league is planning to present a proposal to the Players Association as early as this week regarding what it would look like if spring training were to resume in June. 

SNY's Andy Martino reported last week that MLB and the players could come to an agreement before the end of May regarding what the plan to restart looks like, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Wednesday that the league remains "confident" there will be a season in 2020.

If there is in fact an MLB season, would 80 games really be enough to crown a World Series champion? 

That's the latest topic on Loud Mouths: The Great Debate, as Jonas Schwartz and Gary Apple break down why they believe it will be sufficient enough to have a title winner. And more importantly, how history proves it's more than alright...

Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton took some time out on Cinco de Mayo to do karaoke. And Stanton didn't look like he usually looks. His dance moves and singing voice were also questionable.

"Cinco de Mayo Cardio karaoke with Giancarlito," Stanton wrote on Twitter. "Don't mind my teeth & eyebrows, Going for a more natural look lately since this is how they look without Veneers. Hope u all had plenty of tacos for me!!!"

Click below to see...

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is back to give the latest updates on his players who are continuing to work hard to get fully healthy before the season starts. 

Last time, everyone was still trending in the right direction, and that is the same news that Boone dropped on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio on Tuesday. 

In Aaron Judge's case, he continues to work on his rib injury, and Boone gave an update regarding his next test to see how his healing process is going. 

Time Machine Tuesday goes back to January of 2015, when Pedro Martinez revealed why Jorge Posada was the Yankee he most liked to throw at.

Martinez also discusses how Posada's behavior helped lead to the infamous incident with Don Zimmer.

One of the parlor games that has come with the popularity of the ESPN/Netflix documentary The Last Dance is to speculate on the other teams and sports that are deserving of similar treatment.

It's easy to forget, but baseball already has its version of the Michael Jordan doc: the 2011 HBO film Derek Jeter 3K.

It's fitting that Derek Jeter's project preceded that of his longtime friend's. He and Jordan (at least the Jordan that we see on film) share a strikingly similar demeanor and many traits.

While baseball has been on hold, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has been giving some pretty good access to his at-home workouts to keep himself in shape for when the game returns. 

In the latest video posted to his Instagram page, the "Cuban Missile" showed snippets of his bullpen session during another beautiful Florida day on Sunday. Looking in great shape, Chapman displayed his heater and nasty slider in a series of separate videos. 

Check it out: 

Here is the Sports Squared crossword puzzle for Sunday, May 3, called The 2009 Yankees: 27th Heaven...

There still seems to be so much up in the air regarding when, how, and where Major League Baseball will get its 2020 season underway, though optimism does seem to be growing.

As SNY's Andy Martino reported earlier this week, there are as many as 15 different "plans" currently under discussion for play to resume, and nothing seems to be concrete just yet. 

But while MLB continues to come up with different contingencies, it sounds like the Yankees are expecting some of their players to return to Tampa, the team's spring training site, in the near future. 

During last year's international free agent signing period, the Yankees landed Jasson Dominguez, viewed as the top prospect on the market and a future star.

This year, they are reportedly the favorites to sign Jesus Galiz, a top 10 international prospect and the best catching prospect available, according to MLB.com.

Galiz, 16, grew up dreaming of becoming the next Gleyber Torres, according to MLB.com's writeup on him, but his middle infield dream turned into one that landed him behind the plate as a true two-way threat. 

In an expected move, the National Baseball Hall of Fame postponed its 2020 induction ceremony. And its featured inductee, Yankees legend Derek Jeter, couldn't agree more with that decision. 

"Being inducted into the Hall of Fame will be an incredible honor, but the health and safety of everyone involved are paramount," Jeter said in a statement to the Miami Herald. "I respect and support the decision to postpone this year's enshrinement and am looking forward to joining current Hall of Famers, fans, staff and my family and friends in Cooperstown in 2021."

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Directors was worried about all the people converging on Cooperstown in late July. The large gathering would be too much of a risk for everyone involved. So they made the official call on Wednesday. 

While Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton continues to work in preparation for a salvaged 2020 season, he is also working to help those on the front lines fighting the coronavirus pandemic. 

According to the New York Post's Ken Davidoff, Stanton has found a partner in Voodoo Manufacturing thanks to help from his agents at Wasserman to donate 15,000 total face shields to medical professionals.

The first 12,000 masks will be split down the middle to facilities in New York and Southern California, where he spent his childhood. Then, 3,000 more masks will be distributed down the road. 

President Donald Trump is skeptical of the reported MLB proposal that would have the 2020 season start without fans in attendance and potentially in one, two, or three "hubs" across the country instead of home ballparks due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"I saw baseball is doing something very unusual, I don't know if I agree with it," Trump said Wednesday. "I'd like to see the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium."

"I see they have some ideas for baseball which are very different," Trump said about the scenarios that would not include immediately starting in each team's home ballpark. "I guess I'm a traditionalist. ... I think they'd be able to play in Yankee Stadium with obviously smaller crowds and then the crowds would start to build as things get to be a little bit better. I think you're going to see some big things happen. And again, this is going away," he said about the coronavirus.