Most teams consider it a successful season when you go to the World Series and lose to the team with the best record in baseball.

Most teams are not the Yankees. The Yankees and their fans still view a season as a failure if they don’t win it all, which is an incredibly high standard.

The 2024 Yankees had incredible individual efforts on the field (Aaron Judge in the regular season, Giancarlo Stanton in the postseason, Juan Soto all season) and on the mound (Rookie of the Year favorite Luis Gil, outfielder Luke Weaver). -no closer than anywhere).

They’ve also had some individual setbacks and face an uncertain future due to the free agent status of Soto, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle, and contract options for Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo and Weaver that need to be resolved soon.

Here’s a look at how the Yankees’ key pieces line up in 2024:

Head Coach Aaron Boone

The Yankees haven’t been to the World Series since 2009, so Boone deserves credit for that. His strategic missteps in Game 1 and the team’s fundamental shortcomings bring down his rating.

Grade: B

Jon Berti, INF.

Acquired from Miami to provide a spark off the bench, Berti was injured too often to make a major impact.

Class: INC

Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B

He performed well in limited overs. Its inability to hit much from the right side prevents it from being a real weapon.

Grade: C

Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B

He showed flashes of power and speed after arriving from Miami in July. He performed well in third place when he entered this position for the first time.

Grade: B

Gerrit Cole, S.P.

Cole’s season started late due to injury, but he performed just like when he was healthy.

Grade: B+

Nestor Cortes, SP

Cortes should never have been put in the position to face Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series after a one-month layoff. After all, he is an actor.

Grade: B

Jake Cousins, R.P.

Cousins, a White Sox brainchild, found relief after joining the Yankees.

Grade: B

Jasson Domínguez, OF

He missed the chance to take over left field because he couldn’t catch the ball and couldn’t shoot much. The ceiling is still high.

Grade: D

Luis Gil, SP

A Rookie of the Year candidate, Gil exceeded all expectations and even pitched well in two postseason starts.

Grade: A

Trent Grisham, OF

He didn’t play much, and when he did, he didn’t do much. Why he was on the postseason roster was a mystery.

Grade: D

Ian Hamilton, R.P.

He was effective when healthy, but Hamilton was frequently injured and spent too much time on the field.

Grade: C

Tim Hill, RP

Another finding of the White Sox, Hill became the Yankees’ top left winger of the base.

Grade: A

Clay Holmes, R.P.

Holmes lost his job but found a niche as a setup man, especially during the playoffs.

Grade: B

Aaron Judge, OF

Another great regular season and yet another disappointing postseason for the presumptive AL MVP. The mistake in Game 5 was shocking.

Grade: A

Tommy Kahnle, R.P.

The changeup artist performed well as a setup man, but his failure in World Series Game 5 looms large.

Grade: B+

Mark Leiter Jr., R.P.

Leiter, who was added to the ALCS roster due to Hamilton’s injury, had some of the biggest postseason success.

Grade: C

DJ LeMahieu, 3B

The two-time batting champion is frequently injured and can no longer bat. If he didn’t have a contract, he would be gone long ago.

Class: F

Tim Mayza, RP

The Blue Jays casualty was effective as the second lefty in the pen in low-leverage roles.

Grade: B-

Ben Rice, C

As a catcher, he was pressed into service as a first baseman and warmed up before fading and returning to the minors.

Grade: C

Anthony Rizzo, 1B

A steady force who played with two broken fingers at the end of the season. When healthy, he is only marginally effective on both sides of the ball.

Grade: C

Carlos Rodon, SP

Much better, much better. Year Two in pinstripes was a good year for Rodon, showing what his upside could be.

Grade: B+

Clarke Schmidt, S.P.

Schmidt has shown to be a solid No. 3 or 4 starter on the team, even though his latest injury caused him to miss a lot of time.

Grade: B

Juan Soto, OF

One of the best walk-on seasons in MLB history. In addition to his performance on the field, he also played full circle during free agency.

Grade: A+

Giancarlo Stanton, DH

It’s a comeback season for the slugger who appeared on the injured list just once. End of season monster.

Grade: B+

Marcus Stroman, S.P.

Stroman started to warm up, then faded and lost his comeback spot. He did not pitch in the postseason.

Grade: C

Gleyber Torres, 2B

Another confusing season from the talented but frustrating Torres. We achieved this in the second half and at the end of the season.

Grade: B-

José Trevino, C.

He was mostly invisible as the backup catcher when Austin Wells took over. Full mentor role.

Grade: D

Alex Verdugo, OF

Automatic exit for large portions of the season. He contributed to his defense, especially at the end of the season.

Grade: D+

Anthony Volpe, SS

He was at his best in the postseason, when his Game 4 Grand Slam helped lead the Yankees to their only victory in the World Series.

Grade: B-

Luke Weaver, R.P.

Surprise of the season for the Yankees: A failed starter approaching quarantine.

Grade: A+

Austin Wells, 2B

He eventually faded but took over the catching position and was a real threat for much of the season.

Grade: B

In addition to baseball, Anthony Rieber also covers the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has been with Newsday since August 31, 1998, and has held his current position since July 5, 2004.