When a team gets off to a start like the Yankees have (10-3 heading into Friday’s series opener in Cleveland), coming off a season like they did a year ago (82-80, their worst in three decades), it’s best to let the season play out a bit before making any grand conclusions.

But after they looked this past offseason to get more balance in their lineup, the strategy appears to have been successful through the first few weeks of 2024.

Numbers like walks, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS are all up, but no statistic has jumped more for the Yankees than their on-base percentage. After ranking 27th in MLB in 2023 at .304, the club is up to eighth-best in the majors with a .345 mark.

The reason, according to scouts and opposing players, is simple: balance.