The Yankees had become a basketball team in recent seasons. They were not counting on the length of the roster. Instead, they were star-centric. More and more, they were at the mercy of Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge.

If their two best players excelled, so did the Yankees. But if Judge was injured and/or he or Cole had a down moment, the team sank with them.

For all there was to like about the Yankees in their four-game season-opening sweep of the Astros, let’s start with the fact they did this without Cole and with perhaps the least impactful version of Judge they will have all season.

As introductory statements go, this one hardly could have gone better for the Yankees.{ai:summary}<p>The Yankees leaned heavily on star players like Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge. Without their top performers, the team struggled. Despite this, they managed to sweep the Astros in the season opener without Cole and with a less impactful Judge. #sports</p>

What’s so encouraging about the Yankees’ evolution in their blistering start to the season

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