The Yankees are the Team of Maybe, balancing their season on the Still Alive Five

 Yesterday, against the Mets, the big Yankee guns - Judge, Soto, Stanton, et al - took the afternoon off. They marinated in the hot tub, made their Oscar pool selections, debated the nation's strategic global initiatives... the usual stuff. 

To face the Mets, the Yanks turned to the Still Alive Five (TM) - the core of young players that must thrive in 2024, and which has basically disappointed thus far. 

The Yankees are the Team of Maybe (TM)- with enough maybes to fill an entire division - and the Still Alive Five represents a giant step forward that could catapult the team into destiny, or history, or something. 

So, who are these five players, and most importantly, what have they done lately? Well...

1. Anthony Volpe, 23, is doing it. This spring, he is 6-for-17 (.353) with a double, triple and 3 stolen bases. Much has been written about his reduced uppercut, which last year threatened to turn him into a SS version of Joey Gallo. We'll see. But thus far, nothing to dislike.

2. Oswald Peraza, 23, finally played yesterday, after missing a week due to a tight shoulder. March was threatening to pass him by. It still might. He went 0-2 with 2 Ks, adding to a lost spring, thus far. He has come to the plate 5 times, fanned four. His window as an elite prospect is closing. Another year in Scranton, and he's Estevan Florial Jr. 

3. Everson Pereira, 23,didn't get a hit in three appearances. On the spring, he is 3 for 16, with a HR. Last year, Periera rocketed through the farm system, then went knock-kneed at the MLB level in September. The Yanks still love him, but the OF is overcrowded, and he will surely start in Scranton. That could make him a trade chip, as soon as the Yankees need pitching.

4. Austin Wells, 24, he's the one youngster who didn't disappoint last year, but that might be changing. He is 2-15 with 7 strikeouts. Ugh. Heading into camp, he looked like a lock to platoon with Jose Trivino at catcher. Now, dunno. Ben Rortvedt - the Consonant King - is 3-for-10 this spring. He's out of options, so the Yankees can't send him to Scranton. Wells might get caught in the expendability game: If he can be dispatched to Scranton, it will probably happen. 

5. Oswaldo Cabrera, 25, is running out of  time. Damn. The guy just cannot hit. He went 0-3 yesterday with two Ks. On the spring, he is 1-for-18, though with only four strikeouts. (I'm Mr. Brightside!) Supposedly, he is abandoning his attempt to switch-hit, becoming a LH bat. That's a bad sign.

But, hey, maybe everything will work. After all, this is the Team of Maybe.