1998 Yankees

The 1998 New York Yankees won 114 games, setting a (now eclipsed) record for wins in a single season. Unsurprisingly, the amount of wins in a season usually translates to a team's Showdown strength, so I was extremely excited to see what kind of firepower the 1998 Yanks brought to the game. The answer: not as much as expected. Oh sure, each component of this team is at least GOOD, but there is no unit that screams "wow!" like the 2004 Red Sox lineup or the 2016 Cubs rotation. The Big Four are still in their relative infancy (with Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera putting up prime seasons), and Roger Clemens has not yet joined the rotation.

On closer inspection, this team still looks like an all-timer, although it is not as instantly sexy on paper as, say the 2003 Yankees. However, the rotation is extremely solid (which was so important in the year of the HR), the bullpen is steadfast, and the lineup is incredibly deep. Trading HRs for consistency, speed, and enough OB to steal some charts from even the best aces, the Yankees will score runs while limiting opposing offenses. It will be fun to put this team up against other recent greats, especially the 2016 Cubs!

Lineup: The trio of Derek Jeter-Bernie Williams-Jorge Posada make up 75% of the fabled "Big Four" cementing the Yankees dynasty. In 1998, Bernie Williams had an incredibly strong season and is clearly the best hitter on this team. Surefire Hall of Famer, Derek "the Captain" Jeter's game never translated extremely well to Showdown, but his speed and steady hitting should be replicated by his card. Posada has yet to find his consistency, but his +8 arm and 17-20 HR are huge assets in a lineup's worst hitter. Darryl Strawberry provides the most power in this lineup and World Series MVP Scott Brosius ensures there's a fourth OB 9 or higher bat in the lineup. I'm always a sucker for Chuck Knoblauch, even if his card isn't that good.

Overall: a deep lineup! The 98 Yanks rarely will blast opponents away in one giant, power fueled inning, but could put up impressive stats in the aggregate. There's no one below a 7 OB and one of those 7 guys is their best power hitter. Plus, there's a lot of opportunity to use the lineup with versatility.

Rotation: A running theme at this point, another World Series champion was anchored by a stellar rotation. In the year of the Home Run, the Yankees utilized starters who could go deep into games, with each pitcher at least reaching Tier 3 status. Orlando Hernandez is the best pitcher in the staff, and he's backed up by the perfect game dealing Davids- Cone and Wells, respectively. Yankee legend Andy Pettitte rounds out the staff, contributing a solid card and giving this team a rotation without a glaring weakness.

Bullpen: The 1998 Yankees round out their team with a good bullpen. As expected, the final member of the "Big Four" is here and looking as dominate as his Hall of Fame career suggests he should. Yep, another year, another Control 5, on at 18 card from Mariano Rivera. He's supported by another Tier One reliever in Graeme Lloyd, who may only have a 1/3 IP but has a Control 6 that allows him to pitch a full inning, hopefully coming into the game initially to face the opposition's best hitter. Ramiro Mendoza can eat up innings or play a set up role. The only truly bad player on this team, Mike Stanton had a rough 1998 season. He will eventually contribute a worthwhile card (see the original MLB Showdown 2000 set), but man... it's hard to envision a manager using his card in any non-blowout situations.