The New York Yankees still haven’t won a World Series since 2009, and that won’t be changing this year.
But a few of their former players will have a chance at a ring in the weeks ahead as the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Milwaukee Brewers.
The world of modern baseball is a world of player movement. Very few players remain with one team for their whole careers, and many players wear a bunch of different MLB uniforms before all is said and done.
There’s always something a little different about the Yankees’ pinstripes, though. That’s the kind of look that you don’t soon forget.
And while the World Series isn’t loaded up with former Yankees, there are a few worth noting.
Ex-Yankees on Brewers
The Brewers feature two players who played in the major leagues for the Yankees.
The most obvious is Gary Sanchez.
Sanchez was a phenomenal catching prospect for the Yankees who did realize a lot of his potential in the major leagues, too, hitting for power and making lots of hard contact.
Some Yankees fans weren’t thrilled with Sanchez’s defense through the years, and eventually New York let him go to Minnesota. A couple stops later, he’s in Milwaukee as the backup catcher to William Contreras.
The Yankees also had Jake Bauers on their roster for a short time, but he made hardly any impact.
Bauers’ whole career was that of a journeyman until he made his way to Milwaukee. He has spoken openly about the fact that he considered retirement a couple years ago, but Bauers rediscovered his top prospect shine (from rising in the Cleveland organization) with the Brewers and is now a crucial hitter in the heart of their order.
Ex-Yankees on Rays
The Rays’ roster doesn’t appear to have anyone who appeared in the major leagues for the Yankees.
They do feature speedster Jorge Mateo off their bench, though, and once upon a time he was supposed to be a Yankees star.
Mateo was a top-100 prospect for four consecutive seasons while rising through the minor leagues with the Yanks.
They ended up using him as a trade chip, though, sending him to Oakland in the Sonny Gray trade.
Mateo has never fully lived up to the hype, although he had a few quality seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.
These days, he’s mostly a pinch-runner or defensive replacement for Tampa Bay, but that still can turn out to be a pivotal role in a close World Series game.
Former Yankees in the World Series: 3 Paths from NYY to Brewers-Rays Fall Classic