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The Yankees need two things to happen in order to reach the century mark in wins for the second consecutive season.
If they avoid injuries and players perform to their lifetime statistics, the Yankees will win the AL East in a jog.
Their rotation is the best in baseball. At 40, Mariano Rivera is still the premier closer. Alex Rodriguez won’t be coming off hip surgery.
There are miles on the tires of Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, but they remain productive players. The Red Sox will have trouble scoring runs, and the Rays are relying on too many young arms.
The biggest questions are: How will Curtis Granderson respond to playing in The Bronx? Can Nick Johnson stay healthy? And who will be the left fielder if Brett Gardner isn’t Johnny Damon’s replacement?
AL PREVIEW: EAST IS STACKED — AS ALWAYS
NL PREVIEW: YOUNG STARS RISE IN SENIOR CIRCUIT
6 THINGS TO LOOK FOR FROM THE YANKEES
6 THINGS TO LOOK FOR FROM THE METS
FIRST BASE: Mark Teixeira will have Rodriguez behind him from Opening Day and should avoid the sluggish April of last year.
SECOND BASE: Robinson Cano is being asked to accept more run-producing responsibility by being elevated from seventh to fifth. After being protected at the bottom of the order, it’s time for Cano to drive in 100 runs for the first time.
SHORTSTOP: Derek Jeter will be 36 in June, and the day is coming when somebody else will play here. That day, however, isn’t here. Jeter remains an elite player at an important position and is a big threat at the top of the lineup.
THIRD BASE: A full year out of Alex Rodriguez likely will translate into 35 to 40 homers and 125 RBIs. In other words, an MVP-type season.
LEFT FIELD: Welcome to the Great Unknown. Brett Gardner gets first crack at replacing Johnny Damon. And while the Yankees love Gardner’s speed and the upgrade he provides on defense, the left-handed hitter needs to get on base more than he did a year ago when he lost the center field job to Melky Cabrera in late April.
CENTER FIELD: Curtis Granderson hit 30 homers last year as a Tiger. The Yankees would like him to match that. However, they would trade a few homers for more hits against lefties. Will be interesting to see how he handles the bright lights of New York.
RIGHT FIELD: Can Nick Swisher duplicate the 29 homers, 82 RBIs and .371 on-base percentage from last year? Or did AL teams learn to feed the switch-hitter a lot of breaking balls after he batted .108 (4-for-37) in the postseason?
CATCHER: Like Jeter, the day is coming when somebody else — Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine or Jesus Montero — will be squatting. Yet, the Yankees will likely expect 110 to 120 games from Jorge Posada, the veteran switch-hitter who remains productive at the plate.
DESIGNATED HITTER: When the Yankees turned to Nick Johnson on a one-year, $5.75 million deal, they understood multiple body parts lit up on X-rays. They believe not playing the field will lessen the stress on Johnson’s 31-year-old body. Johnson has a chance to surpass his career high of 23 homers with his left-handed bat married to Yankee Stadium’s right-field porch.
STARTING ROTATION: If Javier Vazquez can equal what he did for the Braves last year (15-10; 2.87 ERA) the Yankees match the Red Sox one through four for the premier rotation in the AL. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte in front of Vazquez will make sure the Yankees don’t get into a prolonged losing streak. Phil Hughes was the favorite going into camp for the fifth starter and held off Alfredo Aceves to win it.
BULLPEN: Mariano Rivera is 40, and that’s about how many games he should save. Joba Chamberlain returns to the setup role from which he never should have been removed. The October version of Damaso Marte was filthy, but can he hold up for an entire season? David Robertson is on the verge of becoming a shutdown late guy thanks to a nasty curveball.
BENCH: Carrying five outfielders means Ramiro Pena, who can play short, second and third, is the only backup infielder. Marcus Thames and Randy Winn are the reserve outfielders and Cervelli, a relative neophyte, is Posada’s backup.
MOST IMPORTANT EVERYDAY PLAYER: On a team stuffed with future Hall of Famers, Jorge Posada remains the one player the Yankees can’t afford to lose for an extended time. Injuries ruined his 2008 season and the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs. In addition to his bat and experience, what makes Posada so important is the Yankees are thin behind him.
MOST IMPORTANT PITCHER: Mariano Rivera gives the Yankees an edge over every team in baseball. Yes, Joba Chamberlain can close games. But until he has done it consistently, nobody knows how good he can be getting the final three outs of a game.
WILL HAVE A BIGGER YEAR THAN EXPECTED: Brett Gardner will hit about .280 and score 75 runs. He will be protected against lefties and satisfy the Yankees enough that they don’t trade for a left fielder in July.
MOST LIKELY TO DISSAPPOINT: Whatever Alex Rodriguez does is never enough for many people. If he matches last year’s 30 and 100 homers across a full season, it will be considered a down year. Let’s see how his surgically repaired hip holds up over 162 games. Of course, he is capable of hitting 45 homers and driving in 130 runs, too.
KEY CALL UP: If Nick Johnson’s injuries surface, don’t be surprised if 20-year-old stud Jesus Montero’s bat is summoned. A catcher, Montero won’t need a mask, but his bat is legitimate.
BIGGEST MANAGERIAL DECISIONS: How long does Joe Girardi stay with Robinson Cano in the fifth spot if Cano again struggles with runners in scoring position? And can he find enough time to keep Marcus Thames and Randy Winn sharp?
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: Curtis Granderson hits second at some point. Girardi likes to tinker with the lineup, and if Granderson is scuffling, Girardi could put him between Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira to get him going.
SURE TO MAKE FANS GRUMBLE: Joba Chamberlain’s role, no matter what it is.
And the cost of beer at the Stadium. Chamberlain is a lightning rod for opinions on whether he should start or relieve. For almost $10 a pop, can the beer at least be cold?
THE YANKEES WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF: They stay healthy and everybody has their average year.
THE YANKEES WILL MISS THE PLAYOFFS IF: CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera or Jorge Posada get hurt.
INJURY THAT WOULD HURT THE MOST: Anything that happens to keep Posada out for an extended period.
george.king@nypost.com