This statement comes with a caveat: The calendar still only reads January, much can change between now and Opening Day, and ballgames still need to be played on grass (or artificial turf). But as we examine the 2023 Yankees, it is fair to say that their rotation could be the best in the Aaron Boone era. 

Why do we say that? Because Boone himself believes that to be the case, excited by the prospect of penciling in a staff paced by Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón in the top two spots.

“On paper, certainly it’s the best rotation since I’ve been here,” Boone said this week, speaking to MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “The potential is there for them to be really special. If we can keep [them] all healthy and making 25, 30, 30-plus starts, we feel like we’ve got a chance to have something really special.”

Cole (13-8, 3.50 ERA in 2022, 111 ERA+) and Rodón (14-8, 2.88 ERA in 2022, 140 ERA+) give the Bombers a couple of strikeout artists at the top, Cole from the right side and Rodón from the left. Rodón signed a six-year, $162 million deal with New York in December, receiving his Yankee Stadium introduction one day after Aaron Judge was presented with the captaincy. While Cole and Rodón spoke a bit about their past performance, they’re focused on the future.

“I think that’s one of those things where you can get distracted. It’s not, ‘Oh, look what we can be,’ because who cares what we did last year?” Rodón said. “In the moment, we do, but in about [77] days -- until we throw that first pitch here in 2023, nobody’s really going to care.”

The next three spots in the rotation figure to go to Luis Severino (7-3, 3.18 ERA in 2022, 123 ERA+), Nestor Cortes (12-4, 2.44 ERA in 2022, 159 ERA+) and Frankie Montas (5-12, 4.05 ERA in 2022, 94 ERA+), with the exact order still to be determined.

Having been selected as an American League All-Star last summer, Cortes was a staff stalwart, making 28 starts while entertaining fans with his various arm angles and pitch speeds. Severino and Montas both dealt with injury issues during the ’22 season; Severino missed more than two months due to a right lat strain, and the Yankees believe that Montas wasn’t pitching at his full capability after sustaining a right shoulder injury earlier in the year with the Athletics.

“In a perfect world, you’d love to get 160, 180, 200 innings out of your five guys,” Boone said. “When that’s happening, when your starting pitchers are consistently going out there and getting you through the middle innings, it just sets you up so well. That serves the bullpen well; that allows bullpen guys to be in roles that they should be in, not picking up slack.”

Boone said that he envisions Domingo Germán (2-5, 3.61 ERA in 2022, 108 ERA+) and Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 3.12 ERA in 2022, 125 ERA+) as the sixth and seventh starters, potentially beginning the year as relievers or as depth with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“At its best, you go in hoping that all of these guys can look up and [see] some of the most innings they’ve ever pitched in their careers,” Boone said. “I think they’re all in a position to potentially do that.”

Each week, we invite newsletter readers to share a treasured Yankees-related story or anecdote. This week, we feature Rich Gazurian’s long-awaited meeting with his favorite player:

My best baseball memory deals with my idol, Don "The Hit Man" Mattingly. Growing up in the 1980s, I loved and adored Donnie Baseball. I'll never forget the first time I saw him play live at Yankee Stadium. It was 1989, and I was with my dad. Donnie stepped to the plate and sure enough, he blasted a home run. Donnie would end up going 3-for-4 that game. To me, there was nothing greater. In 2003, I had the honor of meeting my idol and I will never forget showing him the tattoo I have of him on my right arm. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. That's when I knew my idol truly was a class act.

We'd love to hear from you! Submissions for 'It's Fun To Be A Fan' can be e-mailed to bryan.hoch@mlb.com.

Derek Jeter is in the Hall of Fame ... again! This time, it’s the GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame. Jeter was "inducted" by the magazine alongside Deion Sanders and Allen Iverson.

Who was the last Yankee to wear uniform No. 2 before Derek Jeter?

A) Kevin Elster

B) Randy Velarde

C) Mike Gallego

D) Tony Fernandez

This week in 1974, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by eligible members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Mantle was named on 88.2 percent of ballots, becoming just the seventh player since the inaugural Class of 1936 to earn election in his first year of eligibility. Ford, who received 77.8 percent of the vote, was elected in his second year.

C) Gallego.

Gallego wore No. 2 as the Yankees’ starting shortstop in 1994, then departed as a free agent to the Oakland A’s, so the coveted single-digit was available when Jeter was promoted to the Majors in May 1995.

Though a clubhouse employee briefly considered issuing Jeter No. 19 for Spring Training 1996 (the thought was that Hall of Famer Robin Yount was a shortstop who wore that number), Jeter made it clear that he preferred No. 2.

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