Together, the Yankees and Alex Rodriguez were starting to get a bit stale. Apart, they are the talk of baseball again.
The Yankees are taking the step from playoff underdogs to World Series favorites thanks in large part to the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton. Rodriguez will be the scrutinized centerpiece of ESPN’s new-look “Sunday Night Baseball” booth.
The Yankees’ ratings on YES Network dipped as A-Rod’s career ended — dropping to 2.28 in his final season (2016) — as the aging team faded from world-beaters to contenders to also-rans. But the ratings for the Baby Bombers increased 57 percent last season to 3.