"The fact that they came up not as September callups -- they came up in a real pennant race where things were tight and close the entire time," Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. "It was the real deal. You can't have a better test than that. The pressure was on, and they responded."
The Yankees completed 2016 with 84 victories, good for their 24th consecutive winning record (1993-2016), and they have their focus set upon achieving more in 2017. Here are five questions that, when answered, could determine if the Yankees will head back to the playoffs:
5.