It is the natural knee-jerk reaction, when you are sitting at home this time of year instead of still playing, to watch the World Series and think how your team can be more like the ones that made it to the Fall Classic.
It happened last year, when the Blue Jays kicked the Yankees’ behind all season and again in the ALDS on the way to the World Series, leading to calls for the Yankees to become more contact-oriented. It is a similar script this season, just swapping in the Rays for the Blue Jays, after another AL East foe outplayed them while featuring a cleaner, more athletic and smarter style of baseball.
As for the Brewers? The Yankees faced them in May, getting swept in Milwaukee in three one-run games, after which Aaron Boone says he left thinking, “That’s the best team we’ve played.”
But is it really as simple as watching those teams starting Friday night and trying to become more like them this offseason? Adopting their smaller payrolls is not going to happen, but are there other traits the Yankees can realistically add to their roster considering a large chunk of it at least figures to include the same players as this season?