Yankees Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres Rookie of the Year cases

Due to the entitlement of many New York Yankees fans, it’s often lost how well things happen to fall into place for them.

Just two years ago, this was a team facing a rebuild. In 2018, they’re preparing for a postseason run, even if it may just be for a single night in the American League Wild Card Game.

While supporters of other franchises around the league veil jealousy with incredulity, the Yankees are the mega-franchise that can build a winner in any way possible.

Sure, they can go out and trade for a Giancarlo Stanton or they can flash the cash to sign big-name free agents. These have been givens for decades.

But just in case the names Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Aaron Judge made you forget, the Yankees can also develop prospects into bona fide stars.

The Yankees just so happen to have two top-tier prospects not only make the jump to the majors in 2018 but excel.

Heading into the season, all eyes were on second baseman Gleyber Torres. Not only was he the top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, but he was the best-rated youngster among all major-league hopefuls.

While his MLB debut was delayed to this year after he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, Torres has quickly developed into the infielder the Yankees hoped he would become.

His development into a star was expected.

That wasn’t necessarily the case with Miguel Andujar. While the third baseman was highly-touted, he did not have the same sort of expectations laid on him compared to Torres.

In fact, Andujar didn’t even make the big-league roster coming out of spring training despite ripping the cover off the ball for the first few weeks of the exhibition season.

Mysterious migraines suffered by Brandon Drury though opened the door for Andujar to make it to the Bronx by the sixth game into the season.

Drury became the new Wally Pipp (read a book if you don’t get that reference) before he was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays for J.A. Happ while Andujar scorched to the headlines in New York.

Now with the regular season winding down, the two Yankees youngsters are very much the frontrunners for the American League Rookie of the Year award. Their only competition comes in the form of Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting extraordinaire Shohei Ohtani, though a large chunk of his season has been robbed due to injury.

Here is how the three Rookie of the Year candidates stack up heading into the final few games of the 2018 regular season: