For the first time since they began winning championships under manager Joe Torre, the Yankees are underdogs in the AL East, a notch below the world champion Boston Red Sox -- and for good reason. While their offense can be dynamic, their starting pitching is suspect.

Perhaps in later years their strategy of keeping their younger players will have paid off, but the 2008 Yankees might suffer from not having added Johan Santana via trade from Minnesota. Now, there's pressure on Phil Hughes, 21, and Ian Kennedy, 22, to produce immediate results in the starting rotation.

Chien-Ming Wang is not a strikeout artist, but he's being asked to be the ace on a staff where Andy Pettitte must produce 15 wins and 200 innings for the club to contend. New manager Joe Girardi's biggest challenge will be to maximize the effort from this staff, since the Yankees are lacking in starting pitching depth.

Their best pitcher, Joba Chamberlain, is starting the year in the bullpen, but he's expected to be added to the rotation by summer -- an idea that is not completely set in stone. Though he could impact more games as a reliever, his presence might be needed sooner than later to plug a leaky rotation. But he also has a ceiling of roughly 150 innings this year.

The liveliest arms are in the bullpen, an area of strength that boasts the still towering presence of Mariano Rivera. The Alex Rodriguez-led offense could challenge the 1,000-run plateau, and second baseman Robinson Cano -- already a .300 hitter -- has his sights on 30 homers and 100 RBI.

If the club gets off to a slow start this time, it'll be a far tougher task to get back in the race. Much of the lineup's balance hinges on first baseman Jason Giambi. If he can stay on the field, the designated hitter spot will belong to Hideki Matsui, and Girardi will have the ability to rotate his other veterans at DH.

If not, then the Yanks will rely on retreads (Morgan Ensberg) and rookies (Shelley Duncan) to anchor a key position. Left fielder Johnny Damon has a new position, and Melky Cabrera will begin his first season as the regular center fielder. But with all the talent in the AL, the Yankees appear to be at least a starting pitcher short of making their 14th straight postseason.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON
3B Alex Rodriguez would be hard-pressed to top last year's historic season, in which he hit .314 with 54 home runs, 156 RBI and 143 runs scored. But it's hard to bet against him approaching those numbers again in this lineup, especially since he now has the added comfort of a 10-year deal in New York.

ON THE DECLINE
RHP Mike Mussina hit a terrible stretch last August when he allowed 19 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings over three starts and temporarily lost his place in the rotation to RHP Ian Kennedy. If he falters by midsummer, RHP Joba Chamberlain could take the 39-year-old's place.

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