Three key ingredients have made Yankees a World Series favorite

BOSTON — The 2023 “disaster” of their 82-80 season behind them, the Yankees are back to being the real Bronx Bombers again.Their tops-in-MLB 50th victory — happily won here Friday night in the city of their chief rival — provided a nice punctuation mark to a brilliant beginning. One big-time winter acquisition, a progression to the mean and steadfast belief that they’d get healthier (how could they not?) marked them as slight American League favorites to start the year.

But hardly anybody saw this coming.(Certainly not me, who envisioned them as a third-place team.

Sorry about that call!) At 50-22 entering Saturday, the Yankees are posting big numbers — their plus-134 run differential tells quite the story — and flat dominating their schedule.The start-to-finish heroics of former Red Sox Alex Verdugo, he of the shiny bling and original speech patterns (“Nines” means No.

99 Aaron Judge), in their 8-1 series-opening victory over the Red Sox represented just another nice notch on a team belt that’s as impressive as Verdugo’s diamond-encrusted necklace. History is in their current location, and history is on their side.Teams this dominant early often go on to win championships.

Things are becoming less predictable though, as seen just two years ago when they faltered in the second half following a big start after their health took an unhappy turn. “These guys have played outstanding baseball to start the season.But we know that’s all it is — it’s the start to the season,” manager Aaron Boone said.

“We’ve got a long way to go.” That 2022 team looked the part early, too, but one difference is that the great Judge has more help now than in his record-setting platform season.Here are three reasons the Yankees, fairly, are already the World Series favorite. No one wanted to pick a favorite for the award in their clubhouse.

(I know; I tried asking but was shut down.) Soto, though, gave thanks for Judge, the fire to Soto’s...