Are the Yankees This Year's 2015 Royals?

Remember the World Champion Royals from 2015? They returned from a surprise appearance as the Wild Card in the 2014 World Series, 90 feet from being tied in Game Seven, to rout the Mets (remember them?) for the title in five games.

The Royals were an unconventional team, particularly for these times. They rode mediocre starting pitching and an offense built on low strikeout totals and speed, great outfield defense and lights-out relief to 95 regular season wins and the crown.

This year's Royals might be the Yankees.

They aren't an exact analog. NY's offense is all pop, not speed, with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Todd Frazier leading the power barrage.

Their defense isn't Royalsesque, though Baseball Prospectus rates them fourth overall in Defensive Efficiency.

And their starters are far more accomplished. KC hadn't anyone you would call an ace. The Yankees developed Luis Severino into one of the game's best hurlers; they acquired Sonny Gray as their Game 2 starter and CC Sabathia has enjoyed something of a Renaissance this year.

The Pen is Mighter
What really ties New York to the 2015 champs is that pen. Though Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances have had their struggles this season, they're still lighting up the Jugs guns and setting down the batters. Along with Chasen Shreve and Chad Green, the Yankees trot out a quintet of relievers who have fanned 307 batters in 203 innings.

But wait, there's more!

This is a franchise that scooped up David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle at the waiver deadline. The duo has combined to whiff 63 batters in 49 frames for New York, allowing a 1.84 ERA.

That's right, the Bombers have six closer-level firemen, each of them firing beebees.

They could conceivably bail out a starter after three innings without any of them tiring his arm. That is a huge strategic advantage in the playoffs, where the bullpen's value is multiplied.

The Royals showed baseball what an unprecedented triple-headed monster could do out of the pen. The Yankees have now doubled that. 

Is this a brilliant strategic move or have they taken the Royals to their illogical extreme. Stay tuned.