Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/23/20

New York Times | James Wagner: We’ve finally reached Opening Day and the Yankees will take the field tonight. When they do, all eyes will be on their star offseason acquisition, pitcher Gerrit Cole. The Yankees dropped a big contract on him and now it’s time to find out: how good is he and how good can he stay?

New York Daily New | Bradford William Davis: Players and coaches across baseball have knelt during the national anthem in recent days, and the Yankees are among teams reportedly considering a demonstration in the wake the George Floyd killing and national protests. However, these actions need to lead to some sort of permanent shift as opposed to just being a temporary band aid.

NorthJersey.com | Pete Caldera: The Yankees will be wearing a patch on the left sleeve of their jerseys honoring Hank Steinbrenner. The son of George and general parter/co-chairman passed away in April from a long-standing health issue.

Athlon Sports: Here’s a look at what’s become one of the more derided stats in many circles: batting average. DJ LeMahieu competed for the batting title last season, but even he admits in this article that he’s not that bothered either way at competing for it.