The New York Yankees won't have it easy this upcoming MLB season.

Derek Jeter has retired, the Boston Red Sox have been reloading with free agent talent, and health is a concern for the Pinstripes. So many wild and crazy predictions are being made about this season, from Alex Rodriguez to the pitching staff.

Latin Post bring to you five bold predictions for the 2015 Yankees as they embark on another MLB season:

1. Michael Pineda Will Win 15 Games

Dominican pitcher Michael Pineda has been impressing teammates a lot this offseason. Injuries have halted his progress in the past, but the 26-year-old fastball pitcher has tremendous upside. Last season, Pineda won just five games because of health and lack of run support. With the Seattle Mariners, he got nine victories in 2011. Although Pineda only won five games last season, he did have a remarkable 1.89 earned runs against average. This will be a great chance for Pineda to make baseball fans forget about last year's pine tar incident.

2. Alex Rodriguez Will Lead the Team in Home Runs

So much drama has surrounded Alex Rodriguez and Yankees management this offseason. Hopefully, the two camps can move on and focus solely on baseball. Rodriguez missed all of last season, and he turns 40 years old in July. Having said that, the only way Rodriguez can win Yankees fans back (and get his $6 million bonus) is by performing on the field. To make this prediction even more likely, the Yankees aren't exactly stacked with a lineup that resembles the 1927 squad.

3. Masahiro Tanaka Will Win the American League Cy Young Award

Because the Yankees don't have a great offense, they will heavily rely on their pitching. Tanaka had a great rookie season last year with 13 wins. Joe Girardi knows he has to limit Tanaka's pitch count because of elbow pain and inflammation, but Tanaka is elite when fully ready to go. If the Yankees can make the postseason, it will be primarily because of Tanaka's right arm. Roger Clemens was the last Yankees pitcher to win Cy Young Award, back in 2001.

4. Rafael Soriano Will Lead the Yankees in Saves

Last season David Robertson led the Yankees in saves with 39. Only problem there is he is no longer with the team, having signed with the Chicago White Sox on a $46 million contract. Eventually, the Yankees are going to realize they have a problem, and look to free agency. Rafael Soriano is easily the best relief pitcher still available on the open market. Soriano has had more than 30 saves the last three consecutive seasons, including a 42-save year in 2012 with the Bronx Bombers.

5. The Yankees Will Make the Playoffs

It's not very often that the Yankees are the underdogs. Almost everyone is counting them out this year, and maybe that's a good thing for them. It will be tough to win the American League East, but the Yankees can still get a wild card spot. The Detroit Tigers will be without Max Scherzer while the Kansas City Royals no longer have James Shields. The Yankees will most likely have to win at least 88 games in order to capture a playoff spot. If Tanaka can stay healthy for the entire season, and the Yankees win critical division games, they can do it.

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