This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

“The ghosts will show up eventually.” Those were the prophetic words delivered by Derek Jeter on the night Aaron Boone made his most indelible mark, slugging a pennant-winning home run that sank the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series.

I was reminded of Jeter’s turn of phrase this week at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, where there have been visions of a World Series past. As Jeter chatted with Alex Rodriguez on the FOX Sports set, David Robertson laced his spikes in the Phillies clubhouse, where manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long worked on their plan to topple the mighty Astros.

If you squinted, those Yankees connections made it feel like 2009 all over again, the last time the club appeared in a Fall Classic. That 13-year drought equals the second-longest in franchise history (1982-95), behind only the 17 years from 1903-20, a span that concluded with Babe Ruth’s acquisition from Boston.

Whether the Commissioner’s Trophy is raised by Philadelphia or Houston this week, the Yankees’ winter mission -- once again -- is to see it return to the Bronx.

Defining moment

When we look back on the Yankees’ 2022 season, Aaron Judge’s chase to claim the American League’s single-season home run will be top of mind. Judge belted the record-setting 62nd home run on Oct. 4 off the Rangers’ Jesus Tinoco at Globe Life Field, capping a weeks-long pursuit that saw thousands of fans rise in unison for each at-bat, silently hoisting their cell phones in hopes of capturing history.

What we learned

The Yankees awoke in Boston on the morning of July 9 holding the Majors’ best record at 61-23, a commanding 15 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Rays in the American League East. It was too good to be true. Injuries and underperformance shook them from that incredible pace; from that point on, the Yanks limped to the finish with a 38-40 record, then went 3-7 in the postseason against the Guardians and Astros.

Best development

Other than Judge’s rise to MVP stature, the Yankees’ favorite storyline of 2022 was Nestor Cortes’ continued success. Beloved in the clubhouse and among fans for his unassuming attitude and effective pitch mix, the lefty was 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts, earning his first career All-Star selection. Matt Carpenter’s midseason power surge was a nice surprise, as was Harrison Bader’s playoff performance.

Area for improvement

The Yankees believed that a spring trade with the Twins would upgrade the left side of their infield, but shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and third baseman Josh Donaldson both proved to be liabilities by season’s end, particularly in the playoffs. Kiner-Falefa was benched during the AL Division Series, while Donaldson became a target for booing fans.

On the rise

Infielder-outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera and infielder Oswald Peraza provided reasons to be optimistic about the Yankees’ future. Both logged starts during the postseason run after making their big league debuts during the second half. Cabrera and Peraza may come into Spring Training competing for reps as the starting shortstop, with top prospect Anthony Volpe not far behind.

Team MVP

Judge was the best player on the planet, eclipsing Roger Maris’ 61-year-old record while mounting a realistic pursuit to win the Yanks’ first Triple Crown since Mickey Mantle in 1956. Having led the Majors in runs (133), homers, RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391), Judge is poised to win what general manager Brian Cashman called “the all-time best bet” this offseason when he cashes in as a free agent. The Yankees hope it’s with them.