When you think of the New York Yankees in the late 1990s, most people think of the 1998 team that won 114 games, and rightfully so. The 1996 team, the one that got the late 1990s teams started were pretty good themselves.

In 1996, the New York Yankees finished 92-70 to win the American League East. The Yankees started the 1996 season slowly, winning just 11 of their first 21 games. Towards the end of April, however, they won nine of ten to move into first place for the rest of the season.

Before the 1996 season, the Yankees acquired first baseman Tino Martinez and relief pitcher Jeff Nelson from the Seattle Mariners. They also got Tim Raines and re-signed David Cone and Wade Boggs. Players like Mariano Duncan and Dwight Gooden also had vital roles for the Yankees.

Gooden threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners in May of 1996. Bernie Williams batted .305 and hit a team-high 29 home runs, Paul O’Neil batted .302, and newly acquired Tino Martinez drove in a team-high 117 runs. Mariano Duncan batted .340 in 109 games.

Derek Jeter was a rookie in the 1996 season and had an outstanding season, hitting .314 and ten home runs. Jeter far exceeded what the Yankees wanted him to do.

The Yankees made some trades in the middle of the season, acquiring Cecil Fielder from the Detroit Tigers and Charlie Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Also, the Yankees purchased the contract for Daryl Strawberry from the St. Paul Saints. Fielder hit .260 with 13 home runs, while Strawberry hit .262 with 11 home runs. Both players had good postseasons in 1996 as well.

21-game winner Andy Pettitte led the pitching staff and finished among the top three in the Cy Young award. David Cone had an outstanding season before missing time because of an aneurysm in his arm. Eventually, Cone came back and helped the Yankees win the World Series. Jimmy Key, Kenny Rogers, and Gooden filled out the rest of the starting staff.

Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland led the Yankees bullpen. Rivera was the ultimate setup man; he pitched 107 innings and struck out 120 batters. He had an ERA of 2.09 and finished in the top three of the Cy Young award race. Rivera’s cutter was nasty and often broke the bats of left-handed hitters. Wetteland finished the season with 43 saves and 69 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. Yankees manager Joe Torre used the 6-2-1 philosophy, in which the starting pitcher would pitch six innings, Rivera would pitch two innings, and Wetteland would finish.

The Yankees played the Texas Rangers in the ALDS and beat them in four games. They then beat the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS in five games. After defeating the Orioles, the Yankees played the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.

The Yankees lost the first two games at home against the Braves. They won game three in Atlanta with timely hitting and a gutsy pitching performance from Cone. Game four was classic; the Yankees fell behind 6-0 but fought back. With the Yankees trailing 6-3 in the eighth inning, catcher Jim Leyritz hit a three-run homer to tie the game. New York went on to win the game in 10 innings and the next two games to win the World Series.