What is the deal for this team?
This team has won one World Series since 2000. I haven’t studied what happened in the hundred years before that.
In 2025, after winning a three-game Wild Card Series with the Red Sox, New York lost 3-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing 37 runs in those four games. They chose not to make any changes and bring back the same head coach, the same general manager and nearly the exact same team in 2026.
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How good are they?
They could be “the best in the American League” when their entire team is healthy, but will that happen? Almost all the best players face some risk.
Starting with the staff, Gerrit Cole is working his way back from Tommy John surgery before last season and hopes to return by June 1. Carlos Rodon underwent elbow surgery to remove bone spurs at the end of last season. Rodon hopes to return in April but will not play in a spring training game. Ryan Weathers has great ability but has struggled on the field, having yet to log more than 95 innings in a season in his five-year career. If all three are healthy, plus ace Max Fried and playoff nemesis Cam Schlitler, be careful. But that’s a big “if.”
On the back end, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver both went across town to the Mets, leaving a pen that “could use a little more arm.” David Bednar is a strong closer but is backed up by Camilo Doval and 36-year-old Fernando Cruz as high-leverage arms. After being traded to the Yankees last July, Doval posted a 4.82 ERA and a 12.6% walk rate. While Cruz’s strikeout numbers are elite (career 13.8 K/9), he has a career ERA of 4.52 through 2025. Tim Hill, Jake Bird, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough and Cade Winquist are unlikely to scare anyone.
On the hitting side, DH Giancarlo Stanton self-reported that he “couldn’t open a bag of chips” last month because of persistent pain in both his elbows. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm went 30-30 a year ago and should have plenty of motivation in a contract year, but has had issues on the field throughout his career.
Shortstop Anthony Volpe underwent shoulder surgery last October and will likely miss several months of the season, although some might argue that could help the Yankees since Volpe had 13 throwing errors and hit .212 a year ago.
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The Yankees lineup is full of firepower with three-time MVP Aaron Judge, returning Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice hitting 2 to 4 balls. A year ago, the Yankees hit 274 home runs, 30 more than any other team in baseball.
Of course, when it really matters, we all know who Aaron Judge is, and that was demonstrated once again in a terrible World Baseball Classic. Judge has a career postseason batting average of .236, or 31.1 K%, so it’s fair to ask whether he or Clayton Kershaw are the least clutch great players of this generation.
Favorite player:
There isn’t any.
Least Likeable Player:
Gerrit Cole. A year after his departure, I don’t want anyone to forget how unlikeable Cole was.
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Schedule vs. Red Sox
The Yankees will travel to Fenway for a three-game midweek series from April 21-23 and a four-game weekend series from June 25-28. Boston will travel to the Bronx for a weekend three-game series June 5-7 and August 28-30.
seasonal forecast
88-74, third in the American League East. Too many arm injuries, combined with poor bullpen performance, have the Yankees in trouble in 2026. New York would end up trailing the division-leading Blue Jays and Red Sox. If this qualifies for a wild-card rematch in 2026, the game will be played at Fenway Park.
