There is a degree of unrest and uncertainty swirling around the New York Yankees as spring training gets rolling down in Tampa, FL.
With a World Series drought now in its 17th year, which is of historic proportions for this franchise, general manager Brian Cashman is holding steadfast to the notion that this team is, indeed, a contender. It certainly did not feel like that when they were pushed aside by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
The first step toward changing that perception comes in spring training. Here are three big questions that have to be answered sooner rather than later.
Is similar better?
Cashman and the Yankees are running back a nearly identical roster in 2026, which raises obvious concerns about just how far this team can go in an ever-improving American League. The junior circuit is not nearly as winnable as it was, say, two years ago, when New York advanced to the World Series before getting steamrolled by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Opening Day starting lineup will likely feature seven of the eight starters who flailed out of the ALDS, the only change being a different shortstop with Anthony Volpe recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Cody Bellinger was retained after a dramatic winter of negotiations, and Trent Grisham accepting his $22 million qualifying offer threw an immediate wrench in Cashman’s offseason spending plans. The Yankees were never legitimate threats on any other premier free agents this winter, whether it was Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette.
In theory, this is a team that will rely on a starting rotation that, if and when healthy, is among the very best in baseball. That is the only explanation for why they approached the offseason the way they did. This lineup simply did not have enough behind reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge last year when it mattered most, and it’s a big ask to think that will change in 2026.
Can the rotation stay afloat in the early months?
New York’s vaunted rotation is not going to be at full strength to start the season.
Carlos Rodon, coming off a 2025 in which he went 18-9 with a 2.09 ERA and 203 strikeouts, will be out until late April or early May after undergoing offseason elbow surgery.
Gerrit Cole, who is still considered one of the very best pitchers in the game, is not due back until late May, early June, after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2024.
Max Fried is the undisputed ace in the interim after a strong debut season in the Bronx in which he went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA. Cam Schlittler assumes the mantle as the No. 2 after his coming-out party in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series, featuring eight shutout innings and 12 strikeouts against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. But he pitched a career-high 149.2 innings between the minors and majors, and that number could go up quite a bit more in 2026.
Options behind them include Will Warren, who started 33 games and posted a 4.44 ERA in his first full MLB season last year, and the newly-acquired Ryan Weathers, who made just eight starts with the Miami Marlins last season. Luis Gil is also working back from a 2025 season that was limited to just 11 starts due to a lat strain.
How far is the future?
Volpe is on his last chance to prove that he can hold down the starting shortstop mantle in the Bronx after two miserable seasons.
A delayed start to 2026 will see Jose Caballero and Paul DeJong likely getting reps at the position, but spring will see plenty of eyes focused on top prospect George Lombard Jr., who is still a ways away from the majors, but is the clear future at the position.
The 20-year-old Lombard slashed .235/.367/.381 (.748 OPS) with nine home runs, 32 doubles, 49 RBI, and 35 stolen bases between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset last season. He debuts in 2026 as Major League Baseball’s No. 32-ranked overall prospect.
“George is still in his development mode,” Cashman said in December. “He’s come a long way, he’s exciting, he’s got a lot of talent.”
