Giancarlo Stanton will miss all of 2025
The way Boone and the Yankees have handled Stanton’s injury has been alarming and suspicious. The 35-year-old slugger has also gotten hurt over the years in unique ways, like rounding the bases. It was also reported on March 13 that Stanton is dealing with a chronic calf issue.
On Feb. 24, conflicting reports were made regarding Stanton’s injury. Randy Miller reported that Stanton would receive further testing in New York and that surgery would be the last line of defense. Boone later said that Stanton was going back to New York for personal reasons, per Bryan Hoch.
The way it’s been handled, how Stanton has gotten hurt, and how long he’s been sidelined for his injuries over the year, he’ll miss all of the 2025 season.
Jasson Dominguez wins Rookie of the Year
The Martian has landed back in the Bronx, and he’s ready to make up for lost time. After injuries limited him to another September call-up in 2024, Jasson Dominguez finally gets his chance to shine in the big leagues for a full 162-game season.
The 22-year-old top prospect’s rare blend of power and speed, combined with his ability to attack hitters from both sides of the plate, could enable him to flirt with a 25-homer, 20-steal season. Accomplishing the feat would put him in prime position to go back-to-back with flamethrowing teammate Luis Gil in capturing the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Rotation is better than expected
The Yankee starting five is essentially unrecognizable from what was originally promised, but don’t count out the existing starters just yet.
While Gerrit Cole is irreplaceable, the Yankees’ interim ace, Max Fried, is dominant in his own right. The lefty joins the Yankees with the lowest ERA among qualified starters since 2022 (2.80). Meanwhile, lefty flamethrower Carlos Rodon wields elite swing-and-miss material and could be primed for a bounce-back year in the Bronx – don’t underestimate the power of a good beard.
The ground-ball-inducing Marcus Stroman will benefit greatly from a much stronger defense behind him than last season. Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco had spectacular spring showings, and they’ll hold down the fort while Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt inch their way back into the rotation.
Blockbuster Deadline Deal
The New York Yankees are going into the season without an answer at third base and multiple holes in the starting rotation due to injury. Thankfully for New York, the trade deadline is where they can address those issues, but if they’re solved, they can address other issues that aren’t believed to be at the end of March.
It’s hard to imagine there won’t be any more injuries to their starting pitching. Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, who is coming off a down year a season ago, could be for sale. The Marlins aren’t ready to compete, so sending Alcantara to a contender for a pool of prospects could be in the cards for the Yankees. His price would likely be a king’s ransom, considering he’s 29 and he’s under team control until 2028.
Erick Fedde, a starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals could be a guy that interests the Yankees, and the two clubs have made multiple trades over the years at the deadline.
If third base is still an issue, Nolan Arenado, whose name has been brought up before, could be headed to The Bronx.
Division rivals steal the AL East
This is the worst-case scenario for the 2025 season’s outcome—and it’s not the Baltimore Orioles.
There’s a team in the AL East that’s had the Yankees’ number for all of Boone’s seven-year tenure, regardless if the team has been good or not. The Boston Red Sox, managed by Alex Cora, who dominated the Yankees while managing the Houston Astros, added a familiar friend to his roster: Alex Bregman.
On top, Rafael Devers and Co., who have owned the Bombers for much of the last decade, added Walker Buehler, Garrett Crochet, and Aroldis Chapman to bully the Yankees.
In an alternate universe or the reality of the 2025 season, the Boston Red Sox win the AL East and potentially face the Yankees in the American League Division Series, which would be a nightmare for Yankees fans.
