How will the lineup fare without Juan Soto?
The Yankees boasted one of the most elite duos in baseball history when they paired Juan Soto with Yankee captain Aaron Judge last season. But with Soto jumping ship for the New York Mets, Judge will need all the help he can get.
There’s a lot riding on the club’s offensive reinforcements, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and outfielder Cody Bellinger, who look to turn back the clock and rally behind Judge in the lineup. Both players had promising spring showings – Goldschmidt hit .308 with three home runs while Bellinger batted .423 with four bombs – but their ability to produce in pinstripes during the regular season remains to be seen.
Starting Rotation Woes
After the Winter Meeting came to an end, the Yankees were considered to have one of Major League Baseball’s top starting rotations with former Cy Young winner in Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
Fast-forward a few weeks: Cole received season-ending Tommy John surgery, Gil was placed on the 60-day IL with a lat injury, and Schmidt is starting the 2025 season on the 15-day IL due to a back issue that’s prevented him from pitching enough to be ready for opening day.
Yankees general manager tried trading Marcus Stroman this offseason, but now they’ll have to lean on him for quality innings, at least for the start of the season. Will Warren will be depended on to break out this season and maybe be the Luis Gil of last season – winning the AL Rookie of the Year.
Rodon’s 2023 performance was uncharacteristic of the southpaw, but his 2024 campaign still had some ups and downs. He stayed healthy, which would be huge for the Pinstripes this season, and posted a 3.96 ERA in 32 starts.
Carlos Carrasco’s number will be called on to at least eat up some innings until Schmidt returns from the IL. Carrasco had a stellar spring training and will add serviceable innings while New York gets healthy.
Can young bucks make the leap?
The Yankees are nearing a point of desperation, eager to capitalize on the remaining years of Aaron Judge’s prime.
New York heads into the upcoming season with a lineup that includes multiple budding stars, and with the clock winding down, they can’t afford any more feel-out years. The club needs its young core to step up and help carry the load in 2025.
Spring training set the stage for breakout performances from Austin Wells and Ben Rice. The former earned the Opening Day leadoff spot while the latter locked down the DH role in Giancarlo Stanton’s absence.
But can they maintain it in the regular season? Moreover, can franchise shortstop Anthony Volpe ride the momentum from his World Series grand slam to become a consistent force at the plate? Can top prospect Jasson Dominguez assert plate dominance in his first full season with the major league club? The Yankees sure hope so.
Can Yanks produce amidst injury bug?
In addition to the three costly injuries in the rotation, the Yankees bullpen is banged up as well. Ian Hamilton (left calf), Jonathan Loáisiga (UCL from 2024), Tyler Matzek (oblique), Jake Cousins (forearm), Scott Effross (hamstring), Clayton Beeter (right shoulder), and JT Brubaker (ribs) are all making their way back from injury.
With the addition of Devin Williams, Ryan Yarbrough, Fernando Cruz, and the return of Tim Hill, along with the rest of the bullpen, the Yankees are fortunately very deep. When New York’s reinforcements return from injury, they might have the best bullpen in all of baseball.
Giancarlo Stanton is still sidelined with tennis elbow in both elbows. While he’s received multiple rounds of PRP shots in each elbow, he remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Judge is another year older, and a player of his size usually starts to break down as they get older. The 6-foot-7 right fielder has had three unlucky injuries in his career. Running into the right field wall at Dodger Stadium in 2023 to make a play sidelined him for the final four months of the season.
It was reported prior to the start of the 2024 season that Judge’s toe will need “constant maintenance,” which could hold him out as he gets older.
D.J. LeMahieu, who has gotten hurt each of the last three seasons, missed 95 games last season. When he returned to the lineup, Boone stuck with the former batting title winner, even though he struggled to find his footing offensively.
This New York Yankee team is talented enough to have plenty of success despite the injuries, but they can’t afford any more long-term injuries to key players.
Can they right last year’s wrongs?
The Yankees’ disastrous fifth-inning meltdown in Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers was undoubtedly appalling, but it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
New York was plagued by poor fundamentals all season long and it finally caught up to them in the Fall Classic. This offseason, the Yankees worked to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
The club moved on from long-time second baseman Gleyber Torres, a usual culprit for defensive lapses and baserunning blunders. They also responded to the departure of Juan Soto by bolstering their defense with Gold Glovers in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.
Although there is a pretty low bar, the Yanks will have a lot to prove both in the field and on the basepaths.
