As the Yankees ready for the start of the 2025 season, they have their sights set on a return to the World Series and their first title since 2009.
To achieve that, they’ll have to overcome plenty of challenges this season, including their own health. Following a painful spring, the Bombers are not exactly at full strength for their Opening Day matchup against the Brewers on Thursday.
While short-handed, the Yankees are still walking into the season with a formidable roster with room for upside despite losing Juan Soto to the Mets over the winter. Let’s take a look at what that Opening Day group could look like barring some last-minute moves, as well as the biggest questions facing the Yankees.
PROJECTED LINEUP
1. C Austin Wells
2. RF Aaron Judge
3. CF Cody Bellinger
4. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
5. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
6. SS Anthony Volpe
7. LF Jasson Domínguez
8. DH Ben Rice
9. 3B Oswaldo Cabrera
PROJECTED BENCH
OF Trent Grisham, C J.C. Escarra, IF Oswald Peraza, UT Pablo Reyes
PROJECTED ROTATION
1. LHP Carlos Rodón
2. LHP Max Fried
3. RHP Marcus Stroman
4. RHP Will Warren
5. RHP Carlos Carrasco
PROJECTED BULLPEN
RHP Devin Williams (CL)
RHP Luke Weaver
RHP Fernando Cruz
RHP Mark Leiter Jr.
RHP Yoendrys Gómez
RHP Yerry De Los Santos
LHP Tim Hill
LHP Ryan Yarbrough
PROJECTED INJURY LIST
RHP Gerrit Cole, RHP Luis Gil, RHP Clarke Schmidt, DH Giancarlo Stanton, 3B DJ LeMahieu, RHP Jonathan Loáisiga, RHP Ian Hamilton, RHP Jake Cousins, LHP Tyler Matzek, RHP Scott Effross, RHP Clayton Beeter, RHP JT Brubaker
IS THE ROTATION RELIABLE?
The Yankees entered spring training with one of the best rotations in baseball. Cole was going to lead it, Fried was going to be the Batman to his Robin, and Stroman was the odd man out.
Now Cole is out for the year and Gil, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, won’t return until the summer. Their injuries, along with a pair of nagging aches for Schmidt, have forced Stroman into the No. 3 slot after he recorded 5.98 ERA in the second half last season and was kept out of postseason action.
The injuries also cleared space for Warren, an unproven rookie, and the veteran Carrasco, who has a 5.32 ERA over the last four seasons.
Rodón, meanwhile, hasn’t lived up to the massive contract he signed before the 2023 season, making him a wild card. While the lefty took Cole’s Opening Day start, Fried is the clear No. 1 in a group full of question marks.
HOW MUCH WILL VETERAN HITTERS CONTRIBUTE?
The Yankees turned to two former MVPs, Bellinger and Goldschmidt, in the wake of Soto’s departure. Replicating Soto’s production will be tough for those two — regardless of what Hal Steinbrenner is hoping for — but their springs gave the Yankees reason to believe that they can be impactful additions to a lineup that will be heavily reliant on Judge having another MVP-type season of his own.
Bellinger should benefit from playing his home games at Yankee Stadium, as his left-handed swing is tailor-made for the Bronx’s short right field porch. Only 29 and in good health, the son of former Yankee Clay Bellinger will be tasked with hitting behind Judge.
Goldschmidt, meanwhile, is 37 and coming off the worst season of his career. However, he had a .799 OPS in the second half last season, giving him and the Yankees some hope that he can be a cleanup threat throughout his first season in pinstripes.
CAN YOUNGSTERS STEP UP?
While the Yankees would like to see their new veteran hitters turn the clock back a bit, they also need youngsters like Domínguez, Wells, Rice and Volpe to step up.
For Domínguez, this will be his first extended shot at being a big league starter. It’s a time that he, the organization and fans have long been waiting for, as monumental hype has followed the 22-year-old since he was 16. Keep an eye on his defense in left field, as the natural center fielder has had some mishaps out there since the end of last season.
Wells, meanwhile, is the Yankees’ starting catcher after splitting time with Jose Trevino last season. He’s established himself as a talented receiver despite concerns over his defense when he was drafted, and he slugged his way into the leadoff role this spring.
Rice did his fair share of bashing in exhibition play as well, regularly recording Stanton-like exit velocities with the DH out indefinitely.
Volpe, meanwhile, is entering a pivotal third season. He lacked consistency and fell short of expectations over his first two campaigns, but the Yankees are hoping that a harder-hitting postseason will translate to a full season of production for the Gold Glove defender.
WILL THE YANKS STAND PAT AT THIRD BASE?
Cabrera is another young player the Yankees are counting on, as he looks like the team’s regular third baseman at the time of publication, though the team could bring in a right-handed hitter to help at the position.
Third base is an issue that dates back to last season, but the Yankees entered camp with Cabrera, Peraza and LeMahieu as their likeliest candidates for the hot corner despite some obvious cons being attached to each.
If the Yankees don’t make any moves for a third baseman now, it will be interesting to see if they are willing to add significant payroll for one before the trade deadline should Cabrera falter.