When the New York Yankees let Juan Soto walk in free agency, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Soto was a generational talent with one of the best eyes in the game and the type of lefty bat that slices through pitching regardless of arm angle. But oddly enough, for all the star power they lost, the Yankees don’t seem to be missing that part of their offense.
What they are missing is something else entirely.
The Left Side Is Holding Its Own
With Soto gone, the Yankees filled the void with a platoon of productive players designed to combine and conquer. Cody Bellinger was brought in to take over centerfield duties full-time, and through the first few games of the 2025 season, he’s already showing why the Yankees were confident in his upside.
Between Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and breakout star Ben Rice, the Yankees have created a left-handed hydra—three bats capable of doing real damage and wearing out right-handed pitching.
So in theory, the production gap left behind by Soto has been partially absorbed, at least from the left side of the plate.
The Real Void: Right-Handed Offense
The problem is what happens when a tough lefty comes in from the bullpen late in games and manager Aaron Boone starts looking toward his bench.
That’s when the limitations start to show.
Pablo Reyes, the 31-year-old utility man, is the current right-handed option off the bench. He’s known more for his glove than his bat, and so far in 2025, he’s 0-for-7 with a -45 wRC+. That’s not a typo. That’s not a slump. That’s a flashing red light.
Then there’s Oswald Peraza, who has at least connected on a solo homer early in the season, but isn’t exactly scaring pitchers when he walks to the plate.
Put simply, the Yankees are lacking a trustworthy right-handed weapon who can change a game with one swing or at least force pitchers to be careful. Right now, opposing managers are getting too comfortable making late-game lefty matchups, and Boone’s options are thin when trying to counter.
The Waiting Game for Stanton
This is where Giancarlo Stanton comes in.
Or at least, where the hope of Giancarlo Stanton comes in.
The 35-year-old slugger is still recovering from elbow issues that have kept him out since spring training. After a series of PRP injections, he’s begun swinging a bat again and has started light baseball activities. But his return timeline is still measured in months, not weeks.
When healthy, Stanton remains one of the few true power righties in the league who can take anyone deep. Last year, he hit 27 homers over 114 games and posted a monster .709 slugging percentage in the postseason. The Yankees don’t need him to play every day—but they do need his presence, even if it’s just as a feared DH off the bench in key moments.
What Comes Next?
It’s clear general manager Brian Cashman is waiting things out. The trade market is notoriously stingy this early in the season, and high-quality offensive pieces don’t come cheap.
- Yankees’ home-grown talent is bursting into stardom
- Yankees’ $218 million ace earning ace label, spearheads win in Detroit
- Yankees’ big offseason acquisition is an absolute trainwreck
But if Reyes and Peraza continue to offer little production, and if Stanton’s return drags into late summer, the Yankees might not have a choice.
Right now, they’re swinging hard from the left side. But if this team wants to be built for October, it’ll need more balance—and that missing right-handed thunder could be the key.