The 2025 season didn’t even need its first pitch to set the tone in the Bronx. The New York Yankees‘ story started unraveling in the quiet halls of the offseason when Juan Soto—an offensive lightning bolt—slipped through their fingers.
Then came the gut punches: Gerrit Cole, the staff ace and the heartbeat of the rotation, was lost for the season. Luis Gil was ruled out for most of the first half, and Clarke Schmidt was sidelined to start the year.
That’s like showing up to a heavyweight fight with one glove and no mouthguard.
Patching the Cracks, but Not Sealing the Gaps
Yes, the Yankees made some veteran additions—patchwork efforts to steady a leaking ship—but left key positions like third base and the back end of the rotation worryingly exposed.
It’s like reinforcing your front door while leaving the windows open. Predictably, after a dazzling 3-0 start, the shine has worn off. At 7-5, the cracks are showing, especially on the mound where depth has become a nightly concern.
Brian Cashman’s Youth Movement
General manager Brian Cashman isn’t sugarcoating it. “We’re still finding our way,” he admits, a phrase that feels less like a strategy and more like a plea for patience. But instead of shopping for established help, the Yankees are going with a high-risk, high-reward strategy: leaning on their kids.
Names like Ben Rice, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, and Jasson Domínguez are no longer whispered hopes—they’re daily fixtures. Clarke Schmidt’s return is imminent, and Will Warren has taken a turn in the rotation, giving the roster a jolt of youthful adrenaline.
Cashman seems content riding this wave of promise: “These young guys are being asked to contribute significantly… they’re doing a great job so far.”
For the most part, they have. Will it last? It certainly could. But it’s not a given.
Riding the Roller Coaster
Youth is a roller coaster, and the Yankees are hanging on for dear life. Rice is torching the league with a 1.086 OPS, his bat looking like it’s been kissed by the baseball gods. But others have cooled.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Wells, and Volpe—each capable of dazzling moments and each comfortably under 30—have hit a funk.
And yet, there’s no plan B. The Yankees have hitched their wagon to these youngsters, hoping talent triumphs over turbulence. They’re counting on reinforcements—Schmidt and Gil’s returns, plus a potential trade or two—to plug the remaining holes and keep the dream alive.
For now, it’s all hands on deck—and most of those hands are barely old enough to rent a car.