The calendar says February, but in Tampa, the heat is already cranking up. For the New York Yankees, spring training isn’t just about shaking off the rust or watching prospects take a few hacks. It is about survival. This team is staring down a seventeen-year championship drought that feels more like a century when you are wearing those pinstripes. The mission is clear, win it all or go home, but that is a hell of a lot easier said than done when your pitching staff looks like a hospital ward.
The Ace is finally Stirring
We finally got some meat on the bone regarding Gerrit Cole. After a 2025 season that was essentially a total wash following Tommy John surgery last March, the big man is making noise. Manager Aaron Boone dropped the news Wednesday that Cole could be facing live hitters sooner rather than later, possibly getting into some late spring games. Do not get it twisted, he is not starting on Opening Day, but the fact that we are talking about an April return for a guy who just had his elbow rebuilt is massive.
Cole is the engine of this entire operation. Look back at 2024 for a second. Even while managing a barky elbow, the man was surgical, posting a 0.71 ERA in the World Series across nearly thirteen innings. He is a cerebral assassin on the mound. When he won the Cy Young in 2023 with that 2.63 ERA, he proved he can carry a rotation on his back. If the Yankees want to keep pace in an AL East that looks like a meat grinder this year, they need their alpha dog barking early.
Rodon is the Wild Card
Then there is the Carlos Rodon situation. Last season was a revelation for the lefty, as he finally looked like the $162 million man Brian Cashman thought he was buying. He went 18-9 with a filthy 3.09 ERA and over 200 strikeouts, finally silencing the Bronx boo-birds. But then came the offseason scope to clean out loose bodies in his elbow. It felt like another “here we go again” moment for a guy who has spent plenty of time on the shelf.
The update from Boone suggests Rodon is right on Cole’s heels. “He’s probably not far behind from the start of the season,” the skipper said. If New York gets both of these guys back in the rotation before May hits, the entire complexion of the season changes. You go from a “just tread water” mentality to “let’s go hunt.”
Surviving the Early Gauntlet
Brian Cashman hasn’t exactly been a busy bee this winter. The roster is largely the same group that fell short, which means the pressure on the internal arms is suffocating. While we wait for the two aces to return, the weight falls on Max Fried and a cast of characters like Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers. Fried is a stone-cold stud, but he can’t pitch every night. The depth is going to be tested immediately. Thankfully, the Yankees also have young revelation Cam Schlittler.
Setbacks are the ghost in the machine during spring training. One weird tweak or a bit of inflammation can set a recovery back six weeks in the blink of an eye. For now, the reports out of Tampa are the best-case scenario. The Yankees are betting the farm on their medical staff and the resilience of two guys with a lot to prove. It is a risky gamble, but in the Bronx, playing it safe hasn’t won a ring since 2009.
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