The Yankees got here so shut, they may virtually style it. They fought via accidents and adversity to win 94 video games in 2024 — tops within the American League — and recapture the AL East crown. They made fast work of Kansas Metropolis and Cleveland to succeed in the World Collection, however a handful of key moments turned potential victories into losses. In the end, it was the Dodgers who left Yankee Stadium soaked in champagne after a Collection that left a nasty style in each Yankee’s mouth.
“I do know that is solely going to gasoline a number of guys, gasoline me particularly,” captain Aaron Decide mentioned afterward. “I wish to be on the opposite aspect of it.
“I feel falling quick within the World Collection will stick to me till I die.”
With that feeling feeding a burning need, the Yankees had one among their best and intriguing offseasons in latest reminiscence. They enter 2025 a remade group, one stocked with 4 former MVPs — together with final yr’s unanimous AL winner in Decide — and budding younger stars with the potential for breakout seasons.
“I feel the strikes that we’ve made, I’m actually enthusiastic about and really feel like we’re on our approach once more,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned in December after the Yankees formally introduced the signing of left-hander Max Fried. “There’s all the time surprises, good and unhealthy, and also you’ve obtained to try to be ready to remain agile and deal with these issues.”
That skill to adapt was put to the check even earlier than Opening Day: 2024 ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton was shelved indefinitely with elbow troubles. Then, 2024 AL Rookie of the Yr Luis Gil suffered a lat pressure. And within the greatest blow, 2023 AL Cy Younger Award winner Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgical procedure on March 11.
Even with out these names on the lively roster to begin the season, the Yankees’ objective of getting again to the World Collection — and successful it — hadn’t modified. And whereas it will doubtless take some time for a group with so many new faces to gel, there was an undercurrent of optimism heading into 2025. Listed here are a few of the key names and dates to be careful for because the defending AL champs embark on one other promising season within the Bronx.
Eight days after the 2025 MLB Tokyo Collection between the Cubs and Dodgers concludes, the primary stateside pitch of the Main League Baseball season is scheduled to be thrown at Yankee Stadium on March 27, when the Yankees host the Brewers in a nationally televised matinee. It marks the primary time since 1979 — when Milwaukee was nonetheless a part of the seven-team American League East — that the 2 groups will face one another on Opening Day. It additionally marks the primary time that Devin Williams will swimsuit up for a group apart from the Brewers. Traded to the Yankees final December, the 30-year-old right-hander is one among baseball’s premier closers, wielding his signature “airbender” changeup to nice impact. Since his 2020 NL Rookie of the Yr marketing campaign, Williams has held opposing batters to a .145 common — finest amongst all Main League relievers.
The Yankees’ bullpen should be a energy in ’25, because the bridge to Williams is lined with elite hurlers unleashing nasty stuff. Luke Weaver will get to face the group he stymied in his first profession postseason motion final October when the Yankees host their first American League opponent within the Bronx, Kansas Metropolis, from April 14-16. Weaver was 3-for-3 in save alternatives in opposition to the Royals within the 2024 ALDS, permitting only a pair of singles over 4 scoreless outings. The Yankees additionally obtained huge October outs from dynamic relievers reminiscent of Jake Cousins, Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton, all of whom are again this season. The sidearming Hill was notably efficient, permitting only one earned run in 10 postseason appearances. With aid specialists reminiscent of Jonathan Loáisiga hopefully returning to full well being and newcomers reminiscent of Fernando Cruz added to the combination, the Bronx bullpen brigade is nicely outfitted to place out fires.
In a novel twist, the Yankees will return to their Spring Coaching facility from April 17–20, however as guests. The AL East-rival Rays will play their residence video games at George M. Steinbrenner Discipline in 2025 after Tropicana Discipline was broken when hurricanes battered the Tampa Bay area final fall. “In instances like these, rivalry and competitors take a again seat to doing what’s proper for our group — which is constant to assist households and companies rebound from the devastation brought on by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” Yankees managing common associate Hal Steinbrenner mentioned final November.
With two West Coast journeys, the Yankees will rack up loads of frequent flier miles in Could. A highway collection Could Sept. 11 in opposition to the Athletics will imply a go to to Sutter Well being Park in West Sacramento, Calif. — residence of the Sacramento River Cats (the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A group) and the A’s, whose proposed Las Vegas stadium received’t be prepared till a minimum of 2028.
It was at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in late Could of 2024 the place Luis Gil cemented himself as a drive to be reckoned with. Having earned a spot in final yr’s rotation following Gerrit Cole’s elbow damage, his eight innings of one-run ball in opposition to the Angels capped off a 6-0 Could that helped him earn AL Pitcher of the Month and, finally, 2024 AL Rookie of the Yr honors. With the right-hander on the shelf to start this season, the door was opened for one more opportunistic challenger to cost via. Might Will Warren be this yr’s Gil? The 2021 eighth-round Draft choose was spectacular in Spring Coaching, and his slider is regarded by Baseball America as one of the best within the Yankees’ farm system. And though he took some lumps on the huge league stage final season, it didn’t affect his confidence. “I got here into camp realizing that I used to be decrease on the totem pole,” Warren informed the YES Community after his fourth preseason begin. “However I had somewhat chip on my shoulder to [say], Let’s go take a spot and earn a spot.”
The Yankees will gap up in Los Angeles for a whole week on the finish of Could, and whereas two of the group’s greatest stars from that space — Cole and Giancarlo Stanton — aren’t prone to play in entrance of their family and friends, it ought to be a welcome return for Cody Bellinger, who spent his first six huge league seasons with the Dodgers. The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Cubs final December and are anticipated to deploy the previous Gold Glove winner as their on a regular basis heart fielder. A fourth-round choose of the Dodgers in 2013, Bellinger seems so as to add to a powerful trophy case that already contains the 2017 NL Rookie of the Yr Award, 2018 NLCS MVP Award and 2019 NL MVP Award.
The Yankees’ journey schedule eases up after getting back from their World Collection rematch in opposition to the Dodgers from Could 30 to June 1; all remaining regular-season video games will happen within the Japanese or Central time zones.
Newcomers to the group will get their first style of the Yankees-Purple Sox rivalry in June, with three-game collection at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park over the primary two weekends. One veteran wanting ahead to the expertise is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, whose spectacular 14-year profession has been spent fully within the Nationwide League with Arizona and St. Louis. The seven-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover feeds off electrical crowds, and he is aware of mixing it up in opposition to the Purple Sox will present the form of vitality he craves. “Being in St. Louis and having the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry or having the superb alternative to play within the playoffs or play for Crew USA, all these huge video games are one thing I’ve cherished,” he mentioned. “These are my finest reminiscences.”
Together with his impeccable glovework at first, Goldschmidt has been a favourite goal of each third baseman with whom he has performed. The id of that third sacker in 2025 was nonetheless being ironed out because the Yankees broke camp in March. Definitely, they’d be happy to see a return to kind from DJ LeMahieu, a fellow 14-year veteran who’s one among simply three gamers in Main League historical past to win batting titles in each the American and Nationwide leagues. Since batting .364 throughout the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, LeMahieu has suffered via a litany of accidents which have robbed him of enjoying time, together with half of 2024. However when he’s wholesome, he can present immense worth on either side of the ball. He and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts are the one lively gamers who’ve received a number of Gold Glove Awards in addition to a batting crown.
Additionally vying for time on the scorching nook might be Oswaldo Cabrera. The versatile 26-year-old, who signed with the Yankees a decade in the past out of Venezuela, has made himself into an indispensable utilityman, able to dealing with almost something thrown his approach; he even made an look on the mound in opposition to the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium final June. Between Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Ben Rice and Jorbit Vivas, the Yankees start the season with a number of younger, hungry infielders on the 40-man roster able to step in at a second’s discover.
Apropos of the balanced schedule period, the Yankees will spend every weekend in July going through off in opposition to a Nationwide League opponent. After a crosstown journey to Queens for a vacation weekend collection in opposition to the Mets starting July 4, the Yankees will shut out the primary half by internet hosting the Cubs at Yankee Stadium. Followers attending the opener in opposition to Chicago can seize a Billy Joel bobblehead prematurely of the Piano Man’s look on the Stadium the next Friday, July 18.
Having inked an eight-year deal final December that may see him toe the rubber for the Yanks via 2032, the Yankees’ greatest offseason addition, Max Fried, will return to Atlanta — the place he spent his first eight huge league seasons — to open the second half. The 31-year-old southpaw ought to obtain a heat welcome within the metropolis the place he pitched within the postseason seven straight years, successful a World Collection in 2021. After all, Fried may have to fly south a number of days forward of that collection, because the 2025 MLB All-Star Sport is ready to be held at Truist Park on July 15. A two-time All-Star and runner-up for the 2022 NL Cy Younger Award, Fried tossed a scoreless second inning on the 2024 Midsummer Traditional in Texas.
Buying a stud lefty to beef up the beginning rotation for what’s hopefully a championship season introduced again reminiscences of the Yankees’ December 2008 acquisition of CC Sabathia. The 251-game winner formally takes his place amongst baseball’s immortals throughout Corridor of Fame induction weekend July 25–27 whereas the Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies — the group Sabathia helped vanquish within the 2009 Fall Traditional.
Fried isn’t the one southpaw within the Yanks’ beginning rotation who might probably have to catch an early flight to Atlanta in mid-July. Carlos Rodón made back-to-back All-Star groups with the White Sox and Giants in 2021 and ’22, and after successful a career-high 16 video games in 2024 — together with a 7-2 mark with a 2.91 ERA within the second half — the 32-year-old enters his eleventh huge league season with excessive hopes. Rounding out the beginning employees to start the season are two right-handers who have been spectacular in 2024. Clarke Schmidt posted a 2.85 ERA in 16 begins, whereas Marcus Stroman allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 29 begins.
Crosetti and Gordon. Richardson and Kubek. Bucky and Willie. Jeter and Canó. The Yankees have had some dynamic double-play combos all through their historical past, and the present iteration of Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the potential to be pretty much as good as any in MLB.
Chisholm got here to New York from Miami — the place the Yankees start the month of August — finally yr’s Commerce Deadline and offered an instantaneous spark, tallying 11 residence runs, 18 steals and 23 RBIs in 46 video games whereas studying to play third base on the fly. Again to his pure place in 2025, the 27-year-old second baseman seems primed for a breakout season in his first full yr in pinstripes. As one among solely 4 gamers — together with the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz and the Guardians’ José Ramírez — to prime 20 homers and 40 steals in 2024, the Bahamas native has proven that he can do huge issues. “Having Jazz — who has been so dynamic for us and explosive — do his factor one other yr, it’s going to be thrilling,” mentioned Yankees captain Aaron Decide.
In simply two months with the group in ’24, Chisholm completed second on the Yankees in stolen bases, trailing solely Volpe, who led the best way with 28 swipes. The homegrown shortstop took some strides ahead in 2024, authoring a 21-game hitting streak and elevating his batting common by 34 factors from his 2023 rookie season earlier than belting a grand slam in Sport 4 of the World Collection in opposition to the Dodgers. One other leap in Yr 3 might have the 2019 first-round Draft choose ascending to even higher heights.
Austin Wells began 2024 because the backup catcher however quickly took over the beginning function. Like Volpe, Wells’ continued growth might be key to the Yankees’ hopes of repeating as AL champs. The 2020 first-round choose was terrific in 110 video games behind the dish in 2024, finally ending third in AL Rookie of the Yr voting, and he caught in all 14 of the Yankees’ postseason video games, beginning 12 of them. Wells is ready for one more heavy workload in 2025, however when he wants a breather, J.C. Escarra — a 2017 Draft choose who was nonetheless searching for his first huge league look as he neared his thirtieth birthday in April — appears prone to function the backup, with Ben Rice as another choice.
The Yanks start the ultimate month of the common season at Daikin (previously Minute Maid) Park, the place they’re 1-8 all-time in postseason video games. Houston’s home of horrors has been extra welcoming as of late: The Yankees kicked off their pennant-winning marketing campaign with a four-game sweep of the Astros in 2024, and their earlier journey there, in September 2023, noticed Jasson Domínguez explode onto the scene in his debut, homering off future Corridor of Famer Justin Verlander together with his first swing within the bigs. Nonetheless simply 22 years outdated and with loads of room to develop, Domínguez is nonetheless anticipated to play an enormous function for the Yankees in 2025, one thing the outfielder has dreamed of ever since signing with the group out of the Dominican Republic at age 16. If extra seasoning is required, two-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder Trent Grisham stays on the prepared.
If Domínguez can start to comprehend his potential this season, the Yanks might have essentially the most formidable nook outfield tandem in baseball, as a result of shifting again to proper discipline — the place he has spent nearly all of his profession — is reigning AL MVP Aaron Decide. The Yankees’ captain one way or the other topped his record-breaking 2022 season with an excellent higher yr in 2024, setting profession highs in a slew of classes, together with batting common (.322) and RBI (144). Now in his tenth huge league season, Decide continues to maneuver up the franchise’s all-time lists and into more and more uncommon firm. If he reaches 47 homers this yr, it should put him at 362 for his profession — good for fourth place in Yankees historical past behind solely Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493).
After all, Decide isn’t on the market simply to place up numbers. His acknowledged mission is to carry a twenty eighth World Collection championship to New York, and he has proven he will be simply as harmful in October as he’s throughout the common season: 9 of his 16 profession postseason residence runs have both tied the sport or given the Yankees a lead. His first-inning shot off Jack Flaherty in Sport 5 of final yr’s Fall Traditional was Decide’s first residence run in World Collection play, and if issues go in response to plan, he’ll get an opportunity so as to add to that complete this postseason.
“Positively coming in hungry, if not hungrier, than in years previous,” Decide mentioned of the 2025 Yankees. “Guys are motivated and able to … get us again in that spot and rewrite the script.”
Nathan Maciborski is the chief editor of Yankees Journal. This story seems within the 2025 New York Yankees Official Yearbook. Get extra articles like this delivered to the doorstep by buying a subscription to Yankees Journal at www.yankees.com/publications.
