By Daniel Feuerstein | Bronx, NY | June 7th, 2026
The 2026 New York Yankees Season started very well as the bats came out roaring and the starting pitching looked fantastic with Cam Schlittler off to a fantastic start. As the season progressed, the Yankees started ot drop games, and the bullpen was losing focus, and they fell to second place in the American League East. In recent form, the Yankees started to turn things around and are now even with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place, even though the Yankees have played one game fewer with the rainout on Saturday, June 6th, against the Red Sox. Here is how the season has been.
Starting Rotation has been strong
The starting rotation for the Yankees has been strong, as Cam Schlittler has taken over as the new ace of the starters. In 13 games, Schlittler’s record is 7-3 with a 1.89 ERA, and he has struck out 84 hitters. His changing speeds and his dominant fastball have made hitters look silly. Max Fried had a strong start to the season before his injury put him on the injured list. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have also done a solid job on the mound and attacked the strike zone. It’s nice to see both Gerrit Cole & Carlos Rodan return from injury and start to get back into a routine, but they have plenty of time to right themselves and get back to their dominant selves.
The bullpen has been hit or miss
For many years, we have seen the Yankees have strong bullpens from the middle relievers to the closer. But this season, the pen has been a bit of an issue. While there are games they look strong and dominating, there are other times they have coughed up leads or blown saves when pitches aren’t working. While David Bednar has earned 13 saves in 25 games, there have been issues at times when he is on the mound and has blown the chance, especially against the Mets at Citi Field on Sunday Afternoon. Camilo Doval, Yerry de los Santos, and Tim Hill have had some solid outings, but occasionally have some issues as well. Maybe towards the trading deadline, General Manager Brian Cashman can find a way to fix the pen.
Infielders are having a solid time
Since Ben Rice has come up from the Yankees from their farm system, he’s been red hot and has played fantastically. Either as a first baseman, a catcher, or currently as a Designated Hitter after suffering a minor injury, he’s been smashing the baseball. Currently leading the team with 18 home runs, a .305 batting average, and an OPS of 1,051. Jazz Chisholm Jr. continues to have a solid season with the Yankees, both with the bat and with the glove. On the left side of the Infield, shortstop and Third Base have been rotated between Amed Rosario, Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, and Anthony Volpe, who returned from the minor leagues due to his rehab assignment from injury in the Yankees farm system.
Just recently, Paul Goldschmidt has been smashing the baseball with authority and has had several leadoff home runs. The bench players have done some good work for defensive purposes or have been used for pinch-running situations.
Outfielders have had some good and some bad moments
The Yankees outfielders have had some issues here and there. Cody Bellinger has had a slow start, but he suddenly picked up the slack and has brought in some runs with timely hitting and has recently started to slug some home runs. Trent Grisham, who got off to a terrible start, has also started to pick it up and is getting on base more. His defense has been a bit suspect, but in recent games, he’s looked better. Aaron Judge got off to another strong start to the season, belting 17 homers, and has played very strongly in Right Field. Once again, many baserunners try to out-run him, but he always finds a way to get the outs. Sadly for Giancarlo Stanton, another good start to the season has once again been put on hold as he went to the injury list once again.
Catchers are not doing well with the bat
Austin Wells, the full-time Yankee catcher, hasn’t had a good start to the season. While he’s been hot a little here and there, he’s been struggling mostly at the plate with his offense. Wells and his backup catcher, J.C. Escarra, are at the bottom of the statistics list at a batting average of .177 & .166, respectively. While they are calling a good ballgame and have caught runners stealing bases, their offensive woes are showing. Hopefully, they can pick it up and turn things around, but at this time, it’s not looking good for them.
But overall, the Yankees have found their way back to the top of the American League East and are tied with the Rays. They just need to keep the pressure going and overtake the Central Florida team, take the Division Flag permanently, and make the playoffs. Hopefully, all of this can happen under manager Aaron Boone.
The New York Yankees 2026 season is off to a strong start till a bump in the road, then back toward the top, sharing the spoils with the Tampa bay Rays.
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