“It’s never going to get any better. Don’t look for it. Be happy with what you got.”

While that is a George Carlin quote about education, it applies to the recent iterations of the New York Yankees. The Yankees win over 90 games a year, get to the playoffs most of the time, and everyone should be happy with that. Right?  We turn on the TV every October (usually for the Wild Card series) and see the New York Yankees on our screens. Are we ungrateful?  Are we delusional to ask for better?

Something is wrong, folks. Not only is something wrong, but it is painfully obvious where the problems lie. However, nobody seems to care. We start a new season with the same basic cast, the same philosophy on how to win, and end up with the same conclusion. 2024 is the outlier, not the norm. And, as Yankees fans, appearing in the World Series isn’t a flex. We didn’t regain bragging rights over the Red Sox or Mets because the Yankees made it to the World Series more recently. If that is your mentality, switch your fandom.

Back in February, many predicted it. “Running it back” was a popular refrain. When you bring back the same team that lost in last year’s ALDS, can you expect a better result?

We know the answer, and it was loud and clear.

This team has peaked.  It won’t get better. The owners don’t care. The investors don’t care. The YES Network doesn’t care. Nobody cares, except for the players (yes, I think they do) and the fans. The entities the owners rely on to line their pockets.

The good news is you can’t run back the same team again. However, who is confident that the replacements they go with in 2027 will improve the results?

I purposely didn’t write this until tonight because I wanted to be rational, not reactionary. However, I don’t know how much that worked:

1. How good are the young players?

It’s fun watching young players evolve

Ben Rice is a top-tier offensive first baseman, and I don’t expect that to change. There’s nothing to complain about in his offensive profile. A 24.3% K rate is high, but not absurd. Regardless, you accept some strikeouts with his overall profile.  Defensively? He needs work.

While not a “system” guy, Luis Garcia Jr. is still young (younger than Rice). He has team control through 2027. I expect him to be back. There’s a lot to like about his bat, especially against right-handed pitching.

Cam Schlittler is an ace-level pitcher, though it’s asking a lot of him to repeat his 2026 season. That said, his Breaking Pitch Value was -1 in 2026. It’s not impossible to imagine his breaking pitches improving. He can improve while having slightly worse results. It’s not easy to repeat a sub-2.00 ERA campaign.

George Lombard Jr. had ups and downs, but I am bullish on his future. It doesn’t shock me that he had some fielding yips after looking like Ozzie Smith. It is plausible he allowed a few errors to snowball.  I like his power and approach. I am not sure if he will be a high-average guy, but he strikes me as a kid who will improve.

Spencer Jones‘ outfield struggles surprised me. He looked more comfortable in the postseason, even with his bad jump on a key line drive in Game 2 against the Rays. Offensively, he was excellent against left-handed pitching but struggled against righties. The power is there. The speed is there. A 30/30 season is plausible, maybe as soon as 2027. That’s the bullish outlook. His Savant is a sea of red in metrics like Hard Hit Percentage, Barrel Percentage, Bat Speed, and Exit Velocity. It’s a sea of blue in Chase Percentage, Whiff Percentage, and K%.  I see some Munetaka Murakami in his profile, but one thing Murakami is elite at that Jones isn’t is chasing. His Whiff% and K% are awful, but his ability to read the strike zone allows him to balance that with walks. I would love to see Jones evolve into a similar hitter. An athletic “three outcomes” center fielder is valuable, as long as Jones settles in defensively.

Anthony Volpe will either become a 2B/SS/3B or the everyday second baseman. Defensively, Savant loved him in 2026.  His +7 OAA included a +5 at SS and a +1 at 2B. While OAA likes him, his arm strength is a deterrent. That deterrent doesn’t exist at second base. Beyond Jazz Chisholm Jr., other free agent second basemen include Luis Arraez and Brandon Lowe. Interesting fact about both players:  They had a crazy defensive turnaround in 2026. Lowe posted a -14 OAA at second base for Tampa in 2025. For Pittsburgh in 2026, it was +15. Arraez couldn’t find a position. His OAA at second base (small sample) in 2025 was -2. In 2026, it jumped to +12.  Offensively, they are successful in different ways (understatement). Fans will pine for Arraez, again. I was once against it. I may be warming to it.

Austin Wells had a strong second half, but the rumor that the Yankees were looking for catching help at the deadline is hardly an endorsement. They value his framing and challenging. He was elite at both and showed some offensive life in the second half.

Beyond them, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are young starters who pitched well. Elmer Rodriguez was iffy with the Yankees, but it’s too early to judge. He will be a top trade chip, as well.

The minors may not offer much for 2027. Carlos Lagrange has a golden arm and could add a power element to the bullpen.  Eric Reyzelman started pitching well down the stretch, but it’s hard to count on him as a bullpen option.

As for bats, there’s nothing on the immediate horizon. You could see right-handed outfielders Garrett Martin and/or Jace Avina in 2027. Neither has “major impact” written on them, but the Yankees aren’t loaded with outfield options as the roster currently stands. They are light after Aaron Judge/Spencer Jones/Cody Bellinger/Heliot Ramos (if they like him).

That could open the door for Jasson Dominguez again, but do the Yankees still have faith in his future? I am getting mixed signals, mostly negative.

It’s hard to say this “core” is filled with Hall of Famers and borderline Hall of Famers, but you don’t need that. Surrounding the right veterans with solid youngsters can make for a winning formula.

2.  Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman

“Do we trust Cashman and Boone to produce the winning formula?”

So far, it hasn’t. The previous core, which included (at various points) Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres, Greg Bird, Miguel Andujar, and Luis Severino, didn’t win. They made a few deep runs, which is great. But expectations were high, and they failed.  Is there anything that makes me feel the “new” core is better? No.  Does it need to be better? No. But you need to have a good team surrounding them.

Cashman has been with the organization for decades. When people love to point out that he “inherited” his early World Series champions, I counter with that he was involved in the decision-making.  However, he has produced one title and two other World Series appearances since 2003.

Boone has peaked as a manager. His press conferences have become increasingly ridiculous. There is a fine line between defending your players and defending Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s Game 2 throw. Those quotes look even more ridiculous, given Jazz was benched in Game 3. The constant lack of fundamentals, despite coaching staff changes, is glaring.

Is it all on Boone?  No. Some mistakes are mistakes MLB players shouldn’t make, even if the worst manager in baseball history was sitting in the dugout. However, the organization has ignored the problem for too long. They already scapegoated low-hanging fruit in the coaching ranks. Who’s next?

One of my annoyances is reading, “If not Boone, then who?”  I don’t have a list in mind. No, I don’t want Alex Cora. I loved Don Mattingly too much as a player to want him managing my team (I would likely find myself writing posts defending horrible decision-making). However, there are always options. Cast a wide net, and you will find someone. It makes no sense to ask “If not Boone, then who?” in 2026. Let’s end that nonsense.

As for Cashman, he’s here until he doesn’t want to be here. I don’t love this, but the only way Cashman “leaves” his post is if he moves to an advisory role while one of his assistants takes over the lead role. He could step down at any time, but I don’t see an indication it will be this year.

The elephant in the room is Hal Steinbrenner, who seems content with what they have.  The owner has to be on board for any change.

The Yankees moved on from Joe Girardi when they likely felt he didn’t fit for their new core. Is it time for a new voice with the latest core?  The answer is undoubtedly yes.

3. Which free agents should the Yankees retain?

I have two in mind:  David Bednar and Paul Blackburn. The Yankees haven’t signed a closer to a long-term deal since Aroldis Chapman, but where are they turning for the closer role?  They could hunt for a reliever on an expiring contract (like Devin Williams before 2025), but why complicate this? Since Bednar will be 32, offer him a 3-4 year deal and lock him in.

If Williams was effective in 2025, they likely offer him a long-term deal. Give that money to Bednar.

Blackburn is trickier, only because this was a career year. It’s tempting to say “Thank you,” and move on. However, despite his strong campaign, it’s hard to envision a team handing him a large contract. It is reasonable to see if he will take a 2-year deal at a reasonable rate.

Others?

Chisholm Jr. is a top second baseman. You can try to dispute that, but you can’t. I still won’t be sad if he left. You can look at the free agent and trade markets. Volpe scares me, but he is the obvious internal option. This is a situation where you move on from the “better” player for the good of the team as a whole.

Ryan Yarbrough could get another cheap 1-year  contract. He pitched well in his low-leverage role. He can disappear for a week and still give you an honest effort when called upon. However, he’s hardly a must-have.

Paul Goldschmidt proved me wrong in 2026, and the Yankees will remain heavily left-handed at 1B/DH in 2027. However, I can see a plan where the Yankees ask Aaron Judge to play more designated hitter against left-handed pitching, with Rice moving to first base on those days. Heliot Ramos, if they stick with him, can play right field vs. left-handed pitching.  If not, they will find someone else for that role.

Tim Hill was a nice find, but is no longer effective. John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer were late-season waiver claims. At this point in their careers, they may have to settle for spring training invites.

Amed Rosario couldn’t hit left-handed pitching in 2026. His ability to hit lefties is why you sign him in the first place.

Trent Grisham?  No.  Just no.

4. How about Giancarlo Stanton?

How can the Yankees rely on Stanton?  I love him, and he is impactful when healthy. However, he completely changes how you construct a roster. If you keep him, you assume he will play. However, he isn’t showing that he can consistently play. This limits the Yankees’ ability to bring in a healthier option. They are forced to react to Stanton’s inevitable injury.

I get it. Stanton has one year left on his contract. He costs only $15 million. It’s tempting to take that one-year risk, hoping he plays 100+ games and is a postseason machine. If a free agent with Stanton’s profile were willing to take $15 million for one year, fans would debate it all winter.

However, I think it is time to move on.  I understand the fear of him lighting up the scoreboard elsewhere, but it’s becoming harder to justify his presence. This is especially true if they want to give Judge more time at DH while also using that slot for Rice on days Luis Garcia Jr. plays first base. Yes, we have reached the point in Stanton’s career where we wonder where he fits in, even if he miraculously stays healthy.

5. Final Thoughts

The 2026 Yankees performed well for a team that lost Judge. I won’t downplay that. However, the roster construction and consistently erratic play lead to serious questions. Their current approach to roster construction does not work for postseason success.

I believe the playoffs have a crapshoot element. However, you can improve your odds. If the baseline is 80% talent/20% crapshoot, why not make it 90/10?  Those are made-up numbers, but you get the drift. Reduce the crapshoot variable while improving the talent variable.

The 2027 Yankees can contend for a title. The starting pitching, which I barely mentioned, is locked in.  The Yankees can win a championship with their current rotation.

However, they cannot win the title with the rest of their roster construction. The proof is in front of us. They haven’t done it since 2009.

Until they recognize this and do something about it, expect the same results.

Be happy with what we got.