2026 The Yankees won just 66 games in a year in which superstar Aaron Judge played 93 games. It’s not all bad, but it feels like it could and should have been more. General manager and Senior VP Brian Cashman is building competitive teams, and he should be credited, but he and the staff should aim higher and do more to bring the title back to the Bronx.
A Wild Card Series win against the Boston Red Sox was a nice way to start the season, but the upset at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays exposed a lot of tough issues that were directly tied to Cashman and his decision.
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For the Yankees, 93 is not enough. They need to be the best team in the division because they will bring other assets into the playoffs, such as home field advantage and a straight ticket to the AL Division Series. Everyone in the organization is responsible for how much time they play, but the spotlight always goes to the head of baseball operations.
Offseason moves and trials
Cashman didn’t have a particularly bad offseason, but there were some noticeable holes when the season started. Antonio Volpe didn’t find the right replacements for retiring and undermining Ryan McMahon: he was demoted in early August of the season when George Lombardi Jr. was promoted, but the latter posted a 78 wRC+ and just 0.5 fWAR in 124 games. Volpe eventually returned and played a key role in the stretch run and during the day.
Extending Trent Grisham’s qualifying offer was seen as a moderate risk when it was made, but it was reasonable with a career outing of 34 homers in 2025. The outsiders declined this year, especially in defense, but it was certainly not a long-term commitment.
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The Ryan Weathers deal was universally acclaimed, and it was a good deal on Cashman’s part. He posted an ERA (3.60), fWAR (2.5), and innings pitched (137.1). The executives also reported Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Amed Rosario, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger.
Some of them were welcome additions, especially the 2019 NL MVP, but Cashman has left the roster vulnerable to injuries and underperformance in many areas, and that includes that. The bullpen was a bit thin, as some of his past trade experiments, like Jake Bird, Angel Chivilli, and Camilo Doval, just didn’t work out. The same can be said about the Rule 5 choose Cade Winquest. We’re more than willing to give Cashman a jump in the bullpen, because the unit finished with the second-best ERA in the MLB, though.
Trade deadline operation (or lack thereof)
The Bombers entered the deadline with a few key points, which Cashman was very aware of. They could use a catcher given Austin Wells’ long streak to this day, or a reliever or two, a starter and a handed right-hander.
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They are rare with more traps, but they have returned from that front to the frustration of vain fans. They brought in Luis García Jr., who enjoyed an amazing year in Washington with 23 homers and a 133 wRC+.
Heliot Ramos’ arrival was met with mixed reviews, and he quickly posted a 93 wRC+ in pinstripes. In Bronx vs. He left a 184 wRC+vs, which was one of the main reasons behind his acquisition. He used the drop waiting for Henri Lalane to hurt him, though. Speaking of…
Hope and the young at heart
So, you could say that the Yankees are destined to be a disappointment, although some might disagree. However, most of them managed to keep their things high, including Lombardi, Dax Kilby, Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez, and Ben Hess. The only exception was Lalane’s promise.
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They represent, along with Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, Weathers, and Will Warren, the next wave of young talent who, in theory at least, will keep the team competitive for the next 3-7 years. Cashman won over all of them, especially Lombardo, when half the league was looking for him in trade talks.
The rest of the farm is still needed. A lot of work. The Yankees will need to recruit well and be active on the international market in the next two years to revamp their depleted system. At least Cashman took a step to resolve the situation, firing longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland and replacing him with Mario Garza in January.
Player by player progression wins and losses
Like every general manager, Cashman has had some player development and wins losses when looking at the final picture of the 2026 campaign. He and his staff managed to turn Blackburn into a comfortable reliever with a 1.59 ERA in 85 innings, and he got a good season from the Storm as well.
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Schlittler took a step into stardom, and Brent Headrick and Warren are even better in 2026. On the other hand, Doval, Luis Gil, McMahon, or Volpe, and Jasson Domínguez could not fix the fringe. Grisham and Welles were also under par for their standard.
The offense, generally speaking, had a mediocre year with a 101 wRC+ that was 14th in the MLB. Yes, injuries to Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and other key hitters certainly hurt, but there is a sense that Cashman could have done better or more.
The only verse
We’ve said it many times in this space: The Yankees need new voices. People need to be more prepared to listen. They cannot do the same in personnel decisions, player analysis, research and development, and anticipate and expect different outcomes. Unless he decides to part ways with his longtime executives, it will be up to Cashman to drive change within the organization: does he have it in him, though? It is certainly a fair question.