Yet again, the Yankees will be back playing postseason baseball. New York clinched a playoff spot on September 15, marking the fourth straight year that the Yankees will participate in the playoffs. However, how the Yanks got here was quite the story.
Firing without Judge
The Yankees were without reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge for three months, the type of absence that could have been a death sentence for some teams. But not the Yankees, as New York’s offense was able to survive despite Judge and other players going down to injuries.
It helped that Ben Rice, in his third MLB season, had a career year. Rice’s 38 home runs were tied with Hunter Goodman and Yordan Alvarez for fifth-most in the Majors as of September 15, while his 63 extra-base hits were tied for seventh alongside Junior Caminero. His .380 wOBA was 11th-best among MLB hitters with 350+ plate appearances.
Pick whatever metric you want. The bottom line is this: Ben Rice became the perfect complement to slot in behind Aaron Judge. Someone who can do damage on his own, as well as set the table for Judge.
The Yankees’ lineup also saw Cody Bellinger play at an All-Star level, while Luis Garcia Jr. filled in nicely as a left-handed hitting complement to Paul Goldschmidt. Additionally, while Bellinger and Judge were hurt, Spencer Jones received his first real opportunity as a big-leaguer. It’s gone well overall, despite a high 32.7% K% in the second half.
Through 47 contests since the game in Philadelphia, Jones slashed .273/.341/.480 with seven home runs and 16 extra-base hits. His Barrel% since the second half was near the top of the league in that span, as well.
Now, was it easy for the Yankees to generate offense without their MVP? No. In July, the Yankees had a team OPS of .660, 26th-best in the Majors. But nonetheless, the club made it work.
A new ace in Yankee Stadium
For years, Gerrit Cole slotted atop the Yankees’ rotation. Cole missed all of 2025, giving Max Fried the top billing in The Bronx. Fried was one of baseball’s best last season, winning 19 games and anchoring the rotation into the playoffs.
However, both Cole & Fried missed time on the IL this year. Luckily, the Yankees saw Cam Schlittler take that next step forward in 2026.
Schlittler, who pitched very well in his rookie season and shined in the Wild Card round last October, has been one of baseball’s best in 2026. The right-hander had the fourth-most strikeouts (228) in the Majors as of the 15th, as well as the lowest ERA (1.95) in the league this season.
In an era where pitchers are not throwing the fastball as much to hitters, who’ve made it abundantly clear on their preferences at the plate, Schlittler is a rare case. But then again, when he can A) hit 100 MPH regularly and B) throw three effective fastballs (four-seam, sinker, cutter), that can be a real problem for hitters.
Stellar bullpen work
The Yankees had three pitchers in the upper echelon in opponents’ wOBA this season, although one doesn’t need advanced numbers to indicate just how good it’s been.
David Bednar, acquired last summer. was a rock in the Yankees’ bullpen. Bednar is currently fifth in the Majors in saves (34), sported a sub-3.00 ERA, and limited runners on base. Given how much the Yankees’ pen struggled at times with that, 2026 was a markedly different story.
Aside from Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Tim Hill both stepped up in 2026. So did Brent Headrick, with 92 strikeouts over 74 innings and a sub-2.00 ERA. Headrick, formerly of the Twins, fit in very nicely in what is a deep Yankees bullpen, even without some familiar faces from years past.
Figuring things out at short
The Yankees had questions about what to do at the shortstop position in 2026. Anthony Volpe missed the first few weeks due to shoulder surgery recovery, and he didn’t even make it back to the big-league club after his rehab assignment expired. Instead, the club optioned him back to Triple-A.
Now, Volpe is back with the Yankees, as he’s taken on a utility role and is playing with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL. However, the shortstop position figured itself out, in a sense.
Jose Caballero, for much of 2026, was a steady hand for New York. Caballero hit 14 home runs, stole 32 bases, and has been a steady hand despite a low slash line. He also provides versatility, more important now that George Lombard Jr. is up with New York.
What’s ahead?
There is still an opening for the Yankees to win the AL East title. New York entered play on September 15 3.5 games behind the Rays in the division. The two teams will meet for four games during the final week of 2026, making it possible to clinch the #1 seed.
Winning the division would be a massive boon, especially when taking into account that it would secure home-field advantage throughout the AL portion of the playoffs. But in the long term, the real goal between now and the playoffs is to keep the club in one piece.
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