Now that college football is over, and the NFL close behind it, I’m officially turning my attention (call it wishful thinking) to baseball season. Sorry NBA.

In order to get ramped up to the 2026 campaign, I’m going to try something new. Every day for the next 30 days, I’m going to release my breakdown of all 30 MLB teams. So, let’s get started with the AL East, and stay with me…

The Yankees Are Always Dangerous — But Are They Actually Complete?

There are two types of teams in baseball: teams that try to win the World Series, and the New York Yankees. The Yankees don’t rebuild. They don’t reset. They reload — and after another season that ended short of a championship in 2025, the Bronx once again went shopping.

From a pure production standpoint, the Yankees were very good offensively last season — finishing first in the league in runs RBIs and home runs by a good margin — but the story was far more complicated than the raw numbers suggest. New York lived on streaks. When the lineup was hot, they overwhelmed teams. When it cooled off, they became vulnerable to high-end pitching, especially in October.

That volatility pushed the front office toward a reunion that felt like a no-brainer: Cody Bellinger. Bellinger brings positional flexibility, left-handed power, athletic defense, and postseason pedigree — everything the Yankees covet. More importantly, he stabilizes a lineup that leaned heavily right-handed and often became predictable against elite arms. Plus, his 2025 run with the Bombers, which saw him bash 29 homers and 25 doubles proves that his upper-cut swing was made for Yankee Stadium.

But offense wasn’t the real problem in 2025.

The Yankees’ pitching depth was exposed multiple times. Injuries forced them to overextend the bullpen, and the rotation lacked consistency behind the top arms. New York finished middle-of-the-pack in team ERA and innings pitched — not what you want from a championship favorite. That’s why the acquisition of Ryan Weathers quietly matters. He’s not a headline arm, but he provides durability and matchup flexibility — something playoff teams always need more of.

Still, this roster feels like it’s one impact pitcher short.

Biggest Need Entering 2026:
Frontline pitching depth — either a high-leverage bullpen arm or a legitimate No. 2 starter. Although, if the injury bug doesn’t bite them again in 2026, the rotation could be okay. Gerrit Cole is due to return, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon are looking to build on strong 2025 campaigns, with the latter close to returning from an elbow injury. If they aren’t confident in the arms they have, Framber Valdez is still out there, but in my opinion, the Yankees have more pressing issues.

With the departures of relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver among others the Yankee’s bullpen that finished 23rd in ERA and second to last among teams in the postseason, is left even thinner.

Have They Addressed It?
Partially. Bellinger improves lineup balance significantly. Weathers adds depth. But they can do better on the back end with arms like Paul Sewald, Danny Coulombe and Liam Hendricks still available.

Our Take:
The Yankees will win a lot of games. That’s never the question. The question is whether they’re built to survive October — when every flaw gets magnified. The core is one year older. Additionally, the uncertainty of Giancarlo Stanton‘s health and the roller coaster production of once-vaunted prospect Jasson Dominguez, who seems to have already been relegated to a bench role, I feel like I don’t have as much confidence in the Yankees heading into 2026 as I should. Without one more serious pitching upgrade — and with the fact that year after year, it seems like other contending teams are more active than they are despite being the game’s biggest brand — this still feels like a roster that could dominate April through September and stumble when it matters most.