As spring training approaches, anticipation and excitement surround the New York Yankees ballclub. From returning contributors to new (and clean-shaven) faces, the team certainly has a much different- and more competitive- roster in comparison to last season. Looking at the American League divisions- it seems pretty clear that the East will be the most competitive division to claim first place- with the West also being worth noting due to Houston’s departure of star players Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker making that division up for grabs. With about a month to go until Opening Day, what predictions or anticipations can we expect from last year’s American League Pennant champions?
Let’s first look at what the offense offers for the “Bronx Bombers”. —with season blockbuster signing with the cross-town rival New Mets of Juan Soto in December- called for the Yankees to fill up the spectacular annual production he brings to the table. The first move was made on December 17th, as the Yankees traded pitcher Cody Poteet for Chicago Cubs Centerfielder Cody Bellinger. The 29-year-old lefty already has a very polished resume, as he won National League Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 2 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers (in 2017 and 2019, respectively). Cody also owns a powerful arm and a spectacular glove, as he also won a Gold Glove for his fielding efforts and a superb .993 FLD%. A change of scenery from the Windy City could bring him back to his prime self, as the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium would be perfect for his natural pull-power swing and style of hitting. The Yankees front office must have gone ex-MVP shopping for the holidays, as they inked 2022 MVP Paul Goldschmidt for a 1-year, $12.5 million deal. These new faces will enjoy familiarizing themselves with the current Yankees lineup, which already has the potential to be one of the most dangerous 1-9 batting orders in the Majors. As baseball is a constantly changing and revolving subject- projected opening-day lineups are subject to change.
2025 Opening Day Lineup Projection
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Second Base- Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The highlight acquisition of last summer’s trade deadline for the Yankees, Jazz flipped the power switch, blasting 11 home runs in a 46-game span, which resulted in a career-high highs in home runs (24), RBI (73), and runs scored (74). This season also marked a career-high in games played, truly displaying just how much the Bahamas native is capable of doing on the basepaths- swiping 40 bases while only being thrown out 10 times for an SB% of 80%- well above the average SB% in MLB. The one-hole could potentially be a flip-around with Anthony Volpe- but Jazz’s walk rate and OBP far succeed Anthony’s- so it would make Chisolm the most logical choice to lead off the ballgame for the Yankees.
Left Fielder- Jasson Dominguez
2025 hopes to be the season in which “The Martain” will finally be able to display his true potential through an entire season. He is the only Yankee prospect listed on the Top 100 Prosect List by Baseball America- for many deserving reasons. Jasson immediately made headlines by hitting a home run on the first swing he took in the Major Leagues off future Hall-Of-Famer Justin Verlander in 2023- finishing his 8-game stint with 4 home runs. Another major strength of his game is his base running, as he shows elite base-stealing capability- as he is yet to be thrown out to begin his condensed MLB career, going 6/6 in attempts. He also shows great plate coverage and discipline, which would already make an opposing starter face a huge challenge facing the first 3 hitters of the Yankees lineup.’
Right Fielder- Aaron Judge
A man who needs no introduction- Judge is by far the most impactful bat in the Yankees lineup. For the first 2 months of last season, Judge hit just .232 with 6 home runs- and caught fire to finish the season with career highs in batting average (.322) and RBI (144). Judge also showed major progress in his batting patience, as he led Major League Baseball with 133 walks and cut down on his strikeout percentage. Even when Judge does not get on base- his presence alone makes him one of the most intimidating players in all sports. Judge has been slotted throughout the 1-4 hole throughout his 9-year MLB career- but seeing Judge as a guaranteed at-bat to start a ballgame for the Yankees seems like a perfect fit for Judge. Judge tied Alex Rodriguez in 2001 by hitting 18 first-inning home runs, which further displays the importance of having Judge hit in this given position with Dominguez and Chisholm hitting ahead of Aaron. This can already create a nightmare situation for a starting pitcher, as there would likely be a lot of traffic on the base paths leading up to Judge’s at-bat.
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First Base- Paul Goldschmidt
Despite entering his 15th MLB season at 37 years old- the potential Hall-of-Famer continues to impress with his amazing zone coverage and home-run power. Paul did start the first half of 2024 cold, hitting just .230 and striking out over 25% in his plate appearance, but turned it around in the second half hitting 51 points higher along with his strikeout % by almost 5 percent. One of the most valuable aspects of Goldschmidt is his health- as he has played no less than 151 games since 2014. He has also hit more 25+ homers in a season in 4 out of the 5 seasons he played in the pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium (excluding the COVID-shortened 60-game season of 2020)- which shows great promise to put up a power-packed season in the AL East. His swing is tailored to travel the ball towards right-center field; which is ideal for the short-porch at Yankee Stadium.
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Centerfielder- Cody Bellinger
He was one of the most exciting players in baseball when fully healthy. Cody had a resurgence season for the Chicago Cubs in 2023, batting .307 with 97 RBI, which landed him a top-ten finish in NL MVP voting. Owning a lethal uppercut swing, the 29-year-old lefty will be very content with Yankee Stadium’s 314-foot right field fence. Cody also owns sneaky speed, as he has a stolen-base completion rate. There is potential for both Bellinger and Goldschmidt to switch places in the Yankees lineup, as Judge batting in the 3-hole can create a righty-lefty-righty matchup- which is a major obstacle for even the most talented of pitchers to face. If the top of the Yankees lineup has success in reaching base, Cody will have a very good chance of matching or even surpassing his personal-best 115 RBI in his 2019 MVP campaign.
Designated Hitter- Giancarlo Stanton
Quite possibly one of the main reasons for the Yankees’ first World Series appearance since 2009 with his 7 home runs in the postseason push- Stanton can carry an entire team on his back for extended stretches throughout the season. Injuries have plagued Stanton’s daily appearances in the lineup, as he has only played more than 139 games in a season twice in his 7-year Yankees career (he only played 23 of the 60 games of the 2020 MLB season). Still, he is a lock for 25-30 home runs if he can play in 70% of a season, which is impressive. He and Goldschmidt not only have a commonality of entering their fifteenth MLB season together (also both winning MVP awards), but Stanton’s exit velocity still tops MLB charts with his potent bat speed. The active leader in career home runs 429- an above-average “Stantonian” season would make 2026 a likely season he would reach the prominent 500-home run club. The Yankees should hopefully have Stanton back in their lineup at some point during the Memorial Day weekend as he recovers from tennis elbow injuries sustained from batting adjustments from his amazing 2024 postseason run.
Catcher- Austin Wells
Austin caught fire from late May as the top Yankees catching prospect, into August- taking over Jose Trevino’s spot as the primary catcher before the All-Star break. Despite playing only 115 games- Wells placed 4th-most on position player WAR with 2.5 on the 2024 squad- trailing only Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Anthony Volpe. Like Bellinger’s swing, Wells has an upper-cut swing tailored for the right-field seats at Yankee Stadium- even though he hit more homers on the road (8) instead of back at home (5). Catching is also a very taxing position, especially during the dog days of the summer- so having Wells hit near the bottom of the order offers some time for Austin to catch his breath; but the depth of this Yankees lineup may not give him the time to do so!
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Short Stop- Anthony Volpe
Anthony offers the Yankees elite speed and acts as the “bottom-of-the-order” leadoff batter for the Yankees. Although Volpe hit for less power in his sophomore season (21 to 12, respectively), he raised his batting average by 34 points, a major improvement in his contact numbers. Like Chisholm Jr., Volpe is an elite base stealer- as he was successful in 28 out of 35 attempts last season. He is only 23 years old, so his ceiling is nowhere close to being determined. If he can reach first base with nobody else on, he is almost guaranteed to be in scoring position for the next batter.
Third Base- Oswaldo Cabrera
A fleet-footed switch hitter to round out the bottom of the Yankees lineup- Oswaldo produced his finest offensive campaign last season. Cabrera was especially valuable for the first month of last season, with daily playing time as well, slashing .269/3/16 in 25 games. Like Volpe, if Oswaldo can gain more plate discipline and take walks, this can create a lot of congestion on the bases for the top of the Yankees batting order- which would result in plenty of runs scored for the latter two hitters.
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