“The Yankees are still plagued by that 5th-inning collapse, but by putting people where they should be, that infamous inning could become a distant, faded memory in 25 and beyond.”
The new reality facing the Yankees of 2025 is not one of grim questioning and anxiety about what the future might hold. They are and will continue to be stacked with a few adjustments that happened to be made possible by vacancies or perhaps attrition unique only to a handful of what has become, in recent years, an elitist group of MLB clubs.
Looking first at the starting rotation of, in projected order. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil, with the potential spot start from Marcus Stroman. Any one of these names could make a case as being named a possible opening day starter on any club that hasn’t become commonly recognized as a big market.
Of course, there are potential holes in the bullpen, but what club, big or small market, from the bottomless pockets of Steve Cohen and the New York Mets to the temporarily transient Oakland A’s, has absolute bullpen certainty heading into the season?
The Yankees have arms, and with the addition of Devin Williams, the closer role is no longer in question. Gone as well, are the bad vibes that may have in any way been associated with Nestor Cortes. We love the guy, and will miss his mysterious, crafty delivery, and breaking up is hard to do, but like Mitch Williams with the upstart Phillies in the early 1990s, traumatizing losses are best repaired by replacing those most directly involved. No hard feelings.
I fully believe that the additions of Fried and Williams will alter the season for the Yankees. Keeping in mind these two massive upgrades to an already solid pitching staff, let’s look at the potential batting order and the tweaks that will allow for the 2025 version of the New York Yankees to be a level-up from the firm but visibly defective in some small areas, 2024 AL Championship team.
The loss of Soto will likely mean that the total offense will tally less than their MLB-leading 237 home run total, but they might still come very close with the following lineup:
Yankees Will Show Renewed Faith In Volpe
Leading off with Anthony Volpe at Shortstop will signal a renewed confidence in the 23-year-old, and his dismal OPS of .657 will almost certainly boost from this projected lineup hitting behind him. There is still time for this young gamer to meet and exceed expectations. Have faith and trust the process!
Bregman Mans The Hot Corner For The Yankees
Hitting second will be newly signed third baseman, Alex Bregman. A deal over 8 years is probable, but the 2-slot and stellar defense at a spot that has been problematic for the Bombers for a while now should no longer be a concern.
Judge Will Remain Protected In The 3-Slot Of The Lineup
Hitting third and playing Right Field will be Aaron Judge and another 50 plus, 1.000 OPS season. We should continue to expect this from the superstar for at least another 3 seasons.
Yankees Will Rest And Protect Big G’s Chase To 500 By Signing Joc Pederson
Cleanup will belong to Giancarlo Stanton, with some reps at the DH position being reserved for Joc Pederson, who, despite favoring the West Coast throughout the duration of his career, should give the short porch at Yankee Stadium a feeding of souvenir home run balls. Pederson can also play LF adequately well and might be called upon to do so if the Yankees go after him.
Yankees Might Have A Surplus At 1B
Hitting 5th and offering a new chapter at the 1B position is Christian Walker—a power hitter who will provide some protection for Judge in terms of seeing more hittable pitches. Walker will come with high expectations to play every day at first. If the signing falls through, the Yankees must trust the youth movement and have renewed confidence in Ben Rice. Walker is the proven, smart choice here if they can make it happen. I wouldn’t count on it, though. Either way, the defense will be upgraded sufficiently, and in time, the first base portion of the 5th-inning nightmare will be forgotten and replaced with a new identity.
Jazz Will Shine At 2B
Hitting 6th and moving to his more comfortable position will be the versatile Jazz Chisholm, who has already given Yankee fans a fine glimpse of his speed/power combination. A 30/30 season should be expected of Jazz after this move to a more comfortable position.
Where Does Belly Fit With The Yankees Now And In The Future?
The 7th slot will likely see newly acquired Cody Bellinger potentially playing first base if Walker isn’t signed. Putting him in Center Field doesn’t necessarily instill confidence behind this elite pitching staff. I find the signing of Bellinger to be rather disruptive to the trajectory of this Yankees team, especially given the high hopes for Jason Dominguez. For now, Belly hits 7th and will put a bit of pressure on Volpe to hold on to the coveted leadoff spot. It remains to be seen if Dominguez is the real deal. If he puts up serious numbers early on, then we can expect a surplus in the Yankees outfield, as well as multiple options at 1b for Aaron Boone to pencil in and experiment with this spring.
Look For Wells To Build His Yankees Legacy
8th slot should have Austin Wells putting up numbers somewhere in the neighborhood of a .750 OPS and between 15 and 20 home runs. There simply aren’t many catchers out there who can offer stability like that. He is also a fine defender.
Bader Returns For Platoon Role
The 9th spot covers the final obstacle that would stand in the way of erasing the memory of that unfortunate inning. In-house, the Yankees already have Trent Grisham, who can hit bombs but can’t seem to get on base enough to be the starter. This is where we have a platoon situation with fellow former gold glover Harrison Bader returning to the Bronx for a second stint. There is some occasional pop in the 9th spot, combined with superb defense.
End Of Yankees Rant
This potential lineup represents the best of the 2025 Yankees. As with years past, there is potential for conflict, controversy, and questioning. However, a lineup that is as closely aligned with this projected one will conceivably put the Yankees on top of the power rankings. The 2025 Yankees team, as it could be assembled with this model, allows for little to no weaknesses on paper. The same could never be said with the ‘24 Yankees team, and that team was pretty darn good. This team, however, will extinguish the acidic burn that still permeates the guts of the Yankee faithful following that game 5 loss. Relief is on the way, Yankees fans.
