It’s been an eventful offseason for the Yankees.
After Juan Soto chose to sign with the Mets, the Yankees pivoted to add Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and others to bolster an already World Series-caliber roster.
But as the Bombers get set to start spring training, there are still plenty of question marks surrounding the team.
Here are five storylines to watch as the Yanks enter spring training and head toward Opening Day…
Who will win third base battle?
Although the Yankees made impressive moves to improve the roster, the one hole they did not fill was in the infield.
With the departure of Gleyber Torres, the Yanks need to fill either second or third base. GM Brian Cashman has made it clear he’d prefer Jazz Chisholm Jr. to play second — although his experience playing third last season makes the roster more flexible — so it’s likely the club will look to find an internal answer for the hot corner.
Cashman and manager Aaron Boone have a few players in mind to fight for the spot. Veteran DJ LeMahieu will go up against Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and even Jorbit Vivas this spring.
LeMahieu and Cabrera will have the inside track, both having years of big league experience under their belt, but perhaps former top prospect Peraza will find his way this year or last spring’s breakout star Vivas will take a big step.
This is the biggest position battle on the team and one that could influence the organization to look for an external answer if none of these options works out.
Jasson Dominguez: everyday left-fielder
Dominguez is going to have a big role this season, so how he does at the plate will be crucial. But even more important is how he handles left field.
The Yankees have already confirmed Dominguez will be their starting left fielder — having Aaron Judge play right and Bellinger man center. However, Dominguez struggled in left last season.
In 13 games (12 starts) in left last year, Dominguez made one error and was a -2 in outs above average. He was also noticeably uncomfortable with his reads and routes. This spring will test Dominguez’s skills in left field. Can he hone them so he won’t become a detriment out there?
It helps that a former Gold Glove-winning outfielder (Bellinger) will be in center and can hopefully teach the youngster a thing or two this spring.
Austin Wells entering sophomore season
Last spring, Wells battled for a spot on the Opening Day roster. And while he did earn it, he started the year as Jose Trevino’s backup. Once Trevino went down with an injury, Wells took the chance to cement himself as the starting catcher in 2024 and moving forward.
The Yankees moved Trevino this offseason, so Wells is expected to be the starting catcher on Opening Day. With a full year under his belt and going into spring training without the pressure of fighting for a roster spot, how will Wells react?
He used last spring to improve his defense to a point where even the Yankees brass was surprised, but now he needs to figure it out offensively. This spring will hopefully be the start of that.
Seeing new faces playing in pinstripes
As mentioned above, the Yankees will have new faces joining the team this spring. We’ll be waiting to see Fried and Williams doing their thing in the rotation and bullpen, respectively, but how about Paul Goldschmidt and Bellinger?
Bellinger took a step back last year after having a bounce back 2023, slashing just .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs and 78 RBI. The Yanks hope he can rediscover his production from two years ago, and that starts this spring.
As for Goldschmidt, the 2022 NL MVP is coming off of back-to-back seasons where he saw his offensive production decline. After hitting 30-plus home runs the previous four full seasons, he has hit fewer than 26 each of the last two years. Last season especially saw his production decline to career lows. His batting average (.245), OBP (.302), OPS (.716), and walks (47) were all career lows, while his 173 strikeouts were the most he has had since 2018.
The Yankees hope there’s something left in the tank for the one season they have committed to him, but they’ll also need his Gold Glove defense to anchor an infield that could most certainly use it.
Which prospect will break out?
Every spring, there’s always at least one prospect who stands out and becomes a familiar name to fans and the organization.
Famously, Anthony Volpe broke out in 2023 to skip Triple-A and take the starting shortstop job. Last year, Wells and Vivas showed a thing or two. Who will be that player this year?
Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, will return to camp this year after experiencing it for the first time last spring. He’s part of a group of prospects who were non-roster invitees that also includes George Lombard Jr., Roderick Arias and Chase Hampton.
Lombard and Arias will see their first big league camp this year, while Hampton will be in his second.
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