Heading into play on Tuesday, the Yankees will remain alone atop the American League East. Although their margin over the Rays is not a large one, their standing is a testament to their resilience through some difficult times on the health front. The team’s best player, and one of the best the sport has ever seen, Aaron Judge, is on the shelf for an extended time once again.
While Judge’s absence is obviously the most glaring for the Yankees at the moment, it is far from the only one. With a list of guys currently on the injured list, and some already having spent time there, the offense is turning into an all hands on deck situation. Not unlike the scrappy bunch that helped lead the Bombers back in 2019, this year’s squad may be in need of a similar boost from unexpected contributors.
In 2019, the Yankees won 103 games in the regular season, and made it to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. While the World Series is always the goal, it was undoubtedly a successful season for the team. Despite all of the highs of that team, Judge missed 60 games, Giancarlo Stanton missed almost the entire season (18 games played), and multiple players who enjoyed huge 2018 seasons, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar, and Didi Gregorious, all played half a season or less. The training staff was busy all year, and yet, the Yankees comfortably won over 100 games, and were within a couple wins of making the Fall Classic. While there is a lot that goes into a season-long saga, the surprising contributions from players like Mike Tauchman, Gio Urshela, and DJ LeMahieu made a huge impact. On top of that, partial seasons of really high quality ball from the likes of Cameron Maybin, Luke Voit, and Mike Ford were the cherry on top.
While asking for that many surprises would be wishful thinking, the 2026 Yankees will likely need some unsung heroes to step up in the absence of some of the roster’s bigger names. Aaron Judge is on the shelf until later on in the summer, and Giancarlo Stanton has only played in 24 games and just suffered a setback in his recovery. Meanwhile, last year’s big surprise Trent Grisham has found his way to the IL along with starting catcher Austin Wells, who also has had a miserable start to the year with the bat for good measure. It’s clear the production from these players, and any more who may miss some time, will need to be made up. While this is the case for any team that has realistic hopes for success, the question remains: who will do this for New York this time around?
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Some of the make-up effort is already clear at this point of the season. Ben Rice is establishing himself as an high-caliber All-Star type, with a 172 wRC+ and 19 homers in just 65 games this season. While Rice taking a step forward is not necessarily a shock, to have it happen to this degree certainly helps with the absence Judge and company. After a miserable start, Ryan McMahon has heated up significantly over the past month, and would be a major boost if he could return to somewhere near peak form. José Caballero and Amed Rosario have done their part in occasionally limited roles, and feel like guys pulled directly from that 2019 vibe. Several infield spots for this team aren’t locked down by any means, regardless of injuries, so the continued success of Rosario and Caballero could be hugely beneficial. Veteran re-signee Paul Goldschmidt has also been experienced a pleasant renaissance, posting a 149 wRC+ and nearly matching last season’s home run total in just 45 games. If his low cost deal can help to keep some thump in the lineup in lieu of the absences, all the better.
While the unforeseen contributions that have already happened are fine and good, what’s to come is perhaps even more important. The Yankees can hope for the continued success of these guys, but it can’t necessarily be counted upon. Jasson Domínguez just recently returned, homering over the weekend, and the Yankees will have to hope his long-awaited breakout is on the horizon. Highly-touted prospect Spencer Jones has also been underwhelming since his call-up, and if the club can see some improvement as he adjusts to big league pitching, and if he can tap into the enormous power he’s known to possess, he could be a difference-maker.
This Yankees team has already enjoyed this phenomenon on the pitching side. When Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón were set to miss significant chunks of time to begin the season, the likes of Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and primarily Cam Schlittler all did their part in maintaining one of the league’s strongest rotations. To this point, the Yankees have a team wRC+ that is second-best in the league, but with plenty of absences locked in, including some long-term ones, the continued success of these young up-and-comers, unproven role players, and veterans will be vital to a potentially successful season, just as it was in that highly entertaining 2019 campaign.
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