THE CASE OF MCMAHON'S MISSING LOWER HALF

Watch one Ryan McMahon at-bat—really watch it—and you’ll see something that would make any Little League coach start pacing like a nervous dad behind the backstop:

His lower half clocks in late. His upper half clocks in early. And the bat? Oh, the bat just sort of waves through the zone like it’s trying to hail a cab in midtown. It’s not synced. It’s not connected. It’s not… good.

This is what people mean when they talk about the “kinetic chain.” In a proper swing, energy starts in the ground, moves through the legs, rotates through the hips, and finally explodes through the hands and barrel. It’s a whip.

What McMahon is doing right now is less “whip” and more “wet noodle.” All arms. No engine. Right now, McMahon is hitting like a guy trying to win a bar bet with his upper body.

His legs? Optional.
His hips? On vacation.
His hands? Working overtime like they’re getting paid by the swing. And when that happens, the results are exactly what you’d expect:

• Late on velocity
• Out in front of off-speed
• A whole lot of empty swings

That 35.2% whiff rate from 2025 didn’t just fall out of the sky—it packed a suitcase and followed him into 2026. We have been seeing it for months.  Yes, he singled in his first at-bat of the season. Baseball loves a good prank. Then came the 0-for-22 stretch, which felt less like a slump and more like a public service announcement.

Meanwhile, in the Yankees Dugout…over on the bench sit James Rowson, Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst. Three hitting coaches. Three. At this point, you half expect one of them to at least accidentally fix something on McMahon's swing.

Now, to be fair—because fairness matters even when we’re annoyed—these guys aren’t clueless. This is the New York Yankees. They have more data than NASA... just ask Boone, he uses it more than he actually manages. But it's true, the Yankees coaches can tell you the exact millisecond McMahon’s swing goes off the rails. But if they know, they aren't fixing it.  Why are they missing the problem? From the outside looking in it sure feels like they’re doing nothing.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. What looks like a mechanical disaster might actually be a timing issue wearing a bad disguise. If McMahon is:

• Starting late
• Rushing to catch up
• Guessing instead of reacting

Then suddenly the lower half doesn’t just “disappear”—it never gets a chance to show up. And once that happens, the upper body panics. The swing speeds up. The hands take over. And boom—you’ve got a guy who looks completely disconnected. So, is it mechanics? Timing? Both? Right now, it’s playing like a greatest hits album of everything you don’t want.

And so, for me, here's the Fix. Widen the base. Sit into the legs. Let the lower half actually do its job. It’s Hitting 101… which is exactly why it’s so maddening. Basics matter, especially for McMahon right now.  Because here’s the catch: fixing that isn’t a quick tweak. It’s a commitment. And midseason? That will be like deciding to rebuild your house because a window won’t close properly. It can get worse before it gets better. A lot worse. Do the tweaks in April!

Now look, I never wanted McMahon. Not a big fan of the guy.   And if this is who McMahon is right now—if this disconnected, all-arms swing is the plan—then the Yankees have a bigger issue than a McMahon bat cold streak. They have a lineup spot that opposing pitchers are going to circle in red ink. Fastballs up. Spin away. Repeat until further notice.

And unless that lower half starts showing signs of life, the results aren’t going to magically change because the calendar flips to May. Dude's gotta work to fix it.

Look, this isn’t panic… yet, but it’s not nothing either. You don’t run a 35% whiff rate, follow it up with at-bats that look like a mechanical guessing game, and just assume it’ll all sort itself out.

At some point, either:

• The swing gets reconnected
• The timing gets fixed
• Or the results keep telling the truth

And the truth, right now, isn’t subtle. For a team like the Yankees—with all their resources, all their expectations, and yes, all their money—this is the kind of problem that shouldn’t linger.

Because if it does? Then Ryan McMahon won’t just be struggling. He’ll be exactly what frustrated fans are already starting to fear. A guy with all the tools… swinging like he forgot where he left them.

Yikes.

SAME YANKEES, SAME PATTERN

It’s April. 

The New York Yankees are in first place—congratulations, you’ve achieved the absolute baseline expectation of being the Yankees. Hang the banner.

And somehow, nine games in, the noise is already unbearable. Not concern—panic. Not analysis—idiocy. Fans are foaming at the mouth over José Caballero like he personally tanked the season. The guy has played NINE GAMES. Nine. Not 90. Not half a season. Nine games, and people are ready to ship him to the moon because he’s hitting .129.

Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe hit .212 over a full 153-game season, and somehow that got a pass wrapped in excuses and blind optimism. That’s not loyalty—that’s delusion. The Yankee front office is full of that. Meanwhile Caballero already has 3 stolen bases. Volpe had 18 all last year. But yeah, tell me more about how Caballero “can’t play.”

You don’t sound smart—you sound clueless.

If you’re going to be mad, at least have the backbone to be consistent. The supposed cornerstone, Aaron Judge, is hitting .185. Where’s the outrage there? Or does criticism only apply to the new guy because it’s easier? Judge will be fine. Caballero will be fine.

You know who's not fine? The real problem: Aaron Boone. This guy is a walking, talking example of how to overthink yourself into failure. Nine games in, and he’s already making decisions that would get a Little League coach side-eyed.

You have Paul Goldschmidt—a legitimate, proven hitter—sitting on the bench in a moment where you need a clutch at-bat. And Boone decides, “Nah, I’m good,” and sends up JC Escarra to strike out and end the game. That’s not strategy. That’s incompetence.

At some point, it stops being “just April” and starts being a pattern of stupidity.

And the quotes? My God. Boone calling Volpe “F’in elite” last year was an embarrassment. This year, saying Escarra would be top 10–15 in the league if he played regularly? That’s not even spin—that’s straight-up fantasy. You can practically hear Brian Cashman whispering in his ear while he parrots nonsense to the media.

Boone isn’t managing a baseball team—he’s reading from a script written by a front office that clearly thinks fans are stupid. He is a puppet, there is NO QUESTION.

But here’s the truth: it’s April. This is when teams figure things out, patch holes, and grind out wins however they can. The Yankees didn’t properly fix their roster in the offseason, so yeah, things look messy. Fine. That part is reality.

What’s not reality is trashing a player after nine games while pretending the rest of the roster is above criticism. Going after Caballero right now isn’t just premature—it’s brain-dead. 

If you want to be angry, aim it where it belongs: at the decision-making, at the leadership, at the people who should know better and clearly don’t. I said it before, boycott, but you won't.

Otherwise, spare everyone the outrage. You’re not exposing problems—you’re exposing yourself for being idiots.

TREVOR BAUER IS FIGHTING HIS WAY BACK!

Trevor Bauer is officially back on a U.S. mound—just not the one most people expected. He’s signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, marking his first stateside return to pro baseball since 2021. He’s slated to take the ball on Opening Night, April 21, and honestly, that’s a storyline worth watching.

Now, Bauer has never exactly been “quietly existing” as a public figure—he’s outspoken, polarizing, and often a lightning rod. But his situation has always felt more complicated than Manfred and MLB’s initial reaction suggested. In an era where accusations can move faster than facts, MLB seemed to sprint before the starting gun even went off.  Shame on the MLB.

To recap: in 2021, Lindsay Hill accused Bauer of sexual assault, making serious claims about their encounters. Fast forward to June 2025, and a Los Angeles judge ordered Hill to pay Bauer over $309,000 for repeatedly violating their settlement agreement—mostly through social media claims about receiving money. Then there was a separate civil suit filed in 2023 by another woman, which Bauer said was an attempted $3.6 million shakedown. By April 2024, that accuser had been indicted on fraud-related charges tied to those allegations.

So, what does that all mean? At the very least, it suggests the story wasn’t nearly as one-sided as it was initially portrayed. Whether Bauer has terrible judgment in his personal life or was unfairly cast as baseball’s villain, the full picture is far messier than the league’s early response implied.

Which brings us back to the present: Bauer in a Ducks uniform, trying to pitch his way back into MLB relevance. And in classic Bauer fashion, this won’t be a quiet comeback—he’ll be mic’d up for games and practices all season, turning his return into part baseball, part reality show.

The goal is obvious: prove he still has the stuff and force MLB teams to at least consider giving him another shot.

As for Commissioner Rob Manfred? If Bauer performs and the legal dust has truly settled, the league may eventually have to reckon with how it handled the situation. At minimum, it raises a fair question: did MLB act too quickly, and if so, what does accountability look like on that side of the equation?

Either way, Bauer’s back on the mound in the US—and whether you’re rooting for him or rolling your eyes, you’ll probably be watching.

#FreeTrevor

FIVE TOOL TALENT OR NOT, JONES DOESN'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!

I've taken a lot of heat from fans for over a year now about Spencer Jones. I think the Yankees missed the boat and should've cut their losses with Jones a long time ago. It's a harsh reality that I understand some just can't accept. If Jones could turn it around and make me eat my words I'd gladly eat crow. I'm still waiting.....

And I just don't think it is going to happen. I have salivated over guys before in the past and they didn't amount to anything. It happens. I just wonder how much longer we need to wait around and see more of the same and no progression before fans and Yankee brass alike realizes Jones isn't getting better and it's time to strategize for a future without Jones.

This weekend, we saw more smoke and mirrors from Jones. Yesterday, the RailRiders beat the Red Wings 16 to 5. Jones had 5 at bats, he hit a Grand Slam which is what fans love to hear, but he also struck out three times. That's not what I want to hear. I'm tired of the the "you have to take the good with the bad" thought process some fans have. THIS is exactly what is holding Jones back and he's not fixing it. I'm not going to cheer for a grand slam when the kid continues to swing and miss. It's not a trade off!

The season is young, I get it. Regardless of how few games have been played, Jones has 19 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. This is the same concern the Yankees have had for years now. His spring training looked good, but now we are back to normal....and normal isn't good for Jones. At all. This is why he is not in the big leagues and why he shouldn't even be considered.

Young season or not, he is continuing the same pattern. He strikes out too much, doesn't walk enough and has fleeting moments of greatness. This is not a new problem, it's also not a problem that looks like it is getting better. The Yankees should be concerned, even scouts know it, read more HERE.
"It's early, it's cold and he spent a lot of the spring in big league camp. But you can't strike out half the time, either." That's the truth. 

Jones has over 1,500 at bats in the minors. He's had plenty of time to work on his weaknesses. He needs to stop having fleeting moments of greatness and start showing he can have consistent results and make contact. He has to be more than a "feat or famine" type of player. We've had way too many of those guys. We don't need the new Joey Gallo, we've been there and done that. That's not going to cut it. I really don't think this is a matter of not putting in the work to change the results. He's put in the time, but now we need to start having those tough, honest conversations about if the necessary skill is there. 

So those of you of the opinion of "take the good with the bad" we have a whole roster of that. We've had years of teams with that. There's too much bad compared to the good to keep this insanity going. I don't think Jones has what it takes. I'm sorry to say it....but sometimes you gotta accept the harsh realities. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTED TO DO... IN APRIL

But can they do it in the playoffs?

The New York Yankees have come flying out of the gate in 2026, sitting at 6–1 as of April 4 and planting themselves atop the AL East. Early on, it’s been a mix of dominant starting pitching, better depth, and—shockingly—some aggressive base running.

Through the first stretch, Yankees starters have been nearly flawless, allowing just two earned runs. Young arms like Cam Schlittler and Will Warren have stepped up and delivered, helping stabilize things while the bigger names work back into form. Max Fried already has two wins, including a shutout to open the season, while Schlittler made noise immediately with eight strikeouts in his debut.

Offensively, this team looks more alive. In their home opener, they went a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts, with Jazz Chisholm Jr., José Caballero, and Aaron Judge all getting involved. 

At the plate, Ben Rice has been red hot, hitting .409 with two homers and eight RBIs through seven games. Judge added a blast in the home opener, and Giancarlo Stanton is doing what he does best—four home runs in just 22 plate appearances.

And for once, health hasn’t been a disaster. The Yankees actually made it through spring training with most of their core intact, which feels borderline historic at this point.

But let’s not get carried away.

Because the real question isn’t what they’re doing now—it’s whether they can keep doing it when it actually matters.

The Yankees recently highlighted Aaron Boone reaching 700 managerial wins. That’s nice. Truly. I had my own fun changing it to what fans really care about.  Because, quite frankly, the dude can't close.

For this fanbase, numbers like that don’t move the needle unless there’s a championship attached. Boone wasn’t brought in to collect regular-season wins—he was brought in to win a World Series. Until that happens, milestones feel hollow.

A strong April isn’t something to celebrate—it’s the baseline. This is what the Yankees are supposed to look like. Fans aren’t asking for a good start. They’re asking for a strong finish.

Even when Schlittler says he enjoys the hate, it’s hard not to smirk a little. It’s easy to embrace that mentality in April. Let’s see how that plays in the dog days of summer. No disrespect—but we’ve all seen this before. Different year, same script.

General manager Brian Cashman continues to defend the roster, insisting it’s championship caliber. But as Ian O'Connor wrote in his recent article:

“I’ve been openly willing to challenge anybody that we don’t have a championship-caliber roster and team,” Cashman said in January, when he was already tired of complaints that he was bringing back the same squad that didn’t even reach the ALCS, complaints later notarized by Aaron Judge himself.

“Brutal” and “pretty tough to watch” read the captain’s scouting reports on his team’s early inaction in free agency.

“I’m like, ‘Man, we’re the New York Yankees.’”

And that speaks to the essence of where this team stands right now.

Because the truth is, the Yankees aren’t really the Yankees anymore."

And that’s exactly what we’ve been saying all along here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

This isn’t a top-tier roster. It’s a collection of good players. The front office leans too heavily on numbers and not nearly enough on the tangibles—the things you can actually see and feel on the field. The edge. The instincts. The moments.

That’s baseball.

Numbers help, sure. But baseball isn’t built on spreadsheets—it’s built on feel.

So yes, the Yankees look dominant in April. But it’s hard to believe that holds up in June. Or August. I really hope so, but I am a realist.

Look, I hope they prove everyone wrong, me included. But I’m already thinking ahead… and the Yankees don’t. And let me be clear, it's not the players... it's the front office that makes bad decisions, Boone included.

And that’s exactly the problem.

ALL EYES ON CARLOS RODON & HIS "SETBACK"

Aaaaannnnndddd we're back. When I say we are back, I mean more than just back to playing meaningful games. The injury bug is also back in early April. Let's just hope it's not a big deal. We get more than our fair share of these big deal injuries.

Last season was tough, we lost a lot of starting pitching. Now that we are soooo close to getting reinforcements back with big name pitchers, it's scary to hear Carlos Rodon with a "setback," read more HERE. 

I know I'd like to know more about how he hurt his hamstring. There seems to be some conflicting information on social media. One tweet I saw said Rodon hurt his hamstring after running Monday. Another one made it sound like he hurt it while he was pitching.

Anytime we have an injury, I get skeptical. I admit it. The Yankees are one of the richest franchises in all of sports and I think they have a horrible medical staff and training and conditioning staff. They should have the best resources that money can buy....and they don't. So when I read reports like these I raise my eyebrows. Then I see Aaron Boone make statements like THIS one today, and it's concerning. I never like Boone's comments they are so idiotic. It went from  "We'll see what we have there," to "I don't think it's that big a deal. Hopefully it's not" and hopefully it doesn't delay his rehab start.

So what is the real story here? Rodon will be back in the Bronx to be present for the home opener and he will be evaluated by the training staff. Hopefully it's nothing and they actually diagnose everything correctly. It would be nice to get Rodon back in May but if the hamstring is worse than the Yankees initially think that may not be possible.

If this is a true setback this would be crappy for the Yankees. We really need the Rodon from last season to return to this team so I am going to put positive vibes out into the universe and cross my fingers and toes for good luck!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

IS AARON BOONE'S ABS OBSESSION THE ONLY WAY HE CAN WIN IT ALL?

Baseball has always been a beautifully imperfect game. It breathes, it argues, it gets things wrong—and somehow, that’s always been part of what makes it right.

But here we are in 2026, watching the New York Yankees rack up wins like they’ve discovered a cheat code… and that cheat code has a name: ABS.

Let’s get something out of the way first—Automated Ball-Strike Systems aren’t inherently evil. The idea of getting calls correct isn’t exactly controversial. Nobody walks into a ballpark thinking, “Boy, I hope the umpire absolutely blows a 3–2 pitch in the ninth.” Accuracy has value.

But what’s happening right now feels less like progress and more like overcorrection. And at the center of it all is Aaron Boone, who, at this point, doesn’t just use ABS—he manages for it. The man isn’t managing a baseball team anymore; he’s managing a tech demo.

And yeah, the Yankees are winning. A lot. But does anyone else find it just a little weird that so many of those wins hinge on ABS challenges?

Because that’s the uncomfortable question: are the Yankees playing better baseball… or just better ABS baseball?

Let's face it, Boone’s new playbook is “When in Doubt, Tap the Screen.” There was a time when managing meant instinct. Feel. Reading the moment. You watched your pitcher, studied the batter, trusted your catcher, and yes—even factored in the umpire.

Now? Boone seems one bad call away from reaching for ABS like it’s his emotional support tablet.

Instead of living with the rhythm of the game, he’s constantly looking for an override button. A borderline pitch doesn’t go his way? Challenge it. A hitter doesn’t like a call? Challenge it. The dugout doesn’t feel right? You guessed it—challenge it.

It’s not strategy anymore. It’s dependency.

The ABS challenge system was supposed to be a safety net. Instead, it’s become a crutch—and Boone looks like he’s leaning on it hard.  With ABS, the managerial feel of the game kind of goes away, whether you believe it or no. Baseball has never been about perfection. It’s about adjustments. For decades, players had to figure things out on the fly.

Pitchers and catchers would spend the first few innings decoding the umpire:

• Does he give the low strike?
• Is the outside corner a suggestion or a rule?
• How generous is he on the edges?

That was the chess match. That was the cerebral layer. Now? That entire mental battle is gone. Wiped out by a perfectly calibrated, robotic strike zone that doesn’t change, doesn’t bend, and doesn’t care.

It’s like replacing a jazz band with a metronome. Sure, it’s precise. But it’s also lifeless.

ABS doesn’t just call pitches—it removes the need to understand the game on that deeper level. Players don’t read the umpire anymore. They don’t adapt. They just… comply. And what about the catcher? I guess catching is now a lost art?  I love when catchers frame a pitch.

For over a century, great catchers weren’t just defenders—they were illusionists. They could take a borderline pitch and “present” it in a way that convinced an umpire it clipped the zone. It was subtle. It was skilled. It was an art form.

Now? That art is hanging in a museum labeled “Obsolete.” With ABS enforcing a perfectly accurate zone, framing becomes meaningless. There’s no human to deceive, no judgment to influence. The pitch is either in or out—end of story.

So what happens next? Teams stop valuing elite defensive catchers. Why invest in someone who can steal strikes when there are no strikes left to steal? Instead, the focus shifts to offense-only backstops. Just like that, an entire layer of strategy—one that’s existed for generations—gets stripped away. Baseball doesn’t evolve here. It flattens.

And hovering over all of this is Commissioner Rob Manfred, who seems determined to turn baseball into something cleaner, faster, and more… programmable. The ABS system fits perfectly into that vision. It’s neat. It’s precise. It’s marketable.

But here’s the problem: in chasing perfection, Manfred is sanding down everything that made the game unique. The arguments. The missed calls. The tension between players and umpires. The human drama of it all.

Gone—or at least, fading fast. ABS doesn’t just fix mistakes. It removes character.

Because let’s be honest: nobody has ever told a nostalgic baseball story that starts with, “And then the system confirmed the call with 100% accuracy.” They talk about the blown calls. The heated arguments. The managers losing their minds. The moments that felt alive.

Manfred’s version of baseball feels less like a sport and more like a simulation running on high settings.

Here’s where it all comes together. ABS isn’t just a tool—it’s becoming an addiction in my opinion. Just like GPS can slowly erode your ability to navigate on your own, ABS is eroding baseball’s internal instincts. Players and managers are starting to trust the system more than their own eyes.

And Boone? He might be the poster child.  Every challenge reinforces the habit. Every successful overturn feeds the belief that the system knows better than the game itself.

It creates an adversarial dynamic with umpires, too. Instead of working within the human framework of the game, teams are constantly trying to beat it through technology.

The flow gets choppy. The rhythm breaks. The game starts to feel less like baseball and more like a series of interruptions.

Look, Yankees fans have every reason to enjoy the wins. A W is a W. But it’s fair to ask: what kind of baseball are we watching?

Because if teams start building strategies around exploiting ABS challenges rather than playing the organic, messy, beautifully human game we’ve always known, then something fundamental is changing.

And not necessarily for the better.  Aaron Boone hasn’t just embraced ABS—he’s reshaped his managerial identity around it. In doing so, he’s lost something important: the feel of baseball.

And Rob Manfred? He’s getting exactly what he wants—a more controlled, more predictable version of the sport.

But in the process, we’re losing the quirks, the mind games, the imperfections—the very things that made baseball feel real.  Baseball was never meant to be perfect.

And the more we chase perfection, the more it slips away from being baseball at all.

DID CASHMAN FINALLY GET SOMETHING RIGHT?

It's an interesting question in a very early season. I like to give credit where credit is due and I do when it is earned. Some folks are praising Cashman early on but let's get closer (much closer) to the dog days of summer before we go breaking out the trophies and medals for "most improved" categories.

The bullpen was a serious weakness last season. We knew it needed an overhaul so that's why we said LET THE YANKEES BULLPEN BLOW UP BEGIN! The Yankees experiment with Devin Williams was a disaster and even Luke Weaver crashed and burned in epic fashion that I never expected. He didn't address his problem with tipping pitches and that helped him lose his job. Both guys are playing for that other New York team now, and Cashman has made over the bullpen.

That new bullpen has a 3-0 start after sweeping three from the Giants with their perceived weaker bullpen. Four relievers combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings to finish off Saturday's 3-1 win to make it 11 shutout innings in the opening series. All three of the Yankees 2025 trade-deadline additions played key roles in the series and now it has the baseball world asking if Cashman outsmarted everyone. Read more about what NJ.com had to say HERE.

Last season the bullpen ERA was 4.37, 7th worst in MLB and 11th best in the American League. That was a big drop from the 2024 World Series season when their 3.62 bullpen ERA ranked third in the league and sixth overall. The Yankees did look sharp after losing some bigger names over the winter but it's easy to look sharp in the first series of the season. Everyone's rested!

The Yankees don't NEED big names to be successful. We had that last year and it didn't work well for us. The Yankees do need good strategy, guys with good fundamentals and rest! How many times have we seen the Yankees bullpen just get taxed and absolutely drained after being used to much and too often? It's one of the Yankees biggest faults. It happens every. stinking. season! The Yankees change their roster but they don't change the way they operate and it annoys me.

So yeah, right now Cashman may look like a genius to some. It is way too early to start celebrating. I want to see how Camilo Doval, Jake Bird and David Bednar adapt and perform over the next six months. That's a grind! We caught a glimpse of success now, but we need to see long term results. Not to mention, odds are pretty good that Cashman will look to add new reinforcements by the trade deadline so those guys will also need to be evaluated.

I am not going to toot Cashman's horn just yet with the existing bullpen. I will say the Yankees made smart additions by subtraction by getting rid of dead weight. 

That's as far as I will go....for now. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEE WINS ARE YANKEES WINS! BUT HERE'S SOME REAL TALK

Did I see this coming? Not even a little. Well, maybe alittle... it's the San Francisco Giants.

If you asked me a week ago how the Yankees would look on Opening Week—against anyone—I wouldn’t have predicted this kind of showing. And honestly, them proving me wrong might be the most enjoyable part so far. Still, let’s not get carried away: I’m not suddenly convinced this roster has everything it takes. But credit where it’s due—there are some clear reasons they pulled off the sweep.

First up: adrenaline. This team came out like it had three espressos and a point to prove. Opening week, West Coast trip, fresh season energy—it all adds up. Everyone’s locked in, everyone’s hyped, and for now, it’s working. Good for them.

Then there’s the pitching. Flat-out dominant. The starters set the tone immediately, giving up just one run across the entire series. That’s not just good—that’s borderline ridiculous for the first week of the season. When your rotation is dealing like that, you don’t need a dozen runs a game to win.

But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the Automated Ball-Strike system. I’ll be honest—I hate it. This isn’t me being anti-Yankees; I want them to win. But ABS? It feels like baseball with training wheels. For over a century, bad calls were part of the deal. You argued, you got tossed, you moved on. Now we’ve got challenges flipping key moments that used to be final. It might be “accurate,” but it doesn’t feel authentic. That said, the Yankees used it well—and under the current rules, that’s just smart baseball.

Meanwhile, the Giants looked… rough. Sluggish, out of sync, and allergic to clutch hitting. They barely generated offense and couldn’t capitalize when it mattered. Double plays killed any momentum they tried to build, and overall, they just didn’t look ready.

And then there’s the managerial situation in Tony Vitello. I’ve got to say it—hiring a college coach to run a major league team is a wild gamble. Energy and charisma are great, but experience matters. The jump from college ball to the big leagues isn’t a step up—it’s a leap across a canyon. Leadership at this level requires seasoning, not just swagger. If you don’t think that played a role in how this series went, you’re ignoring a big piece of the puzzle.

Now, about that “Keep Hating on Us” energy from Cam Schlittler the other day—easy there. I get it, confidence is part of the game, but let’s not start writing Cy Young speeches after one strong outing against a struggling lineup. There’s a difference between swagger and self-awareness. Act like you’ve been there Cam… or at least wait until you’ve actually been there.

To be fair, it wasn’t all dominance. The Yankees didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard every inning that came that Schlittler pitched. There were moments where run support was thin, and they had to rely on timely power to get it done. That’s fine—it worked—but it’s something to keep an eye on.

So where does that leave us?

The Yankees could be legit this year. I hope they are. But let’s not confuse a hot three-game start with a season-long identity. There will be tougher teams, rough stretches, and reality checks along the way. That’s baseball.

Be excited. Enjoy the wins. Just don’t start planning the parade route in March.

One game at a time.

YANKEES ACQUIRE A PITCHER

The Yankees don’t build rosters so much as they browse the clearance aisle with unwavering confidence. Why invest in something sturdy and reliable when you can grab a former headliner with a few missing parts and a “some assembly required” label? It’s less team-building, more restoration project—with optimism doing most of the heavy lifting.

Which brings us to Luis Garcia, the newest addition to the Bronx Museum of “Remember This Guy?”

A few years ago, Garcia wasn’t a project—he was the payoff. He stormed into Houston’s rotation with that hypnotic “rocking baby” motion and immediately looked like he belonged. In 2021, he logged a 3.48 ERA, finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, and generally carried himself like someone who had skipped the whole “adjustment period” phase. It was clean, efficient, and, most importantly, healthy.

And then…well, elbows happened.

Since the start of 2023, Garcia has managed just 34.2 innings, which is less a workload and more a cameo. The culprit: not one, but two Tommy John surgeries in the span of three years—the latest coming at the end of last season. Two. In three years. That’s not a red flag; that’s a full marching band.

Naturally, the Yankees saw this and thought, “Perfect.”

Garcia won’t throw a pitch for them in 2026, as the entire season is basically reserved for rehab and cautious optimism. This is a long-term investment in the same way buying a broken treadmill is an investment—you’re mostly paying for the idea of what it used to be.

To his credit, the performance track record—when available—isn’t the issue. Garcia has shown he can be a legitimate big-league starter. The problem is that “when available” now feels like a historical reference rather than a current condition.

But this is the Yankees’ sweet spot: low cost, high upside, zero urgency. If Garcia comes back and resembles his old self, they’ll look like geniuses who saw what everyone else missed. If he doesn’t, it quietly disappears into the ever-growing pile of “worth a shot” signings that didn’t quite…shoot.

So here we are. Another name, another rehab timeline, another hopeful glance toward a future that may or may not arrive. The Yankees aren’t just crossing their fingers at this point—they’ve practically tied them in knots.

Welcome to the experiment, Luis. No pressure. Just your elbow, the calendar, and an entire organization politely pretending this is all part of the plan.

YANKEES TRADE RUMORS ARE SWIRLING ABOUT A KEY PIECE, ALREADY!

We just popped the cherry on the Yankees 2026 season, and the rumor mill is already buzzing. The baseball world has made their predictions and now we wait and see what happens. How competitive will the Yankees be and what about key pieces that will be free agents next season?

Yup, folks are already thinking really far ahead, and that is especially true for Jazz Chisholm. Multiple sources are already predicting what his fate will be. Yahoo sports is already predicting that Chisholm does a repeat from last season with 30+ home runs and stolen bases, check it out HERE. When he does, the Yankees are predicted to offer him $300 million over ten years. I think that is rich but Chisholm has already said that he is expecting a deal that will take him until he retires and he believes he is worth ten years and actually worth more than $30 million average annual salary that would give him. Interesting talk for a season that still has 161 regular season games to play.

Then on the other side of the spectrum, there are predictions of a trade moving Chisholm for a nice prospect haul IF the Yankees underperform and are not in playoff contention, read more HERE. 
"If the Yankees don't see bringing him back as a realistic financial solution then trading him for a nice prospect haul during the season could make sense. That's not an outcome Yankee fans want to see, but Brian Cashman is a pragmatist above all else. The combination of being out of playoff contention and not wanting to break the bank for Chisholm could force the Yankees into a deal."

I'm tired of watching the Yankees fail so I don't want to see him clean house for a rebuild, but we have seen it before. It's been 10 years since the last big "sell off" but honestly, I don't know that Cashman could pull off another sell off like he did when Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and cheating Carlos Beltran were all shipped off. I just don't think he has it in him. However, if that happened someone better make sure Anthony Volpe is included in that deal.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this idea is floating around out there. Over the winter we said TRADE JAZZ, VOLPE TO SECOND & GO GET BO! The ship has sailed on that last part but the Jazz move could still happen. The rumor mill is always active with the Yankees, and the day it isn't is when I really worry.

What do you think happens to Jazz? Does he stay a Yankee or does he go? Make your prediction and tell us. Happy Opening week, Yankee fans!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEE BRASS NEEDS TO JUST ADMIT THAT CABALLERO IS A BETTER SHORTSTOP

Anthony Volpe is, sooner or later, strolling right back into the New York Yankees starting lineup—and if recent memory serves, the offense might quietly brace for impact. Manager Aaron Boone has stuck by him with the kind of loyalty usually reserved for franchise legends… not guys with a glove that flirted with 19 errors and a bat that rarely made noise.

Boone’s stance hasn’t exactly wavered. Struggles, miscues, cold streaks—you name it, Volpe’s gotten the benefit of the doubt. At this point, it’s less “prove you belong” and more “take your time, we insist.”

That said, José Caballero doesn’t need to roll out a red carpet for him. No, he hasn’t flashed a 20+ homer season like Volpe did as a rookie—but that’s not really the assignment. Caballero’s path is simpler: hit around .230 or more, which he will, swipe bags, play clean, confident defense. Do that, and he’s already checking more boxes.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: power numbers aside, Caballero’s brand of baseball—getting on base, making things happen, not hurting you in the field—arguably brings more value right now. The Yankees don’t need flash; they need function. And Caballero fits that bill a lot more neatly.

If he keeps producing, the front office might have to ask a question they’ve been dodging: is Volpe still “developing,” or is this just who he is? Sure, the organization may lean on the injury excuse and give him another runway. But if he comes back and looks the same, patience might finally run out.

And if it does? Don’t be shocked if his name starts popping up in trade talks—maybe even something bold involving the Miami Marlins and Sandy Alcántara. At some point, upside stops being a promise and starts being a question.