YANKS OCTOBER BOUND—BUT IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THE CHAMPAGNE

The Yankees are officially headed back to October, and yes, I’m happy about it.

They clinched a playoff spot beating the Twins, turning a late 2-1 deficit into another one of those nights when the lineup suddenly wakes up and remembers it’s allowed to score runs.

José Caballero got the Yankees started with a solo homer in the third and later tied the game with an RBI single in the eighth. Ben Rice followed with a two-run single, and then Aaron Judge finally delivered the swing everyone had been waiting for.

Judge launched a three-run homer to finish off a six-run eighth inning. It was his first home run since returning from the injured list—and hopefully the first sign that the big man is finding his timing exactly when the Yankees need him most.

Austin Wells added another homer in the ninth, while Will Warren gave the Yankees 5⅔ strong innings and allowed two unearned runs. It was a good win, a big comeback and a well-earned postseason berth. By the way, Wells? Batting .180... hardly a threat.

Also, I have one question: Should we really be pouring champagne?

I mean, come on, gang. Be happy. Shake hands. Play some music. Maybe crack open a cold one. But goggles, plastic-covered lockers and a full champagne celebration because you secured a playoff spot?

What are we doing here—handing out participation trophies?

These are the New York Yankees. Reaching the postseason is supposed to be the expectation, not the final accomplishment. They’re still chasing Tampa Bay in the American League East, and that should be the focus.

Win the division. Avoid the Wild Card round. Put yourself in the strongest possible position to make a real October run.

Then you can pop the cork.

For now, congratulations. The Yankees are in.

Now go win something. That's what the fans want.

LOMBARD GOES GRAND. VOLPE GETS ANOTHER LIFE

George Lombard Jr. gave Yankee fans the moment of the night.

With Spencer Jones working a two-out walk to help load the bases, Lombard stepped up and crushed an opposite-field grand slam — the first of his career and the Yankees’ first grand slam of the season.

The kid continues to impress.

Jones deserves credit, too. Two walks, patience at the plate and another contribution from a young player who looks like he belongs.

And Will Warren? Six strong innings, one run and eight strikeouts. Exactly what the Yankees needed.

Then came the news that made me roll my eyes.

Anthony Volpe is coming back.

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffering a thumb sprain, Volpe will rejoin the major league roster Thursday. And apparently we're going to force this experiment into second base now?

Why?

José Caballero is already here. He can play second. Let him.

I simply don't care about the Anthony Volpe experiment anymore. He had his opportunity. It was a long time. The Yankees finally sent him to Triple-A, Lombard took over at shortstop, and the kid has brought energy and excitement.

Why are we still trying to manufacture opportunities for Volpe?

At some point, stop trying to prove you're right about a player and just play the guys who give you the best chance to win.

This is the kind of organizational nonsense that makes it hard for me to root for this team sometimes.

Lombard is giving you something special. Don't screw it up.

YANKEES BEAT THE HELL OUT OF BOSTON—AND THIS ONE MATTERED

Now that looked like a Yankee team ready for October.

The Yankees didn’t just beat Boston Sunday. They embarrassed them, 16-1, taking three of four in the Bronx and winning the season series 7-6. That also gives New York the all-important tiebreaker over the Red Sox. And suddenly, the Wild Card picture looks a whole lot better.

Will Warren picked the perfect day to pitch his best game of the season, going seven-plus innings and allowing just one run. Then there was Heliot Ramos, a guy Yankee fans have been waiting on since he arrived. Ramos finally delivered, crushing a three-run homer for his first bomb in pinstripes.

After that, Boston basically waved the white flag.

Austin Wells went deep twice, Paul Goldschmidt homered, José Caballero homered and the Yankees turned the eighth inning into batting practice. Boston eventually had an infielder pitching. That's when you know you've beaten the hell out of somebody.

The Yankees are now four games ahead of Boston for the top AL Wild Card spot, and because they own the tiebreaker, that advantage feels even bigger.

Look, one series doesn't erase every concern we've had about this team. But it's almost September. Boston came to town. The games mattered.

And the Yankees kicked their ass. I'll take it.

YANKS ARE ROLLING. SHOULD WE TRUST IT?

I have to give the Yankees credit. They’re winning. They’re working through the kinks, finding different ways to win baseball games and, dare I say it, actually starting to look like a team instead of nine guys waiting around for somebody to hit a three-run homer.

As I mentioned this morning on BYB, Wednesday night's 5–3 win over Baltimore made it three straight wins, and eight of the nine Yankee starters had a hit. The bullpen picked up Will Warren after he lasted only four innings, and the Yankees found a way to break a 3–3 tie in the eighth.

That's impressive. That's baseball.

And right in the middle of it again was George Lombard Jr.

The kid has elevated this team. I'm not suggesting Lombard suddenly turned the Yankees into the 1998 club. I'm saying his presence has changed the feel of this team. There's energy. There's speed. There's urgency. There's a young player out there who appears to understand that sometimes winning baseball isn't about launching a ball 450 feet.

Sometimes you just have to make something happen. That's exactly what Lombard did Wednesday. With the game tied in the eighth, he chopped a ball and used his speed to beat it out for the go-ahead RBI single. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't majestic.

It was winning baseball. And that's what I love about this kid. Lombard doesn't appear intimidated by the moment. Remember, this is a 21-year-old who was called up barely two weeks ago and homered in his major-league debut. Now we're watching him contribute in meaningful August games.

There's something else happening, too. The Yankees seem to be feeding off that youthful energy. That's important.

Now, naturally, when the Yankees start winning, Aaron Boone looks pretty good. Funny how that works.

When everybody hits, the bullpen gets outs, the kids make plays and the Yankees string together victories, the manager suddenly looks like he's pushing all the right buttons. But I've always believed something about managers:

You don't learn much about them when everything is working. You learn about them when everything stops working. When the lineup goes cold. When the bullpen gets shaky. When you've lost three straight and tomorrow night's game suddenly feels enormous.

That's when managing matters. That's when you need somebody capable of changing the temperature in the room, making the difficult decision, sitting the wrong player, riding the right one and recognizing trouble before it becomes a five-game losing streak.

That's where my concern with Boone remains. Because September is coming. The pressure is going to increase. Every game gets heavier. Every mistake gets magnified. And eventually this team is going to hit another rough patch. Every team does.

So, I say it clearly... enjoy this. I certainly am.

Give the Yankees credit for grinding through the problems and starting to play better baseball. And give George Lombard Jr. a huge amount of credit, because the kid has brought something this team desperately needed.

Energy.

Instinct.

Fearlessness.

But here's the question I can't shake:

What happens when the Yankees stop making Aaron Boone look good? Because eventually Boone may have to make the Yankees look good. And are you as frightened as I am that we're going to find out sometime in September?

RODÓN'S BACK, BUT WHY ARE THE YANKS MESSING WITH WARREN?

Carlos Rodón is back, and that should be great news. Instead, because these are the Yankees, his return immediately turns into another episode of Who Are We Screwing With This Week?

Rodón will return Tuesday against Baltimore, and the immediate rotation squeeze appears to involve Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.

If Warren is ultimately the guy pushed aside, I don't like it.

And yes, I understand Weathers has been terrific lately. In fact, he's been downright dominant — a 0.85 ERA over his last five starts. But if I'm making the decision, I'm keeping Warren in the rotation and finding another role for Weathers.

Why?

Because at some point the Yankees need to stop jerking Will Warren around. Remember the trade deadline. Warren's name was floating around in discussions involving the Padres. Reports at the time identified him as one of the pitchers who could potentially be included in a significant package. Now Rodón returns and suddenly Warren's rotation spot is the one we're talking about again?

Maybe that's coincidence.

I don't think it is.

To me, it looks like the Yankees have soured on Warren to some degree. Why else are you willing to discuss trading the guy, then potentially make him the odd man out when the rotation gets crowded? If Warren is supposedly an important piece of your future, start treating him like one.

This is what drives me crazy about the Yankees. They develop players, hype players, defend players and then seemingly change their opinion overnight. There's no consistency. There's always some roster shuffle, some mysterious organizational preference or some Aaron Boone explanation that somehow leaves you knowing less than you did before he opened his mouth.

But here's the other side of this.

Rodón coming back could be HUGE.

Imagine walking into a postseason series and seeing Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón lined up.

Now THAT gets my attention. Cole is back pitching well after Tommy John surgery, Fried is Fried, and a healthy Rodón gives the Yankees three legitimate weapons at the top of that rotation. That trio could be absolute gold in October.

There is just one tiny problem. THE YANKEES STILL HAVE TO SCORE FREAKING RUNS.

That's the insanity of this team. We spend all this time debating Warren versus Weathers, celebrating Rodón's return and dreaming about Cole-Fried-Rodón in October while watching an offense that too often makes two runs feel like an offensive explosion.

You can have Koufax, Gibson and Seaver out there and it doesn't matter if your lineup can't push anybody across home plate.

So welcome back, Carlos. I'm thrilled you're here. Now somebody please tell the Yankees hitters.

Because a rotation of Fried, Cole and Rodón could win a championship.

They just can't win every game 1-0.

LOMBARD JR. HAS CHANGED THE FEEL OF THE YANKEES IN JUST 2 GAMES

The Yankees lost 3-1 to the Cardinals. They stranded 11 runners. They went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The stadium lights quit on them twice. It was one of those nights where everything that could short-circuit did.

Everything except the shortstop.

And that's exactly why this loss felt different. George Lombard Jr. has been the Yankees' starting shortstop for exactly two games, and somehow the entire organization already feels lighter. Maybe it's because we're finally watching baseball instead of a science experiment that everyone knew had failed except the people running the lab.

For years, Yankees fans were told to ignore what they were seeing. Anthony Volpe just needed more time. Then more time after that. Then some patience. Then another season. Somewhere along the way, "development" became code for "please stop asking questions."

Finally, it was enough.

Lombard showed up, homered in his Major League debut, followed it up with another hit, stole one away on defense, and suddenly the most important position on the field looks... normal.

You know, the way it's supposed to.

Will Warren probably summed it up better than anyone. "I made a joke with him earlier: 'He's everywhere.' It's nice to have that behind you."

Read between those lines. Pitchers don't hand out compliments like Halloween candy. They know when the guy behind them can erase mistakes instead of creating new ones. The comfort level is obvious. The confidence is obvious. The energy is obvious. It's almost as if having a legitimate shortstop playing shortstop is good for baseball. Revolutionary concept, I know.

Meanwhile, back in Scranton, Anthony Volpe is getting regular at-bats while rotating between shortstop and second base. Good. That's exactly where he needs to be.

The problem is the Yankees still can't seem to let go of the fantasy that Volpe is somehow their long-term answer at shortstop. That ship didn't just sail—it filed a change-of-address form. Just watch Lombard for a few innings.

The first step. The range. The instincts. The athleticism.

It's simply reality. Some guys have "it." Others spend three years convincing an organization they might eventually find it. George Lombard Jr. already has it. Personally? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Volpe's best chance to carve out a Major League career is probably at second base... with another organization.

Because this isn't really about Anthony Volpe anymore. It's about what happens when the Yankees stop forcing a narrative and let talent speak for itself. Even the clubhouse feels different. We actually have a chance to win it all.

Trent Grisham talked about believing the offense will eventually come around, and maybe it will. But confidence is contagious, and so is competence.

For the first time in a long time, the Yankees look like they're playing with both. Fans aren't holding their breath every time a routine ground ball is hit to short. Pitchers aren't wondering if they need four outs in an inning. And perhaps best of all, nobody has to spend the postgame explaining why what everyone just watched wasn't actually what they watched.

That's progress. George Lombard Jr. has been in the Bronx for two days.

Two.

And somehow the Yankees already feel like a team trying to win baseball games instead of trying to win an argument. That's the biggest difference of all. Brian Cashman may still be clinging to the Volpe dream like it's the last life raft on the Titanic.

The rest of us have already climbed aboard the Lombard ship. And judging by the reaction inside that clubhouse, the Yankees and the Yankees social media has too.

Wow. 

Volpe who?

DOOFUS IN CHARGE

 At what point do the Yankees stop making excuses for Aaron Boone?

Tonight's 6-4 loss to the Rays wasn't just another frustrating defeat. It was another masterclass in questionable managerial decisions that continue to cost this team games. The Yankees struck out 17 times putting in wrong players, Will Warren imploded in the fourth inning, and Boone somehow found another way to make fans shake their heads. He just didn't pull him fast enough. The story of this guy's life.

Let's start with the move that made absolutely no sense.

Ryan McMahon was 1-for-1 at the plate. He had already produced in the game and looked comfortable. So, what does Boone do? He pinch-hits Anthony Volpe.

Why? Well, don't forget, I told you it was going to happen this morning when I wrote CABALLERO WINS BIG & BOONE WILL PUT VOLPE BACK IN THE LINEUP TODAY. The freaking dunce couldn't help himself and I knew it would happen.

The explanation is that Boone wanted the "better matchup" against the current pitcher and wanted Volpe batting as the tying run. That's baseball logic on paper. But baseball isn't played on paper.  It's played with gut. I guess Boone has stomach cancer cause he never uses his gut... OR his head for that matter.

Volpe has struggled for much of the season. McMahon had already delivered a hit. In a game where every baserunner mattered, Boone willingly removed the player who had actually produced in favor of one who has consistently struggled to come through offensively.

Sometimes managers outsmart themselves. Many times Boone doesn't think. This felt like one of those moments.

If you're constantly looking for the perfect matchup while ignoring who's actually producing that night, you're managing the spreadsheet instead of the baseball game. Fans aren't asking for complicated analytics. They're asking for common sense.

Then there was Boone's lineup construction.

Paul Goldschmidt entered the game in an ugly 0-for-30 slump, yet Boone continued to bat him in the order. The result? An 0-for-4 night with four strikeouts and multiple missed opportunities with runners on base. At some point, loyalty has to give way to accountability.

The fourth inning was another example of Boone reacting far too late.

Will Warren surrendered a game-tying double before allowing back-to-back home runs to Hunter Feduccia and Yandy Díaz. The game flipped in a matter of minutes, and once again Boone seemed content to watch the damage pile up before making a move. Don't worry though, he was blowing really good bubbles.

This isn't an isolated incident by the way. It's become a pattern.

Poor bullpen timing. Questionable lineup decisions. An obsession with favorable matchups that often ignores who's actually playing well in the moment. The Yankees had another opportunity to win a game they were capable of winning. Instead, they struck out 17 times, watched their starter unravel, and made another late-game substitution that left fans wondering what the manager was thinking.

If the Yankees are serious about competing for a championship, they have to stop pretending these decisions don't matter. Enough with the excuses. Enough with defending every questionable move as "playing the percentages."

Results matter. Winning matters. Accountability absolutely matters.

Right now, the Yankees aren't just being outplayed by their opponents—they're being outmanaged. If this team continues down this path, the front office has to ask the difficult question: Is Aaron Boone still the right manager for this team? I know the answer. He is not.

Because from where many frustrated fans are sitting, the answer is becoming more obvious with every loss. We are sick of this.

DO THE YANKEES HAVE A CHANCE TO SNAG TARIK SKUBAL?

Everyone is watching, waiting and wondering what the Detroit Tigers are going to do this summer, especially me. The Tigers are at the bottom of the AL Central which means the Tigers might be ready to move Tarik Skubal soon.

This season feels like it is moving faster than normal. Summer is here which means in a couple of months the trade deadline will be here. Teams will be looking to bolster their rosters for a postseason run and the Tigers and Skubal could be parting ways soon and another team could get a VERY good, shiny new rotation piece. 

"It's trending that way. Talking with people around the game, that is their feeling," Rosenthal said when asking if a Skubal trade on Saturday’s MLB on FOX pregame show was realistic. "The outlook right now is rather bleak, and honestly, it's difficult to imagine them making up a 14-game under .500 deficit, getting back to .500, and then contending even in a weak American League. So the question becomes, 'Will Skubal be healthy enough?' It's what we don't know." Read more HERE.

That is a wild card, but if he is what an amazing instant upgrade. Before Skubal hit the Injured List he had a 2.70 ERA on a terrible Tigers team that doesn't score a lot of runs. It would be fun to watch what he could do on a team with a more potent offense. It would be even nicer to have Skubal plug into a rotation with Max Fried and Gerrit Cole. But is THAT realistic?

Probably not for more than one reason. I'm sure Brian Cashman will be listening like he always does but if Fried's elbow injury is just a contusion and he comes back healthy the Yankees have other strong pieces like Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon and progressing Will Warren. The Yankees have some strong pieces in the rotation, there wouldn't be a great need to trade top prospects to get a short rental for Skubal. So there's reason number one.

When you look at the Yankees trade chips, they have some pieces but not ones they are willing to part with to get the Tigers to send us Skubal. If we could dangle Spencer Jones and they would bite that would be one thing but Detroit is going to want a lot more than Jones and that likely starts with George Lombard Jr. or Carlos Lagrange.

 The Yankees don't want to part with Lombard Jr at all, let alone for a short term rental. There are other teams out there with a deeper pool of top prospects that will not only have more to offer the Tigers, but will also be willing to deal them and the first team that comes to mind should be no surprise....the damn Dodgers. They have more top ranked prospects than any team and are highly motivated to do what it takes to complete a dynasty run for another championship. It could happen, but I am not sleeping on the Cubs or the Padres either.

So, there it is. I sit here and drool thinking about Skubal but realistically have to tell myself he's an unrealistic move for the Yankees. A girl can dream, I guess.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

I BELIEVE IN WARREN, BUT I'M NOT THERE YET WITH WEATHERS

Will Warren is starting to make me rethink things—and I don’t say that lightly.

I’ve watched enough of him now to admit it: the kid is growing up in front of us. Not in a flashy, highlight-reel way every night, but in that quieter, more annoying-to-opposing-teams way where suddenly the box score looks clean and you’re not entirely sure when it stopped being a “question mark” start and turned into “oh, he’s actually getting us through this.” I’m not all-in on the hype train, but I’ll give credit where it’s due—he’s finding real footing.

After a 2025 rookie season where he basically became a baseball workhorse—33 starts, steady production, and the kind of availability managers dream about—he’s carried that into 2026 and turned the dial up. Through his first five starts, the results have taken a noticeable step forward, with a 2.49 ERA that doesn’t feel like a small sample fluke so much as a continuation of real development.

What’s changed isn’t just luck or vibes either. There’s been actual refinement here. A slight tweak in his positioning on the rubber, some mechanical cleanup, and suddenly his stuff is playing up. The metrics back it too—better command, more strikes in the zone, and most importantly for a Yankees fan’s blood pressure, fewer free passes. He’s attacking hitters instead of auditioning for a full-count drama series every inning.

And durability? That part matters more than people admit. Thirty-three starts last year wasn’t just a stat—it was survival. Now he’s carrying that same “give me the ball every fifth day” energy into this season and actually pitching deep enough into games to let the bullpen breathe. That alone earns you a few extra innings of goodwill in New York.

So yeah… prove me wrong, Will. I kind of like where this is going.

Now, Ryan Weathers is a different conversation entirely—and I’m not ready to be sold just because the box score smiled at him once.

I’m calling the last good outing what it felt like: a break in the weather, not a forecast change. There’s history here that makes Yankees fans side-eye these things anyway—his name alone carries a faint echo from a different era, and no, that doesn’t automatically translate into present-day trust.

And look, I get it, he’s had moments this season. But there’s still a lot of “hold on a second” baked into his profile. He’s had starts where things get loud in a hurry—like the April 14 outing where the Angels turned the baseball into souvenir material. It was one of those weird stat lines where you almost have to double-check the franchise record book just to confirm it actually happened: double-digit strikeouts mixed with multiple home runs allowed in the same game. That’s not balance—that’s chaos with a uniform on.

The underlying concerns are still there too. Too much hard contact. A barrel rate that makes you wince a little. A ground-ball profile that doesn’t quite rescue him when the ball is lifted in a park like Yankee Stadium. And when hitters aren’t missing, the pitch count climbs fast enough that you can practically see the bullpen phone ringing before the fifth inning ends.

Even some of the deeper evaluations have pointed out the same thing: the secondary pitches flash potential but don’t always behave, and when the curve or changeup isn’t landing, things tend to unravel quickly. The result is usually the same storyline—five-ish innings, a few too many stressful frames, and a manager quietly hoping the bullpen remembered to stretch.

So where does that leave it? Honestly, somewhere in the middle of “interesting addition” and “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

The Yankees, as a whole, are rolling right now. The rotation has held together better than expected, and there’s real reason for optimism. But not every piece is equally convincing just yet. Warren feels like he’s trending upward and earning trust start by start. Weathers still feels like a guy you keep watching with your arms crossed, waiting for the sample size to stop arguing with itself.

For now, it’s working. The results are there as a team. But some stories are still being written in pencil—and Weathers is very much one of them. Sorry, it wouldn't be Bleeding Yankee Blue without a harsh, real opinion. Deal with it.

YANKEES WIN. BOONE SPINS.

The Yankees beat the Royals again. Put it in the ledger, take the win, move on—but let’s not pretend they just climbed Everest. It’s Kansas City. You’re supposed to win these games. And lately, the Yankees have been treating “supposed to” like an optional setting.

Remember how this season started? Red hot, everything clicking—then the usual unraveling act. Questionable bullpen moves, inconsistent pitching, and a general sense that the team is being steered by vibes instead of strategy. Now they might be stabilizing, let's see where this takes us.

But homer happy always seems to be the setting the Yankees fall back on. And they did what they always default to yesterday—hitting homers. Four of them. Boom, game tilted, stress reduced. And sure, that’s fun. Nobody’s booing a three-run shot. But it’s also the same glaring issue: this team treats run manufacturing like it’s some ancient, forbidden art. Move a runner? String together hits? Productive outs? Nah—just wait for someone to go yard. When it works, it looks dominant. When it doesn’t, it looks like a lineup stuck in buffering.

Will Warren deserves real credit, though—11 strikeouts and an outing that didn’t feel like a survival exercise. That alone is noteworthy given how many of their early games turned into coin flips. Fourteen of the first 20 decided by two runs or fewer tells you everything: this team doesn’t separate cleanly. So yeah, a five-run cushion and a cruise-control finish? That’s basically a luxury suite.

And then—inevitably—you get Aaron Boone at the podium, serving up his trademark blend of empty calories and verbal fog. After the game, he says: “A lot of good swings up and down the lineup, against a tough lefty."

A tough lefty? Really?

This is where it crosses from optimism into outright insulting everyone’s intelligence. Noah Cameron is not some shutdown force. He’s not a guy you circle on the schedule in fear. He’s a developing pitcher with middling stuff, a fastball that’s been tagged as a weakness, and numbers that scream regression. Calling him a “tough lefty” is Boone trying to dress up a routine performance like it’s a signature win. It’s spin. Transparent, lazy spin.

It’s the same routine every time—inflate the opponent, flatten the context, and hope nobody notices. Like the Yankees just cracked some elite code to “get the bats going.” No. They faced a pitcher who’s still figuring it out and did what a competent lineup should do.

This wasn’t some heroic breakthrough. They didn’t slay Goliath. They handled a beatable arm on a beatable team.

And that’s fine—just say that. Stop acting like fans can’t tell the difference.

End of the day, yes: a win is a win. Take it. But if this team wants to actually be something, it’s going to take more than homer binges and postgame word salad pretending routine games are defining moments.

That's my take.

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.

YANKS GET CREATIVE WITH LUIS GIL

I feel like this shouldn't be shocking news....but apparently it is for some. The Yankees are moving Luis Gil to Triple-A to start the season. Some fans on social media are shocked. Or maybe that isn't the correct word to use here. Either way, the Yankees are getting crafty.

The Yankees are in Phoenix today preparing for an exhibition against the Cubs tomorrow. When the Yankees left Tampa yesterday, Ryan Weathers was on the plane for Phoenix and Gil was left behind, read more HERE. There is an interesting strategy to this.

In the first two weeks of the season, the Yankees will have FOUR days off. Yup, you read that correctly. The Yankees do not need a fifth starter until the second week in April. In theory, this could very easily be the Yankees starting rotation during this timeframe:

3/25: Max Fried
3/26: OFF DAY
3/27: Cam Schlittler
3/28: Will Warren
3/29: OFF DAY
3/30: Ryan Weathers
3/31: Fried
4/1: Schlittler
4/2: OFF DAY
4/3: Warren
4/4: Weathers
4/5: Fried
4/6: OFF DAY
4/7: Schlittler
4/8: Warren
4/9: Weathers
4/10: Fried
4/11: Luis Gil?

So the Yankees do not need to carry a fifth starter until the 11th. No one will need to pitch on short rest, this gives Gil the ability to go down and pitch regularly and continue to work on his mechanics. He's made some recent adjustments that look like they are starting to pay off but, that has been his weakness all spring and the Yankees want to see more improvement so they feel comfortable his 6.28 ERA in four spring starts will not follow into the regular season. He has minor league options - the Yankees are simply giving him more time to get consistent before pitching in meaningful games.

I don't hate it. I guess you could make the same case that Ryan Weathers would also benefit from the same option. So why not send Weathers down? He has an 11.68 ERA, so almost twice as bad as Gil. He hasn't exactly earned a starting spot but the Yankees feel like Weathers has just had some "bad luck" in his starts whereas Gil's ill fortune was due to poor mechanics. It's an interesting argument, no matter how you look at it.

So even though Weathers has had some ugly results, the Yankees are going to stick with their gut and their "bad luck" excuses we have heard in the past. This is all just a strategy. Now we just have to wait and see if it works out. 

Gil will be back, the Yankees have enough arms and days off to get them through the first two weeks easily and it is going to work because Weathers and his bad luck won't appear when the season starts. That's what I am going with. I'm putting that into the universe to come true.

Get to work, Gil and work out the kinks!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

THIS YANKEES STARTING ROTATION IS HARDLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER

Here’s the thing—and it’s not exactly a hot take—it’s getting harder and harder to read about the Yankees’ rotation without grinding your teeth a little.

The deeper you go, the more it feels like this staff is being held together with duct tape, crossed fingers, and whatever’s left in the trainer’s room. Opening Day isn’t creeping up anymore—it’s basically here—and the rotation still feels like a group project where nobody did their part until the night before.

The latest comes via Bryan Hoch, who laid out a few end-of-spring storylines. One of the more telling ones: Cam Schlittler had a minor setback that slowed his buildup. Translation? He might be sitting around 70 pitches when the season starts. The workaround is a piggyback situation—which is a polite baseball way of saying, “we’ll figure it out as we go.” The Yankees can get away with it early since they don’t need a fifth starter immediately, but that’s more scheduling luck than actual planning.

And sure, you might also see names like Carlos Lagrange and Kervin Castro floating into the picture. Which is fine… if you’re talking about mid-July depth. Not ideal when it’s March and you’re already flipping through the emergency contacts list.

But the bigger issue is what’s happening—or not happening—with Carlos Rodón.

According to Chris Kirschner, manager Aaron Boone isn’t even sure Rodón will pitch in a spring training game before the regular season. Let that sink in. We’re talking about a frontline starter.

Rodón will throw another live BP, and Boone says he expects him back “at some point in April.” At some point? We knew he was coming back from injury, but give me some specifics please!

And that’s really the tone here. There’s a noticeable lack of urgency. Boone doesn’t come across like a manager trying to piece together a contender—he looks like someone hoping the problem sorts itself out if he just doesn’t poke it too hard.

So, what does this rotation actually look like right now?

Max Fried is the guy. He was brought in to stabilize things, and to his credit, he’s healthy and ready. No complaints there. He’s your Opening Day starter, and frankly, he has to be more than that—he has to be the adult in the room.

Luis Gil was supposed to be a key piece, but his spring has been rough. The velocity is there, but the results aren’t. Giving up seven runs in three innings isn’t a “shake the rust off” outing—it’s a red flag. At this point, you’re hearing whispers about the minors or the bullpen, which is not what you want for someone penciled into your top three.

Will Warren is stepping in and now he’s expected to carry meaningful innings right away. That’s a lot to ask from a young arm, especially when “depth piece” suddenly becomes “please save us.”

Schlittler, as mentioned, is on a pitch count. Ryan Weathers is slotted into the back end to provide “stability,” which is usually code for “just give us four innings and don’t set anything on fire.”

And then there’s the injured list, which reads like a who’s-who of who you actually wanted to rely on.

Gerrit Cole is working back from Tommy John and might return in May or June. Rodón is aiming for late April, maybe. Clarke Schmidt is even further out and might not even come back as a starter.

So yes—needless to say—this is not a championship rotation. Not at all.

Could it become one? Maybe, if everything breaks perfectly. But “everything going right” is not a strategy—it’s a wish.

And right now, this whole situation feels less like a plan and more like a hope that April doesn’t ask too many tough questions.

WILL WARREN IS PROVING ME WRONG & I LOVE IT!

The New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, and the big headline for me was Will Warren — who, to my surprise and mild delight, actually looked terrific. Yes, that Will Warren. And yes, I’m fully prepared to admit it when a guy makes me look a little silly.

Warren pulled off something no other Yankees pitcher has managed this spring: he made it through the sixth inning. In March baseball, where starters are usually yanked faster than a bad Wi-Fi connection, that’s a pretty big deal.

As Empire Sports Media noted:

“Throwing 64 pitches effectively is fantastic for his tune-up process, proving he is nearly ready for a full starter’s workload. If his progression stays on this trajectory, he should be knocking on the door of 80 pitches by the time he takes the mound for his next Grapefruit League appearance.”

And honestly? I’m here for it.

Now, let’s be clear about something: I haven’t exactly been president of the Will Warren fan club. Not even close. But I am a fan of players who shove doubt back down the throats of people like me. So go ahead, Will — prove me wrong. I’ll happily eat that serving of crow if it means the Yankees get a legitimate arm.

The next hurdle is consistency. Last year Warren had an unfortunate habit of mixing a great outing with one that looked like it was sponsored by gasoline and matches. Those occasional meltdowns have to disappear. That's where he lost me.

There are encouraging signs, though. His four-seam fastball has ticked up about one mile per hour this spring and is showing roughly two extra inches of induced vertical break. In other words, it’s got a little more life — the kind that can make hitters swing under it instead of sending it to the parking lot.

The real trouble spot in 2025 was his sweeper. Opponents hit a very unfriendly .336 against it. That’s less “wipeout pitch” and more “please hit this somewhere hard.” If Warren can turn that offering into something merely average, scouts believe he has the tools to evolve into more than just rotation filler.

Right now, the projection is that Warren could settle in as a reliable back-end starter for the Yankees in 2026. But if the pitch mix sharpens and the bad outings disappear, that ceiling might creep closer to the middle of the rotation.

For a guy I wasn’t exactly sold on? That’s a development worth watching.

Stay tuned.

 

WHY CARLOS RODON IS IMPORTANT

For a while there, Carlos Rodón looked like a guy trying to assemble a complicated piece of IKEA furniture without the instructions. Lots of parts, plenty of effort… but something clearly wasn’t clicking.

When the New York Yankees signed Rodón before the 2023 season, the expectation was simple: this was supposed to be the guy who shoved. The fiery lefty who dominated with the Chicago White Sox and later the San Francisco Giants was supposed to slide into the Bronx and become a frontline monster.

Instead, his first season in pinstripes felt like watching a sports car stuck in traffic.  Rodón’s early Yankees tenure was defined by injuries, inconsistency, and plenty of frustration. The velocity wasn’t always there, the command wandered, and the results often looked nothing like the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting.

Fans who expected dominance got turbulence instead. And in New York, turbulence doesn’t stay quiet for long.

But to Rodón’s credit, he didn’t completely fold. By last season, he began to show signs that he was finally figuring things out. The fastball had more life, the slider started biting again, and the confidence that once made him one of the more intimidating lefties in baseball slowly returned.

It wasn’t a full resurrection, but it was progress. Just when things started to stabilize, however, Rodón ran into another speed bump. During the offseason, Rodón underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow — never exactly the phrase a fanbase wants to hear when discussing a starting pitcher.

The procedure forced him to hit pause again.

Fortunately for the Yankees, the recovery appears to be moving in the right direction.

After another bullpen session on Saturday, Rodón received some encouraging news: he’s expected to face live hitters next week for the first time since the surgery.

That’s a meaningful step forward. Rodón has said the elbow feels good and his range of motion has improved considerably, but there’s still some rust to shake off. He admitted he's still “trying to figure out how everything moves again and just find the pitch shapes.” Translation: the arm works — now he just needs to make the baseball behave again. Here’s the reality for the Yankees.

If Rodón is right, he can still be really good. Not “serviceable.” Not “fifth starter who eats innings.”

Good. We’ve seen the version of Rodón who overpowers hitters and racks up strikeouts in bunches. That guy is still in there somewhere, and if he shows up in the Bronx this season, the Yankees rotation suddenly looks a lot more respectable.

But if he doesn’t?

That’s where things start getting uncomfortable. Right now, the Yankees rotation has one thing going for it: Max Fried at the top. Cole? Not back yet.

Behind him? It gets shaky in a hurry.

There’s a lot of talk about depth, internal options, and young arms waiting for their shot. But depth on paper and depth on the mound are two very different things.

For example, the Yankees are not simply handing a rotation spot to Carlos Lagrange. Prospect hype is great for spring conversations and spring training headlines, but it doesn’t guarantee big-league readiness, especially if you're on the Yankees. Most likely they will keep you in the minors and waste you. Then there’s the growing drumbeat around Will Warren, who the organization keeps promoting as the next promising arm ready to help stabilize the staff.

Maybe he will be.

But right now? That remains more projection than proof. Which brings us right back to Rodón.  For all the hype about prospects and depth charts, the Yankees’ rotation might ultimately hinge on whether Rodón can stay healthy and pitch like the guy they thought they were signing.

Because if he does, the Yankees have a legitimate weapon.

If he doesn’t… well, suddenly that rotation starts looking a lot thinner than anyone in the front office would like to admit.

And in a division where every win matters, thin rotations have a nasty habit of turning October dreams into September autopsies. 

THE YANKEES "BOLSTER" THEIR ROTATION... MAKING IT MEDIOCRE

Desperate Cashman has done it again.

The New York Yankees actually did something — and somehow, it managed to feel even smaller than nothing. 

They “bolstered” their rotation by acquiring left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins in exchange for a four-prospect grab bag: outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis, infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus. A move happened. Technically.

Weathers now slides into a rotation that currently reads like a spring training split squad: Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Luis Gil, plus Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn lurking around like spare parts. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón aren’t ready for Opening Day, which means this rotation inspires exactly zero fear — unless you’re a Yankees fan afraid of how many bullpen games are coming.

This is the part where the front office wants credit for “addressing pitching.” No. This is rearranging deck chairs and calling it nautical engineering. If the Yankees were serious, they’d sever Brian Cashman’s contract, redirect that money toward an actual impact arm, and stop pretending hope and prayer count as roster construction.

There is nothing about this move that inspires confidence. Nothing about this offseason that suggests a plan. And nothing about the Yankees right now that feels remotely serious. They have somehow become the most embarrassing participant in an offseason where teams are actively trying to win — and succeeding.

And hey, does the name Weathers sound familiar? It should. Dave Weathers pitched for the Yankees in the late ’90s. So apparently, if we’re shopping for sons of former Yankees now, why stop here? If nostalgia is the strategy, how the hell can’t they land Cody Bellinger? Cause Cashman is asleep.

This isn’t roster building. It’s franchise cosplay. 

The Yankees aren’t acting like contenders; they’re acting like an organization killing time until spring and hoping the brand carries the load.

This has been a terrible offseason. And worse — it’s the kind of terrible that suggests the Yankees no longer know how to be anything else.