The New York Yankees have not won the World Series since 2009, closing in on the longest drought in franchise history. Last year was a disastrous ending, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in four games in the ALDS. The Yankees did not do enough in the offseason to win the World Series, with defense and injuries getting in the way.
The Yankees brought back Cody Bellinger on a massive six-year deal this offseason. He was a defensive star for the Bombers and hit 29 homers behind Aaron Judge in the lineup. Had they lost Bellinger, it would have been a five-alarm fire in The Bronx. But pairing Judge and Bellinger in the lineup should be good on offense. The questions come on the other side of the ball, where Aaron Boone's Yankees have never succeeded.
What will stop the Yankees from winning their 28th World Series?
The Yankees are starting with a lot of injuries
Every team has injuries during spring training, but the Yankees have avoided super-significant injuries this spring. But they came into the season with three injuries to monitor that will hamper their early-season performance. Anthony Volpe has not played in spring yet, recovering from a shoulder injury. And, more significantly, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are rehabbing elbow injuries.
These injuries will likely be distant memories by the time the Yankees reach October. Cole already made his spring training debut and shut down the Boston Red Sox in one inning. Rodon has not toed the slab yet, but is slated to return in the first half. While Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are healthy, losing two aces for a significant time is crushing.
The Yankees will get dealt other injuries throughout the season, and if they lose any more pitchers, it could be devastating. Starting behind the 8 Ball is never a good championship recipe, and that could be meeting the Bombers this April.
Poor defense has crushed them in the past
In previous years, the Yankees have prioritized offensive dominance over defensive security. They had players like Oswaldo Cabrera in the outfield, which is not his normal position. They kept rolling out Luke Voit at first base, despite his poor play there, because he was mashing home runs. And most vitally, they had Aaron Judge in centerfield in 2024 instead of a corner, because Juan Soto was in right and Giancarlo Stanton was the DH.
That is not as much of a problem for the Yankees in 2026 as it has been in the past. Last year, Jazz Chisholm Jr started the season at third base, which did not go well. Once he moved to second base, it was a much better season on both sides of the ball. Trent Grisham, an actual centerfielder, plays centerfield.
But there are still reasons to be concerned about the Yankees' defense. Part of that is recent history, as they have played putrid defense throughout much of the Aaron Boone era.
Poor play against division opponents
A mainstay of this Yankees era has been poor play against the AL East. In 2025, they went 5-8 against the Blue Jays and 4-9 against the Red Sox, the other two playoff teams in the division. That came back to bite them in the playoffs, as the Blue Jays had no fear coming into The Bronx and closing out the series.
When the Yankees made the 2024 World Series, they only played against AL Central teams before meeting the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Astros get the title of Yankee killers in this era, which is fair given their four postseason defeats of the Bombers. But since 2017, the Yankees are 1-4 in playoff series or games against AL East opponents. That one win was in the 2025 Wild Card series against the Red Sox.
Given the comparative weakness of the AL Central, the AL East is likely to have multiple teams in the playoffs again. If the Yankees face the Blue Jays, Red Sox, or Baltimore Orioles in October, there should be minimal hope from the fan base. And with a World Series drought to break, that has to change.
The Yankees open their season on March 25 against the San Francisco Giants. If they show improvement on defense in the early stretch, things could be different this year.
