The New York Yankees go into every season with the same question hanging over the franchise. Can the Yankees win the World Series for the 28th time in team history, a figure that no other MLB team is close to matching.
However, while the Yankees are the stand-alone franchise when it comes to the history of the game, they have not won the World Series since the 2009 season. They open the 2026 season with questions in a number of areas. While winning the World Series is the long-term goal, manager Aaron Boone has other issues in spring training.
As the Yankees prepare to compete in the American League East this season, can they unseat the division and American League champion Blue Jays and reclaim that title? The Red Sox made it back to the postseason last year and extended the Yankees in the Wild Card series. Can the Yankees keep the Red Sox from climbing over them in the standings. The Baltimore Orioles made one of the biggest signings in the offseason. They brought in slugger Pete Alonso from the New York Mets. Will the Orioles bounce back after a brutal 2025 season?
Those are some of the major questions facing the franchise from the outside. There are also specific questions that the Yankees will have to answer from the inside.
The biggest question the team faces this season appears to be the overall effectiveness of the bullpen. This was a major weakness for the Yankees last season. It was one of the primary reasons that they were bypassed in the division by the Blue Jays.
The start of the season is approaching at warp speed. In this piece, we concentrate on the pitching issues faced by the Yankees.
Bullpen must improve as Yankees attempt to reclaim AL East
The Yankees bullpen went through several shaky periods a year ago, as Devin Williams was supposed to be the stopper after a brilliant run with the Brewers. However, he struggled with the Yankees and it seemed the bright lights of pitching in New York was too much for him.
Williams high-tailed it out of Yankee Stadium in the offseason — and signed with the Mets. He obviously is not afraid of the New York environment. If he was, he would have signed with Kansas City or another low-key location.
The Yankees also lost Luke Weaver to the Mets in the offseason. He was better than Williams last season, but he was far from pristine. He was 4-4 with a 3.62 earned-run average with 72 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.
The Yankees are counting on David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill in the bullpen. Bednar and Doval were both acquired in midseason trades with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
Bednar was a solid addition with a 4-0 record, a 2.19 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Doval struggled after joining the team, but he improved after a slow start. He pitched in 22 games for the Yankees and he had a 4.82 ERA while striking out 22 batters in 18.2 innings.
Bednar and Doval appear to be two of their primary bullpen weapons, but they also need Cruz, Hill, Jake Bird and Paul Blackburn to come through. The Yankees bullpen is dominated by right-handed arms, as only Hill is a lefty. This could turn out to be an issue as the season progresses.
Starting pitching looks like a strength, but …
The starting pitching may be the reason the Yankees return to the top of the division as long as ace Gerrit Cole returns fairly early in the season.
Cole had Tommy John surgery last March and missed the 2025 season, but he is nearing his return to the rotation and his spot as the best starting pitcher on the team. He has made great progress this spring. He has been hitting 95-97 miles per hour with his fastball and he could take his spot on the mound by mid-May.
Cole has seen starting pitchers like Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet rise to prominence in the sport. Prior to his surgery, Cole was arguably one of the top three pitchers in Major League Baseball. He does not want to give up any of that status, so it is clear that he is motivated to return.
As long as there are no setbacks, a starting rotation that includes Cole, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers should give Boone a series of arms he can count on. However, if it takes longer for Cole to come back and take on his role as the staff's No. 1 pitcher or Fried does not meet expectations, this area of strength will be one that tests the manager's patience.
