Yankees face key lineup decisions for 2026

Following a season in which they finished 94-68 and in second place in the AL East, only to lose in the AL Division Series to the same Toronto Blue Jays team that beat them for the division crown, the New York Yankees will head into the offseason with a litany of lineup questions to address.

The Yankees finished the 2025 season as one of the best offensive teams in baseball. The group hit .251/.332/.455 on the year, leading all 30 teams in runs scored (849), home runs (274), RBI (820), walks (639), slugging percentage (.455), and OPS (.787). Still, it figures to be a busy offseason for general manager Brian Cashman.

A decision needs to be made on Ben Rice's future: Either he's a first baseman or a catcher. He can't start at both positions.

There is little question about Rice's bat. The 26-year-old took significant strides during his second season in New York, following an offseason of work on his swing that resulted in an uptick in exit velocity. Rice was able to take full advantage of his first full season in the majors, batting .255/.337/.499 (131 OPS+) in 530 PA with 28 doubles, 26 home runs, and 65 RBI. His 2.2 bWAR ranks fifth among Yankees hitters.

Where Rice lines up defensively is the question. Rice appeared in 138 games this season: 50 at first base, 48 as designated hitter, 36 at catcher, plus 15 pinch-hit appearances.

Some of the defensive shuffling this season was a roster necessity. Giancarlo Stanton didn't return from the injured list until mid-June while dealing with injuries to both elbows, opening up playing time as the DH. Veteran Paul Goldschmidt struggled to maintain consistency at the plate, allowing Rice to take at-bats at first base. J.C. Escarra failed to hit enough as Austin Wells' backup to keep his spot on the active roster, letting Rice get time behind the plate.

Rice's track record in the minor leagues doesn't lend any suggestion to how the Yankees view him. Over four seasons, he played nearly the same number of innings at both catcher (1223.2) and first base (1279.0). His usage since being called up has leaned differently (49 of his 50 games during his rookie season were at first base).

Stanton finished the season healthy and appears set to resume his role as the team's primary DH on most days. Stanton will turn 36 in early November. He is still under contract for the 2026 ($19 million) and 2027 ($15 million) seasons (with a team option for 2028 at $15 million, with a $10 million buyout, that is unlikely to be exercised barring a substantial change over the next two seasons). Between a healthy Stanton and using the DH spot to give Aaron Judge time off in right field, the opportunities for Rice to get at-bats there may be limited.

Goldschmidt fit nicely on the Yankees roster. The team brought the veteran in last offseason, signing him in late December to a one-year, $12.5 million contract. He began the year with a quick start, slashing .356/.403/.475 in 130 PA in March/April and then .315/.382/.522 in 102 PA in May. Things spun downhill from there. Goldschmidt struggled to maintain consistency, lost playing time at first base to Rice, and hit just .226/.277/.333 in 302 PA from June 1 through the end of the season.

Goldschmidt, who turned 38 in September, finished the year with a .274/.328/.403 (104 OPS+) line in 534 PA with 31 doubles, 10 home runs, and 45 RBI. He told reporters following the Yankees' postseason loss that he still hopes to continue playing next season. It's just looking increasingly unlikely that it won't happen in New York if he still wants to start with regularity.

Escarra mustered just a .202/.296/.333 (77 OPS+) line in 98 PA spread over several callups, hitting five doubles and a pair of home runs. The 30-year-old has options remaining, so he could remain at Triple-A as catching depth, but there's little to suggest the team will commit to him as a regular backup.

Wells, meanwhile, wasn't much better at the plate. The 26-year-old hit .219/.275/.436 (95 OPS+) in 448 PA. Wells hit career highs in doubles (22) and home runs (21) but saw his on-base percentage drop nearly 50 points from the year prior and his strikeout rate rise from 21.0 to 26.3%. The latter are not good signs for a team's starting catcher heading into his prime.

Wells will still earn the league minimum in 2026, his final year before reaching arbitration, so contract status is unlikely to play a role in the Yankees' decisions. The team's pitchers like how he handles the staff, and he's popular within the clubhouse, so there are no indications why the team might consider looking for another primary option behind the plate. Wells figures to be in the mix, either taking most of the starts or sharing time with Rice.

Looking around the rest of the infield, the only certainty is likely at third base. Ryan McMahon's contract status -- he's due $16 million in 2026 and 2027 -- and his superior defensive work mean he'll be in line for the starting job at the hot corner, barring a surprise trade this offseason (unlikely unless New York is willing to pay down his contract). The 30-year-old hit .208/.308/.333 (81 OPS+) in 185 PA after coming to New York at the trading deadline (for minor league left-hander Griffin Herring and right-hander Josh Grosz).

Jazz Chisholm Jr. should be fairly safe at second base, as well. Chisholm has been excellent offensively since being acquired by the Yankees ahead of the 2024 trade deadline (New York sent catcher/first baseman Agustin Ramirez and infielders Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez to the Miami Marlins). The 27-year-old has hit .251/.330/.486 (126 OPS+) in 722 PA in that stretch (176 games) with 22 doubles, 42 HR, 103 RBI, and 49 stolen bases.

Some baseball and Yankees fans question whether Chisholm's demeanor fits in New York long-term. Other segments of the fan base think the team could explore signing the two-time All-Star to a contract extension. Chisholm is scheduled to reach free agency after the 2026 season. MLBTR's arbitration projections suggest he's looking at a $10.2 million salary next season.

Here is where things get tricky.

Anthony Volpe still appears to be the team's starting shortstop, but it's time for the organization to accept that they have mismanaged his development.

Much of the problem, as I wrote in September, is perception rather than production. Enormously high expectations have been the norm. The franchise all but anointed him the "shortstop of the future" during the 2011 offseason when they consciously punted on pursuing any of the top shortstops available on the free agent market (Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, and Trevor Story) and then refused even to discuss him in trade talks months later.

Volpe has had to carry that standard unfairly -- and the belief from some within the fanbase that he'd be the "next Derek Jeter" -- since Day One.

That's a lot of pressure to place on the shoulders of an athlete barely out of his teenage years, let alone one playing in one of the biggest media markets in the country, and for an organization with the history the Yankees have. Volpe is not Derek Jeter, his boyhood idol, no matter how much he may want to be.

Volpe's 2025 season, his third with the Yankees, was a nightmare. The 24-year-old struggled both at the plate and in the field. Offensively, he batted .212/.273/.391 (83 OPS+) in 596 PA with 19 HR, 72 RBI, a career-high 32 doubles, and a career-low 18 stolen bases. Defensively, his 19 errors led the American League.

Despite a strong showing in the Wild Card series against Boston (4-for-11 with a home run in three games), Volpe was a blackhole at the plate against Toronto in the Division Series, going 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts.

Some of Volpe's struggles can be attributed to a shoulder injury he suffered in May -- in the 8th inning of a game against the Rays, Volpe dove for a groundball and "felt a pop" in his shoulder. Volpe would remain in the game after going through a series of quick exercises with the team trainer, but would be sent for X-rays and an MRI following the game. Volpe would have a partial tear in his labrum from the play, though that news would not become public until mid-September.

Volpe's discomfort persisted throughout the season and, at least once, he received a cortisone shot to help with relief. He underwent surgery to repair the tear just days after the Yankees were eliminated in the postseason. Volpe won't swing a bat for four months and won't be permitted to dive for anything for at least six months, meaning he's likely to start the 2026 season on the injured list (and likely won't be available until May or early June, following some rehab at-bats).

Volpe's struggles during the summer and a lack of production from the infielders given a shot at playing time off the bench during the season's first half left the team looking for depth midseason. New York went out and added a pair of infielders at the July trade deadline, acquiring Amed Rosario from Washington (for right-hander Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez) and José Caballero from Tampa Bay (for outfielders Everson Pereira and Marshall Toole).

Rosario was largely a non-factor down the stretch. He'd get into 16 games with the Yankees after the trade, hitting .303/.303/.485 with a home run in 33 PA. Caballero, however, saw his playing time increase as the season came to a close. Appearing at second, third, shortstop, and each of the corner outfield positions, he got into 40 games with New York, hitting .266/.372/.456 in 95 PA. His 49 stolen bases (34 with Tampa Bay, 15 with New York) led the American League.

Rosario will almost certainly depart in free agency, while Caballero will head to arbitration with a projected salary for 2026 of $1.9 million. The Yankees seem to prefer utilizing Caballero in a utility role as opposed to starting every day.

Assuming that Volpe and Caballero get most of the playing time at shortstop, with the other serving as the team's primary backup infielder, there remain questions about the rest of the bench and depth.

Oswaldo Cabrera figures to be first in line for a role -- given his tenure with the club, popularity within the clubhouse and fan base, and the fact that he'll be out of minor league options next season. The uncertainty is how he'll return from fracturing his ankle in mid-May. The 26-year-old hit .243/.322/.308 (79 OPS+) in 122 PA with just five extra-base hits (4 2B, 1 HR) before the injury.

Cabrera's defensive versatility -- he's played at least 15 games at every position besides pitcher, catcher, and center field in his career -- brings value, as does the fact that he hits from both sides of the plate. He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, with a projected salary of $1.2 million. Unless New York includes him in a trade to address another hole on the roster, Cabrera will likely get every opportunity to return.

Even with Cabrera in the fold, the organization will still need to bring in depth of some kind. The Yankees have just two other infielders on the 40-man roster, Jorbit Vivas and Braden Shewmake. Neither has shown much offensive potential to date, and neither is even guaranteed to still be on the roster through the offseason. Vivas hit .161/.266/.250 (46 OPS+) in 66 PA this past season, after making his debut in May. The 24-year-old slashed .270/.389/.364 in 459 PA at Triple-A. Shewmake, who will turn 28 in November, batted .244/.318/.362 in 315 PA at Triple-A this year. He's hit just .118/.127/.191 (-11 OPS+) in 71 PA in the majors with the Braves and White Sox between the 2023-24 seasons.

The outfield corners are fairly well set. Aaron Judge will remain firmly planted in right field, especially after a full offseason to recover from the flexor strain he suffered in his elbow in July. Judge's stint on the injured list was minimal, but the team limited him to DH duties for a few weeks after his return. Even with Judge back in right field throughout most of September and the postseason, it was obvious his arm wasn't fully healthy, and teams took more chances to run on him.

While Judge was limited defensively, his production at the plate didn't suffer. He had yet another MLB-caliber season, winning his first batting title while hitting .331/.457/.688 (215 OPS+) over 679 PA with 30 doubles, 53 homers, and 114 RBI. His 9.7 bWAR led all hitters, regardless of league, this past season.

Judge, who will turn 34 in April, has six years remaining under contract (at $40 million per season).

The other side of the outfield grass, however, is likely Jasson Dominguez's job to lose. Or, at the least, it should be. Dominguez's youth, he'll turn 23 just before the start of spring training, and league-minimum salary, may actually work against him here, though.

Dominguez originally joined the Yankees in July 2019 at 16 years old, agreeing to a record $5.1 million signing bonus as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. The hype surrounding the signing created instantly high expectations, which Dominguez has had to carry with him, much like Volpe.

Scouts differed on where Dominguez would line up defensively long term, with some feeling he could stick in center field, while others suspected he would eventually outgrow the position and would need to slide over to an outfield corner. The Yankees have used him mostly in left field since his debut late in the 2023 season, before Tommy John surgery ultimately wiped out most of 2024. Dominguez played 100 games in the field this season, all coming in left.

Offensively, Dominguez still has growing to do. That development won't happen sitting on the bench as the team's fourth outfielder (his playing time dropped in the season's second half). The switch-hitter batted .257/.331/.388 (101 OPS+) in 429 PA this season with 16 doubles, 10 homers, 47 RBI, and 23 steals.

Center field was manned almost exclusively by Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger this season (Paul Goldschmidt appeared at the position for 0.1 IP in the 10th inning of a June 13 loss at Boston, swapping with Bellinger for one at-bat). Grisham and Bellinger could both depart in free agency this offseason, though there seems to be some interest on both sides in potentially working out a new deal.

Grisham is, arguably, the more challenging decision to make. Grisham had a career-best season, hitting .235/.348/.464 in 581 PA while setting new high marks in hits (116), runs (87), home runs (34), RBI (74), walks (82), OPS (.811), OPS+ (125), and bWAR (3.5).

Entering the season, nobody expected Grisham to play such an everyday role in the Yankees' lineup. His power surge -- he'd never hit more than 17 homers in a season before -- was a key factor in the increased playing time, as some of the more advanced defensive metrics suggest the now-29-year-old has lost a step in center field and could require a move to a corner at some point.

New York paid Grisham just $5.25 million this past season, and there is strong sentiment that the team should extend him a qualifying offer -- if he accepts, he'll return to the team on a one-year, $22.025 million contract or, if he rejects and signs elsewhere, the Yankees will get a compensation pick in next June's Draft. It's a risk few organizations would consider, and doing so might be a mistake. There's no certainty Grisham can repeat, or even improve on, his 2025 production. The Yankees might be better off letting him go elsewhere rather than giving him a 400% raise.

The Yankees won't run into the qualifying offer consideration with Bellinger, who is ineligible to receive one (players may only be issued one qualifying offer in their career, per the latest collective bargaining agreement). It's likely he wouldn't have accepted it anyway, considering he already opted out of the one-year, $25 million remaining on his contract so that he can enter free agency. Bellinger is going to have options this winter.

The 30-year-old appeared at all three outfield positions, as well as first base, while hitting .272/.334/.480 (125 OPS+) in 656 PA with 25 doubles, 29 home runs, 98 RBI, and a career-low 13.7% strikeout rate in his first (and possibly lone) season in New York. His .353/.415/.601 split against left-handed pitchers was the best in the majors for a lefty-hitter. The Yankees will try to bring him back -- he's believed to want to play for a contender, not to mention he "loved" his time in New York -- but he could easily opt to take a big payday (5-6 years at $100 million or more doesn't sound out of the question) closer to his west coast home.

No matter what happens with Grisham and Bellinger, there is likely little chance the team heads into spring training expecting their top offensive prospect, Spencer Jones, to step in and be a realistic option in center field. Jones is simply not ready.

The surface stats this past season might suggest that the 24-year-old should come into spring camp as a real favorite for a job. Jones appeared in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A (87 in center field, with time in each of the outfield corners, too), hitting .274/.362/.571 in 506 PA with 23 doubles, 35 HR, 90 RBI, and 29 stolen bases.

Jones is striking out a ton, however, which may only get worse against better pitching. Jones K'd 179 times this past season (35.4 percent strikeout rate) and struck out 200 times in 2024 (36.8). Until he's able to more consistently make contact -- because the 6'7" left-hander who some want to call a "lefty Aaron Judge" hits well when he does -- the team needs to resist any urge to rush him onto the Major League roster.

The Yankees will try to bring either Grisham or Bellinger (or both) back next season. If neither returns, the team will certainly need to look at pursuing another outfield bat to add to the mix. There may be some flexibility, defensively, if their open to moving Dominguez back to center field.