The New York Yankees enter the 2025 season with a significantly transformed roster following their first World Series appearance in 15 years, but a wave of spring training injuries has already complicated their pursuit of championship redemption.
Despite the roster makeover, many baseball analysts project the Yankees may struggle to match their 94-win total from 2024. The loss of Juan Soto’s elite offensive production, combined with the current injury concerns, has tempered expectations in some quarters.
According to Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, the Yankees are among seven teams, which are likely to end up with a worse record compared to the last season. He wrote:
“In the offseason, Soto departed in free agency for the crosstown-rival Mets. Spreading some of that money around to the likes of Goldschmidt, Williams, Cody Bellinger and Max Fried could make the Yankees a more well-rounded team in 2025. But would you rather have Soto—who hit 41 home runs and posted 8.1 WAR last year—than that quartet? You bet.”
“Also, the Yankees still have a serious question mark at third base; you don’t really have a good feel for how good Jazz Chisholm Jr. is; and they could be in trouble if Jasson Dominguez doesn’t work in left field. Stanton (elbows) and DJ LeMahieu (left calf) are at advanced age and already injured. Torres departed for the Tigers in free agency.”
The American League East remains formidable, with Toronto and Tampa Bay making their own improvements. Additionally, the defending champion Rangers present an ongoing challenge in the broader American League picture.
As the Yankees prepare to open the regular season on March 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers, the organization faces a delicate balancing act — integrating new pieces while managing the health of key contributors in pursuit of their 28th World Series championship.
Injury wave disrupts Yankees spring preparations
The Yankees’ carefully constructed plans have already encountered significant obstacles as key players have fallen to early injuries.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who managed to appear in 148 games last season while hitting 33 home runs, is sidelined with what the team describes as “lower body soreness.” Meanwhile, veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu is nursing an oblique strain that has limited his spring training activity.
Most concerning, however, is the loss of right-hander Luis Gil, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year. Gil has been diagnosed with a high-grade latissimus dorsi strain that will prevent him from throwing for at least six weeks, with a projected return no earlier than mid-June.
“It’s definitely not the best feeling when they tell you something like that,” Gil said regarding his diagnosis. “You’re not waiting for news like that. Yeah, tough moment right there to digest.”
The 26-year-old Gil emerged as a cornerstone of the Yankees‘ rotation in 2024, posting a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA over 29 starts after successfully returning from Tommy John surgery that limited him to just 25⅔ innings in 2022.
‘The Martian’ unable to find his foot yet
With Alex Verdugo’s departure, top prospect Jasson Dominguez is positioned to claim the starting left field job. Dominguez, long hailed as the New York Yankees’ “crown jewel,” is under intense scrutiny following a series of miscues in left field that have sparked widespread concern and provided rival clubs plenty of fodder for lighthearted jabs. The 22-year-old prospect, whose prodigious talent has garnered comparisons to baseball legends since his teenage years, now finds his defensive lapses fueling debates about his major-league readiness and potential impact on the Yankees’ season.
Drafted with lofty expectations and a substantial signing bonus in 2019, Dominguez rocketed through the minor leagues. By 2024, the switch-hitting phenom had already posted impressive offensive statistics—highlighted by a .290 batting average, 27 home runs, and 89 RBIs across Double-A and Triple-A. That power showcased the raw talent the Yankees had bet on. However, during spring training and the opening weeks of the 2025 campaign, Dominguez’s defensive missteps have overshadowed his promising bat, prompting fans and analysts alike to question whether he can handle the pressures that come with patrolling Yankee Stadium’s left field.
Can Yankees’ strategy help team overcome it?
After watching Juan Soto depart for a historic $765 million deal with crosstown rivals the Mets, the Yankees pivoted to a strategy emphasizing balance rather than star power — yet early setbacks have raised questions about whether they’ve taken a step backward.
When Soto signed his record-breaking 15-year contract with the Mets, General Manager Brian Cashman responded by distributing resources across multiple positions.
Cody Bellinger was acquired to stabilize center field, allowing team captain Aaron Judge to return to his natural right field position. The move aims to strengthen outfield defense while maintaining offensive production in the wake of Soto’s departure.
At first base, the Yankees secured veteran Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year, $12.5 million contract to replace Anthony Rizzo. Despite being in the twilight of his career, the 38-year-old Goldschmidt provides a potential offensive upgrade at the position.
The most substantial investment came on the pitching side, where left-hander Max Fried received an eight-year, $218 million deal — the largest ever for a southpaw pitcher. Fried, coming off a 16-8 season with a 3.24 ERA for Atlanta in 2024, represents the organization’s commitment to elite starting pitching.
To shore up late-inning relief, the Yankees traded left-hander Nestor Cortés Jr. and infield prospect Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee for closer Devin Williams, adding an established ninth-inning option to the bullpen.
But can this help the Yankees prove the regression prediction wrong?
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
