SAN FRANCISCO — The New York Yankees walked out of Oracle Park with a perfect record, three wins in three tries, and a statement that caught the attention of every front office in baseball. But the question now swirling around the Bronx Bombers is a simple one: Did Brian Cashman pull off the heist of the offseason, or is this just early-season fool’s gold?
The Yankees swept the San Francisco Giants to open the 2026 MLB campaign. They did it with dominant pitching, timely hitting from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and a revamped bullpen that nobody outside the organization believed in.
What makes the start so striking is how they got here. Cashman spent next to nothing on relief pitching this winter. He passed on every high-profile arm on the free agent market. He did not make a single trade for bullpen help. And through three games, his relievers posted 11 scoreless innings.
“We saw this series how good they can be,” Yankees first baseman Ben Rice said.
A bullpen built on faith, not free agency
All offseason, Yankees fans waited for a big reliever signing. It never came. Cashman picked up Tim Hill’s $3 million club option, re-signed lefty Ryan Yarbrough for $2.5 million, and brought back righty Paul Blackburn for $2 million. That was it.
The Yankees passed on the two best closers available, Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez. They skipped all 15 relievers who signed deals worth $10 million or more. They even bypassed all 33 who landed contracts of at least $3 million.
The front office poured its budget into retaining center fielder Trent Grisham, who accepted a qualifying offer worth $22.025 million, and locking down Cody Bellinger on a five-year, $162.5 million deal. With $52.5 million committed to Bellinger in 2026 alone between salary and signing bonus, there was little left for the bullpen.
Instead, Cashman doubled down on the arms already in the building. He bet that Fernando Cruz, Doval, Hill and closer David Bednar could anchor the late innings. He trusted that the 2025 trade deadline acquisitions would be better in Year 2. Three games in, the bet is paying off.
Deadline pickups carry the load
The three relievers the Yankees acquired at last summer’s trade deadline were the backbone of this sweep.
Jake Bird, who had been sent down to Triple-A shortly after arriving from Colorado in 2025, was outstanding in back-to-back outings. In Saturday’s 3-1 win, he pitched out of a first-and-third jam in the sixth inning. His sinker was sharp, his command precise.
“What I’ve seen so far with Jake Bird, it’s been impressive,” Judge said. “He’s really attacking the zone with that sinker and has a feel for all his pitches right now. If we get him rolling for the whole season, it’s going to be electric.”
Camilo Doval, who struggled after his trade from San Francisco last year, looked like a different pitcher. He was dominant in the ninth inning of the opener and struck out the side in a clean eighth during game two. Bednar, a two-time All-Star with Pittsburgh, is now 2-for-2 in save chances after escaping a two-on, nobody-out mess in the ninth on Saturday.
“You hand it off to Doval and Bednar, and it’s going to be a lot of W’s for the Yankees,” Judge said.
Historic start raises the bar
This marks the first time in franchise history that the Yankees have swept their Opening Day series in three straight seasons. In 2024, they swept the Houston Astros. In 2025, they took three from the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, in 2026, the Giants were the latest victims.
The pitching numbers stand out. According to Katie Sharp, the Yankees are one of just seven teams since 1900 to allow one or fewer runs in each of the first three games. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler became the first Yankees starting duo since Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte in 2003 to post consecutive scoreless outings to begin a season.
The bullpen’s performance was a sharp turnaround from 2025, when the Yankees finished with a 4.37 ERA out of the pen. That ranked 23rd in baseball and 11th in the American League, a steep drop from their 3.62 mark during the 2024 World Series run.
The departures of Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Mark Leiter and Jonathan Loaisiga only deepened offseason concerns. Williams left for the Mets without the Yankees making an offer. Weaver, who went from closer hero to liability after refusing to address pitch tipping, also joined the Mets. Leiter went to Oakland. Loaisiga signed with Arizona.
Last year’s collapse still fuels the fire
The Yankees have not forgotten what happened in 2025. They blew a seven-game division lead in the summer, went 5-8 against Toronto, and had to settle for a tie atop the American League East. The Blue Jays held the tiebreaker and sent the Yankees packing in the Division Series.
Judge said closing out series was a priority entering 2026.
“That was one thing the past couple years we struggled at, is finishing out series and sweeping series,” Judge said, per the Daily News’ Gary Phillips. “We talked about it. We gotta close out a series, and that’s what’s going to make the difference between winning the division or ending up tied and losing it.”
Reinforcements on the horizon
The Yankees believe this bullpen can get even better. By June, starters Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are expected back from the injured list. Their returns could push Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers, and possibly Will Warren, into relief roles.
There is also the prospect factor. Carlos Lagrange, the team’s top pitching prospect, flashed 98-to-102 mph fastballs and wipeout sliders in spring training. The 6-foot-8 right-hander could move to a relief role later this season, giving the Yankees another weapon come October.
Manager Aaron Boone said he liked what he saw from the entire pitching staff in San Francisco.
“I feel like strike throwing down there’s been excellent,” Boone said. “As a whole last year, we walked too many guys. That’s been a priority this year. Getting ahead. Easier said than done. You still have to do it effectively, but I feel like the guys have done a good job of that in the spring.”
He added: “We’re only (one series) into this, but so far they’ve done an outstanding job.”
The Yankees now head to Seattle for three games against the Mariners before returning to the Bronx for their home opener against the Miami Marlins. With the Marlins and Oakland Athletics on deck, this is a stretch the Yankees expect to dominate.
Whether Cashman’s budget bullpen holds up over 162 games remains the biggest question of the Yankees’ 2026 season. But for now, the early returns have turned skeptics into believers and given the Bronx a reason to feel very good about what lies ahead.
What do you think? A real force or its an illusion?
