Legend backs Yankees’ World Series hopes, but can they pull it off?

SAN FRANCISCO —The New York Yankees opened the 2026 MLB season Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, and the franchise that has not hoisted a World Series trophy since 2009 arrived in the Bay Area carrying something more than luggage. They brought expectations, a nearly identical roster to last year’s 94-win squad and a Hall of Fame endorsement that the drought could finally end.

CC Sabathia, the former Yankees ace who helped deliver the club’s 27th championship 17 years ago, appeared on the “Up & Adams Show” on Wednesday and made it clear he believes pitching will carry the Yankees back to October glory. The Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, who is set to have his No. 52 retired at Yankee Stadium in September, did not mince words about what makes this Yankees team dangerous.

Yankees pitching depth gives Sabathia confidence

The Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series last October after being outscored 34-19 across a 3-1 series defeat. Critics labeled the offseason a “run it back” approach, with general manager Brian Cashman retaining nearly every key contributor rather than pursuing a blockbuster overhaul.

Sabathia sees a different picture. He pointed to a rotation fronted by Max Fried, who posted a 2.86 ERA with 189 strikeouts in 195.1 innings last season, and a wave of reinforcements on the horizon.

“It feels like a team that can (win a World Series) with all the pitching that they have,” Sabathia said. “It’s just about that lineup staying healthy. If Max Fried, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler can hold it down until Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole get back. I think a name that nobody’s really talking about, a pitcher that they’ll get back sometime this summer, is Clarke Schmidt. So their pitching is really deep.”

Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March. He returned to the mound in spring training and threw seven of 10 pitches for strikes with his fastball touching 98.7 mph. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has targeted a return around late May or early June for the six-time All-Star.

Rodon, meanwhile, is expected to rejoin the Yankees rotation in April following offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. Schmidt rounds out a group of arms that could transform the Yankees staff by midsummer. The key for the Yankees is having Cole and Rodon ready for October, arguing that a full-strength rotation with Fried and Schlittler or Warren could dominate the postseason.

Health in the Yankees lineup remains the key variable

Sabathia also addressed what he considers the one factor that could derail the Yankees’ championship push: keeping the bats on the field.

“For me, it’s just about that lineup staying healthy,” Sabathia added. “Obviously, we know [Aaron] Judge is going to do what he’s going to do. But if [Giancarlo Stanton] can play 120 games and get in there and do his thing and hit 20 to 30 homers, I think they’ll have a chance to really make some noise in October.”

The Yankees powered the most prolific offense in baseball in 2025, leading the majors with 274 home runs and 849 runs scored. Judge, the three-time AL MVP, hit 53 homers last season and is the heavy betting favorite to claim a fourth MVP in five years. Stanton managed only 77 games due to double tennis elbow but still slugged 24 home runs and hit .339 in August after returning.

First baseman Ben Rice has also emerged as a potential breakout candidate. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is another player capable of dazzling speed-power production in a contract year. Stanton, McCarron noted, figures to be a lock for 35 homers if he reaches 110 games. WFAN’s Tommy Lugauer went even further, predicting Rice will belt 40 home runs, calling him “the Robin to Aaron Judge’s Batman” in the Yankees lineup. Shortstop Anthony Volpe, however, is not expected back until May as he recovers from left shoulder surgery.

AL East gauntlet adds urgency to Yankees’ title bid

The path to October will not be smooth. The AL East projects as one of the most competitive divisions in the sport. The Blue Jays came within two outs of winning the 2025 World Series and still carry a loaded roster behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Red Sox feature a strong rotation topped by Garrett Crochet and emerging star Roman Anthony. Baltimore added Pete Alonso and could surprise if its lineup bounces back.

There is enough talent and depth on the Yankees roster to match last year’s 94 victories, but the division could be tougher than usual. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo echoed that view, noting the Yankees’ floor is higher over 162 games as long as Judge stays healthy, with Cole’s return, Rice’s development and Carlos Lagrange’s 102 mph fastball all adding upside.

Where the Yankees stand in World Series betting markets

Sabathia’s optimism is backed by the oddsmakers. The Yankees sit as the second-biggest favorites to win the 2026 World Series behind the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Their odds range from +950 at Caesars to +1000 across FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics and BetMGM.

The Yankees are also favored to win both the AL East and the American League pennant. Their regular-season win total is set at 90.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook, tied for the second-highest mark in baseball behind only the Dodgers. They are listed at +450 at FanDuel to capture the AL pennant and +180 at DraftKings to take the division.

Judge chases history with third straight Yankees MVP

Beyond the Yankees’ team aspirations, Judge has a chance to write himself deeper into the record books. A third consecutive AL MVP would make him only the second player to accomplish the feat and the first in the American League. A fourth MVP overall would place him alongside Barry Bonds and Shohei Ohtani as the only players in history to reach that number.

Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. stands as Judge’s closest challenger in the MVP race, while Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, who smashed 60 home runs last season to set the all-time record for catchers, trails in third. But Judge’s combination of power, plate discipline and Yankees lineup protection makes him the clear frontrunner entering the campaign.

The Yankees captain posted a 1.273 OPS with seven RBI in seven postseason games last October, quieting concerns about his ability to perform in the playoffs. He spoke recently about the empty space on the Yankee Stadium championship wall past 2009 as his driving motivation. With a legend like Sabathia backing the roster, the betting markets aligning, an AL East gauntlet to sharpen them and a pitching staff poised to deepen by summer, the pieces appear in place for a legitimate Yankees title run.

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