The shine of the Yankees hot start is beginning to dim. Back-to-back series losses—first to the Tigers, then the Giants—have revealed some early cracks, particularly on the pitching side. While the offense continues to flash promise and give fans reasons to stay optimistic, the arms have struggled to find consistency, with short outings and a taxed bullpen becoming early themes. As we enter the third full week of the season, it’s time to take stock of where things stand—sorting through the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that are starting to shape this team’s early identity.
Rotation Roulette: Every Start Feels Like a Gamble
Well, we knew having the team’s ace and 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole out for the year with Tommy John surgery—as well as the temporary loss of 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil—would leave the Yankees with two ginormous holes in the rotation. But how the current staff would respond? That was up to the Yankees. And so far, it’s been a mixed bag of promising starts and concerning regression.
Max Fried, who was brought in to stabilize the rotation, is starting to settle in and look like the ace the Yankees were hoping for. After a few shaky outings early on, he delivered a nearly perfect performance in Game 3 of the Yankees’ last series against the Tigers—dominating with 11 strikeouts over 7 scoreless innings. His command was sharp, his stuff electric, and after three starts, he’s sitting on a sparkling 1.56 ERA. Fried has absolutely claimed the “Ace” title and is looking every bit the veteran leader the Yankees need to anchor the rotation.
On the flip side, Marcus Stroman, who was expected to eat innings and bring consistency, has been a disaster so far. With an 11.57 ERA, it’s been clear from the jump that he’s struggling to find any rhythm. He continues to nibble at the corners rather than attacking hitters, and it’s hurting his effectiveness. Stroman is only throwing 59% of his pitches for strikes—far below the threshold necessary for sustained success. Now, to make matters worse, he’s heading to the 15-day IL with knee inflammation, further thinning the Yankees’ already-depleted rotation.
Then there’s Carlos Rodón, who has continued to show flashes of brilliance, but his outing consistency has been hit-or-miss. Will Warren is getting his first real shot to contribute regularly, but like any young pitcher, he’s been prone to inconsistency. Carlos Carrasco, the veteran depth piece, has struggled with diminished velocity and is looking more like a gamble with each passing start.
The bullpen, too, is already starting to feel the effects of the rotation’s inability to go deep into games. The lack of length from the starters is forcing high-leverage relievers into too many innings, causing them to wear down quicker than anticipated.
All told, the rotation is providing more questions than answers at this point. Max Fried is the one stabilizing force, but the rest of the staff, especially with Stroman’s injury, is making it clear that the Yankees’ pitching woes are far from over. They can’t get Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil back in the mix soon enough. The Yankees need these arms to provide depth and reliability, or the bullpen will continue to get overworked and exposed.
The Silver Lining: Offense to the Rescue
While the pitching staff has stumbled out of the gate, the offense has been the silver lining, providing much-needed consistency. With the exception of a few brutally cold day games where the bats went silent, the Yankees’ lineup is firing on all cylinders. As of now, they boast the fifth-best batting average in baseball (.259), the fifth-best on-base percentage (.344), and the top on-base plus slugging percentage (.833)—a combination that’s been one of the most potent in the league.
Veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge have led the charge, and they’re not just showing up—they’re setting the bar. Both are tied for the third-best batting average in the league, and the Captain is dominating in multiple categories. Judge has been a force to reckon with. He leads the league in on-base percentage and OPS, having reached base in 14 of the Yankees’ 15 games this season. Meanwhile, Goldschmidt has been no slouch, reaching base in 11 of those same 15 games. Together, they’ve provided the kind of leadership and consistency that has kept the Yankees’ offense in the hunt.
But it’s not just the former MVP’s shining. The lineup has contributed up and down, with key contributions from Ben Rice and the younger players. Rice, in his first full season, was initially only supposed to fill in at DH for Giancarlo Stanton. However, he’s raised some intriguing questions: what will happen when Stanton returns? Rice is slashing a strong .298/.411/.638, with 4 home runs, and has proven himself as a reliable bat, whether they place him at leadoff or in the middle of the lineup. His performance is adding depth, and the Yankees will soon be faced with the question of where to put Benny when Stanton returns.
Even beyond Rice, the youngsters are stepping up, bringing fresh energy and helping lengthen the lineup. If the offense can maintain this level of production, it will at least give the Yankees a fighting chance—so long as the pitching staff can get it together.
Injury Updates
- Giancarlo Stanton is with the team in New York and continues to hit off the high-velocity Trajekt machine, per Bryan Hoch.
- Clarke Schmidt is set to rejoin the Yankees rotation April 15 or 16 following two sharp rehab starts with the Somerset Patriots, per Bryan Hoch.
Clarꓘe is bacꓘ.@Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt tossed a gem in his rehab assignment with Somerset.
3.1 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 7 K
Pitches (Strikes): 52 (37) pic.twitter.com/F2TyfjhaMS— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) April 5, 2025
Clarꓘe Schmidt's second rehab start is in the books📘
4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K🔥 pic.twitter.com/7pFIv9MR5c
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) April 10, 2025
- DJ LeMahieu will head to Tampa for a few days of live BP. If that goes well, he will start a rehab assignment thereafter, per Meredith Marakovits.
- Jonathan Loaisiga tossed a bullpen last week with Double-A Somerset. Loaisiga’s return date of late May/early June return to MLB is realistic, per Bryan Hoch.
Looking Ahead
The Yankees won’t get a breather after wrapping up their series with the Giants—they’ll stay in the Bronx to host the Royals for a three-game set beginning Monday. Clarke Schmidt is lined up to start the finale on Wednesday. From there, it’s a quick turnaround as they head south to face the Rays in a four-game series at George M. Steinbrenner Field, serving as the road team on their own spring training turf. The grind continues until April 24, when they’ll finally get a day off following a road trip to Cleveland to take on the Guardians.
