The Yankees came so close, they could almost taste it. They fought through injuries and adversity to win 94 games in 2024 -- tops in the American League -- and recapture the AL East crown. They made quick work of Kansas City and Cleveland to reach the World Series, but a handful of key moments turned potential victories into losses. Ultimately, it was the Dodgers who left Yankee Stadium soaked in champagne after a Series that left a bad taste in every Yankee¡¯s mouth.
¡°I know this is only going to fuel a lot of guys, fuel me especially,¡± captain Aaron Judge said afterward. ¡°I want to be on the other side of it.
¡°I think falling short in the World Series will stick with me until I die.¡±
With that feeling feeding a burning desire, the Yankees had one of their most productive and intriguing offseasons in recent memory. They enter 2025 a remade team, one stocked with four former MVPs -- including last year¡¯s unanimous AL winner in Judge -- and budding young stars with the potential for breakout seasons.
¡°I think the moves that we¡¯ve made, I¡¯m really excited about and feel like we¡¯re on our way again,¡± manager Aaron Boone said in December after the Yankees officially announced the signing of left-hander Max Fried. ¡°There¡¯s always surprises, good and bad, and you¡¯ve got to try and be in a position to stay agile and handle those things.¡±
That ability to adapt was put to the test even before Opening Day: 2024 ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton was shelved indefinitely with elbow troubles. Then, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffered a lat strain. And in the biggest blow, 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on March 11.
Even without those names on the active roster to start the season, the Yankees¡¯ goal of getting back to the World Series -- and winning it -- hadn¡¯t changed. And while it would likely take a little time for a team with so many new faces to gel, there was an undercurrent of optimism heading into 2025. Here are some of the key names and dates to watch out for as the defending AL champs embark on another promising season in the Bronx.
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APRIL
Eight days after the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series between the Cubs and Dodgers concludes, the first stateside pitch of the Major League Baseball season is scheduled to be thrown at Yankee Stadium on March 27, when the Yankees host the Brewers in a nationally televised matinee. It marks the first time since 1979 -- when Milwaukee was still part of the seven-team American League East -- that the two teams will face each other on Opening Day. It also marks the first time that Devin Williams will suit up for a team other than the Brewers. Traded to the Yankees last December, the 30-year-old right-hander is one of baseball¡¯s premier closers, wielding his signature ¡°airbender¡± changeup to great effect. Since his 2020 NL Rookie of the Year campaign, Williams has held opposing batters to a .145 average -- best among all Major League relievers.
The Yankees¡¯ bullpen ought to be a strength in ¡¯25, as the bridge to Williams is lined with elite hurlers unleashing nasty stuff. Luke Weaver gets to face the team he stymied in his first career postseason action last October when the Yankees host their first American League opponent in the Bronx, Kansas City, from April 14-16. Weaver was 3-for-3 in save opportunities against the Royals in the 2024 ALDS, allowing just a pair of singles over four scoreless outings. The Yankees also got big October outs from dynamic relievers such as Jake Cousins, Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton, all of whom are back this season. The sidearming Hill was particularly effective, allowing just one earned run in 10 postseason appearances. With relief specialists such as Jonathan Lo¨¢isiga hopefully returning to full health and newcomers such as Fernando Cruz added to the mix, the Bronx bullpen brigade is well equipped to put out fires.
In a unique twist, the Yankees will return to their Spring Training facility from April 17¨C20, but as visitors. The AL East-rival Rays will play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 after Tropicana Field was damaged when hurricanes battered the Tampa Bay region last fall. ¡°In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what¡¯s right for our community -- which is continuing to help families and businesses rebound from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,¡± Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said last November.
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MAY
With two West Coast trips, the Yankees will rack up plenty of frequent flier miles in May. A road series May 9-11 against the Athletics will mean a visit to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. -- home of the Sacramento River Cats (the San Francisco Giants¡¯ Triple-A team) and the A¡¯s, whose proposed Las Vegas stadium won¡¯t be ready until at least 2028.
It was at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in late May of 2024 where Luis Gil cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with. Having earned a spot in last year¡¯s rotation following Gerrit Cole¡¯s elbow injury, his eight innings of one-run ball against the Angels capped off a 6-0 May that helped him earn AL Pitcher of the Month and, eventually, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year honors. With the right-hander on the shelf to begin this season, the door was opened for another opportunistic challenger to charge through. Could Will Warren be this year¡¯s Gil? The 2021 eighth-round Draft pick was impressive in Spring Training, and his slider is regarded by Baseball America as the best in the Yankees¡¯ farm system. And although he took some lumps at the big league level last season, it didn¡¯t impact his confidence. ¡°I came into camp knowing that I was lower on the totem pole,¡± Warren told the YES Network after his fourth preseason start. ¡°But I had a little chip on my shoulder to [say], Let¡¯s go take a spot and earn a spot.¡±
The Yankees will hole up in Los Angeles for an entire week at the end of May, and while two of the team¡¯s biggest stars from that area -- Cole and Giancarlo Stanton -- are not likely to play in front of their friends and family, it should be a welcome return for Cody Bellinger, who spent his first six big league seasons with the Dodgers. The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Cubs last December and are expected to deploy the former Gold Glove winner as their everyday center fielder. A fourth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2013, Bellinger looks to add to an impressive trophy case that already includes the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year Award, 2018 NLCS MVP Award and 2019 NL MVP Award.
The Yankees¡¯ travel schedule eases up after returning from their World Series rematch against the Dodgers from May 30 to June 1; all remaining regular-season games will take place in the Eastern or Central time zones.
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JUNE
Newcomers to the team will get their first taste of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in June, with three-game series at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park over the first two weekends. One veteran looking forward to the experience is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, whose impressive 14-year career has been spent entirely in the National League with Arizona and St. Louis. The seven-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover feeds off electric crowds, and he knows mixing it up against the Red Sox will provide the sort of energy he craves. ¡°Being in St. Louis and having the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry or having the amazing opportunity to play in the playoffs or play for Team USA, all those big games are something I¡¯ve loved,¡± he said. ¡°Those are my best memories.¡±
With his impeccable glovework at first, Goldschmidt has been a favorite target of every third baseman with whom he has played. The identity of that third sacker in 2025 was still being ironed out as the Yankees broke camp in March. Certainly, they would be pleased to see a return to form from DJ LeMahieu, a fellow 14-year veteran who is one of just three players in Major League history to win batting titles in both the American and National leagues. Since batting .364 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, LeMahieu has suffered through a litany of injuries that have robbed him of playing time, including half of 2024. But when he¡¯s healthy, he can provide immense value on both sides of the ball. He and the Dodgers¡¯ Mookie Betts are the only active players who have won multiple Gold Glove Awards as well as a batting crown.
Also vying for time at the hot corner will be Oswaldo Cabrera. The versatile 26-year-old, who signed with the Yankees a decade ago out of Venezuela, has made himself into an indispensable utilityman, capable of handling nearly anything thrown his way; he even made an appearance on the mound against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium last June. Between Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Ben Rice and Jorbit Vivas, the Yankees begin the season with several young, hungry infielders on the 40-man roster ready to step in at a moment¡¯s notice.
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JULY
Apropos of the balanced schedule era, the Yankees will spend each weekend in July facing off against a National League opponent. After a crosstown trip to Queens for a holiday weekend series against the Mets beginning July 4, the Yankees will close out the first half by hosting the Cubs at Yankee Stadium. Fans attending the opener against Chicago can grab a Billy Joel bobblehead in advance of the Piano Man¡¯s appearance at the Stadium the following Friday, July 18.
Having inked an eight-year deal last December that will see him toe the rubber for the Yanks through 2032, the Yankees¡¯ biggest offseason addition, Max Fried, will return to Atlanta -- where he spent his first eight big league seasons -- to open the second half. The 31-year-old southpaw should receive a warm welcome in the city where he pitched in the postseason seven straight years, winning a World Series in 2021. Of course, Fried might need to fly south a few days ahead of that series, as the 2025 MLB All-Star Game is set to be held at Truist Park on July 15. A two-time All-Star and runner-up for the 2022 NL Cy Young Award, Fried tossed a scoreless second inning at the 2024 Midsummer Classic in Texas.
Acquiring a stud lefty to beef up the starting rotation for what is hopefully a championship season brought back memories of the Yankees¡¯ December 2008 acquisition of CC Sabathia. The 251-game winner officially takes his place among baseball¡¯s immortals during Hall of Fame induction weekend July 25¨C27 while the Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies -- the team Sabathia helped vanquish in the 2009 Fall Classic.
Fried isn¡¯t the only southpaw in the Yanks¡¯ starting rotation who could potentially need to catch an early flight to Atlanta in mid-July. Carlos Rod¨®n made back-to-back All-Star teams with the White Sox and Giants in 2021 and ¡¯22, and after winning a career-high 16 games in 2024 -- including a 7-2 mark with a 2.91 ERA in the second half -- the 32-year-old enters his 11th big league season with high hopes. Rounding out the starting staff to begin the season are two right-handers who were impressive in 2024. Clarke Schmidt posted a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts, while Marcus Stroman allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 29 starts.
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AUGUST
Crosetti and Gordon. Richardson and Kubek. Bucky and Willie. Jeter and Can¨®. The Yankees have had some dynamic double-play combos throughout their history, and the current iteration of Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the potential to be as good as any in MLB.
Chisholm came to New York from Miami -- where the Yankees begin the month of August -- at last year¡¯s Trade Deadline and provided an immediate spark, tallying 11 home runs, 18 steals and 23 RBIs in 46 games while learning to play third base on the fly. Back to his natural position in 2025, the 27-year-old second baseman looks primed for a breakout season in his first full year in pinstripes. As one of only four players -- along with the Dodgers¡¯ Shohei Ohtani, the Reds¡¯ Elly De La Cruz and the Guardians¡¯ Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez -- to top 20 homers and 40 steals in 2024, the Bahamas native has shown that he can do big things. ¡°Having Jazz -- who has been so dynamic for us and explosive -- do his thing another year, it¡¯s going to be exciting,¡± said Yankees captain Aaron Judge.
In just two months with the team in ¡¯24, Chisholm finished second on the Yankees in stolen bases, trailing only Volpe, who led the way with 28 swipes. The homegrown shortstop took some strides forward in 2024, authoring a 21-game hitting streak and raising his batting average by 34 points from his 2023 rookie season before belting a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Dodgers. Another leap in Year 3 could have the 2019 first-round Draft pick ascending to even greater heights.
Austin Wells started 2024 as the backup catcher but soon took over the starting role. Like Volpe, Wells¡¯ continued development will be key to the Yankees¡¯ hopes of repeating as AL champs. The 2020 first-round pick was terrific in 110 games behind the dish in 2024, ultimately finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting, and he caught in all 14 of the Yankees¡¯ postseason games, starting 12 of them. Wells is prepared for another heavy workload in 2025, but when he needs a breather, J.C. Escarra -- a 2017 Draft pick who was still seeking his first big league appearance as he neared his 30th birthday in April -- seems likely to serve as the backup, with Ben Rice as another option.
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SEPTEMBER
The Yanks begin the final month of the regular season at Daikin (formerly Minute Maid) Park, where they are 1-8 all-time in postseason games. Houston¡¯s house of horrors has been more welcoming as of late: The Yankees kicked off their pennant-winning campaign with a four-game sweep of the Astros in 2024, and their previous trip there, in September 2023, saw Jasson Dom¨ªnguez explode onto the scene in his debut, homering off future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander with his first swing in the bigs. Still just 22 years old and with plenty of room to grow, Dom¨ªnguez is nonetheless expected to play a huge role for the Yankees in 2025, something the outfielder has dreamed of ever since signing with the team out of the Dominican Republic at age 16. If more seasoning is needed, two-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder Trent Grisham remains at the ready.
If Dom¨ªnguez can begin to realize his potential this season, the Yanks could have the most formidable corner outfield tandem in baseball, because moving back to right field -- where he has spent the majority of his career -- is reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge. The Yankees¡¯ captain somehow topped his record-breaking 2022 season with an even better year in 2024, setting career highs in a slew of categories, including batting average (.322) and RBI (144). Now in his 10th big league season, Judge continues to move up the franchise¡¯s all-time lists and into increasingly rare company. If he reaches 47 homers this year, it will put him at 362 for his career -- good for fourth place in Yankees history behind only Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493).
Of course, Judge isn¡¯t out there just to put up numbers. His stated mission is to bring a 28th World Series championship to New York, and he has shown he can be just as dangerous in October as he is during the regular season: Nine of his 16 career postseason home runs have either tied the game or given the Yankees a lead. His first-inning shot off Jack Flaherty in Game 5 of last year¡¯s Fall Classic was Judge¡¯s first home run in World Series play, and if things go according to plan, he¡¯ll get a chance to add to that total this postseason.
¡°Definitely coming in hungry, if not hungrier, than in years past,¡± Judge said of the 2025 Yankees. ¡°Guys are motivated and ready to ¡ get us back in that spot and rewrite the script.¡±
Nathan Maciborski is the executive editor of Yankees Magazine. This story appears in the 2025 New York Yankees Official Yearbook. Get more articles like this delivered to your doorstep by purchasing a subscription to Yankees Magazine at www.yankees.com/publications.