TAMPA — Spring Training Kickoff
The first day of spring training isn’t just about baseball; it feels like a family reunion. Wednesday at Steinbrenner Field had that vibe, even if many position players were still across the street in the player development facility, set to report over the weekend.
Fans might be feeling frustrated with the Yankees’ unchanged roster as they transition from 2025 to 2026. However, the players seem pretty optimistic, ready to take another shot at it with most of the same team that secured a solid 94 wins last season. Jazz Chisholm Jr. shared his thoughts on the new season, saying, “We’re at the halfway point, so we’re starting over. I thought we had a team that could go to the World Series, and I still truly believe that.” He added, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having four MVPs on the team and doing it again.”
Yet, some might point out that this quartet of MVPs—Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, and Paul Goldschmidt—are entering the season at ages 34, 30, 36, and 38, respectively. Judge’s performance has been exceptional, snagging MVP in three of the last four years, but Goldschmidt’s 2022 award is the only one from this group in the past decade.
Still, the Yankees aren’t alone in pursuing another strong season and a chance for October glory. They’re returning 24 players from last year’s ALDS roster, which crumbled against the Blue Jays, who later almost clinched the World Series.
Goldschmidt emphasized the mindset they need: “If we play well, that’s a good thing. If we don’t, people will say we’re not playing well. The expectation here is to win championships, regardless of the players.”
The organization is keenly aware of who they are, with established players and a dedicated fan base pushing for consistent success. “We have to prepare and work,” one player noted, emphasizing that previous wins don’t carry over into the new season. With a fresh start, they aim to build a competitive team that can hopefully chase a championship.
This year’s squad is quite different from last year’s; Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco hadn’t integrated yet, Gerrit Cole was catching a break, and there were concerns about Stanton’s elbow issues. There were also new additions like Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Byrd, filling vital roles as they move forward.
While Goldschmidt’s sentiments about starting anew align with manager Aaron Boone’s perspective, Boone is likely to voice a familiar sentiment when he speaks to the team on Monday before their first full practice. “We don’t bring anything with us from last year because we’re starting fresh. Everything is a blank slate,” he’ll likely say.
