The Yankees have a bitter taste in their mouths.
Last October, New York took care of the Cleveland Guardians to capture the American League pennant and advance to their first World Series in 15 years. The club went on to get humiliated in the Fall Classic, narrowly avoiding a sweep in a lopsided series that ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy in the center of Yankee Stadium.
For a team that missed out on the postseason a year prior, a trip to the World Series is typically viewed as quite the turnaround. But not in New York — not for the Yankees.
“Getting to the dance and then losing out on it is definitely a lot worse than not even getting in,” said team captain and 2024 American League MVP Aaron Judge.
The Yankees march into this season with the same goal they’ve had since 2010: return to the World Series and win a 28th world championship. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to do it without the guy that got them closer than ever before.
Superstar outfielder Juan Soto enjoyed a legendary first season in pinstripes. He formed an unstoppable duo with Judge and crushed a tenth-inning, go-ahead moonshot in Game 5 of the ALCS that punched the Yankees’ ticket to the Fall Classic.
But just two months later, those memories turned into nightmares when Soto signed a historic 15-year, $765 million deal to join the New York Mets. Once again, the Yankees were embarrassed. The most storied franchise in sports lost a generational superstar to their so-called little brother.
The Yankees made a strong recovery following the Soto loss. Over the winter, they bolstered their run prevention with the acquisitions of Max Fried and Devin Williams while rejuvenating their lineup with a pair of former MVPs in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. The club marched into spring training with a solid chance of reaffirming their status as the top ballclub in New York City – but then came the injuries.
Ace Gerrit Cole is out for the season after getting Tommy John surgery, reigning ROTY Luis Gil will miss at least three months of the season with a lat strain, and reigning ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton is out indefinitely with severe injuries in both his elbows.
The Yanks have suffered setbacks at nearly every turn since last October. But ahead of them lies a 162-game marathon where anything can happen, and the Bronx Bombers aren’t out of the race just yet.
“We still have a full season,” Fried said after Cole underwent the season-ending procedure. “And we still have a lot of really talented, great players in this locker room that we’re confident in.”
In the face of overwhelming adversity, the new-look, Judge-led regime remains steadfast in its pursuit of No. 28 in 2025. After all, it was a Yankee who famously coined the phrase, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”
