The New York Yankees lineup is missing arguably the best hitter in the game, a borderline Hall-of-Fame slugger, and a veteran 2026 American League All Star. Love or hate GM Brian Cashman, you can’t expect him to have adequate replacements for the three men who batted 2, 3, and 4 in last October’s playoff lineup.
But two things can be true at once. Of course, the Yankees offense is struggling without Aaron Judge (out since May 31), Giancarlo Stanton (out since April 24), and Cody Bellinger (out since July 25). For those of you counting at home, that’s 1077 career home runs on the injured list.
But Cashman does not deserve a pass because the Yankees have been miserable all season in close games. As a matter of fact, the Yanks’ inability to manufacture runs has been a point of contention with the fanbase for the majority of the last 20 seasons, and they’ve taken it to another level this year.
After back-to-back, extra-inning, walk-off losses to the Chicago White Sox, the anti-Bombers record in close games in 2026 is as follows:
- Extra-inning games: 1-8
- Walk-off games: 3-8
- One-run games: 12-16
Don’t Blame the Bullpen
The lazy answer is to ignore facts and blame the bullpen. However, a quick look at MLB.com shows the Yankees at or near the top of three key reliever categories:
- Bullpen ERA: 2.98 (#1)
- WHIP: 1.20 (#4)
- Opponents BA: .222 (#4)
Yes, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval have been colossal disappointments, and yes, Cashman will assuredly import a fresh arm or two by Monday’s trade deadline. But let’s not discount the fact that David Bednar has been dominant, Fernando Cruz and Angel Chivilli have flashed brilliance, and two vets — converted starter Paul Blackburn and late-bloomer Brent Headrick — have been revelations.
The bullpen may be racking up extra-inning losses, but it’s not their fault. “We have to score a freaking point,” Aaron Boone said after Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the White Sox. “The pitchers again did their job. The bullpen was good, including Cruz (who got the loss). We’ve got to score. That’s the story, the beginning and end of it. We’ve got to find a way.”
Agreed.
The Yankees have a dominant rotation, an above-average bullpen that will get better in a few days, and a strong top of the lineup when they get Judge, Stanton, and Bellinger back. But they need to surround their stars with old-fashioned ballplayers who know how to put the ball in play, move runners along, take walks, bunt, and play clean baseball.
If they do that, they can turn their record around in close games, and have a better chance of getting back to the World Series this fall.
4 Real Takes on Deadline Targets
- Luis Arraez, 2B, San Francisco Giants — The 29-year-old has struck out 255 times in 3984 plate appearances across 8 MLB seasons. By comparison, Stanton set the Yankees single-season record in 2018 by striking out 211 times in 705 plate appearances. Arraez doesn’t walk, yet still has a career .364 on-base percentage. Formerly considered a poor fielder, he’s found a home at 2B and has warned prospective teams he doesn’t want to switch positions. Jazz Chisholm does have positional flexibility, having played 192 career games in the outfield and 3B when he joined the Yankees on their march to the World Series in 2024.
- Isaac Paredes, 3B, Houston Astros — Hard to believe the well-traveled Paredes is only 27 years old considering he’s already played for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Chicago Cubs before landing in Houston in 2025. A versatile infielder, he has settled in as the Astros third-basemen this season. The righty hitter has struck out just 14.8% of the time while hitting 14 homers, 58 RBIs, with a .347 on-base percentage 438 plate appearances this season. In the field, he’s not Ryan McMahon, but he would be an upgrade over Amed Rosario. Unlike Arraez, who is a pending free agent on a dismal team, Paredes has another season left on his contract and the Astros are only one game out of a wild card spot. Would the Yankees be willing to send meaningful assets to their bitter rivals?
- Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins — Ironically, the Twins are tied with the Astros in the weak American League. However, Jeffers is a pending free agent, and their creative General Manager Jeremy Zoll may look at the Yankees’ deep stable of starters as an opportunity to pull off a traditional “baseball trade”. The 29-year-old Jeffers has increased his walks and cut down on his strikeouts through the first 190 at-bats of his injury-shortened season. Jeffers is right-handed hitter, and an average backstop who would platoon with Austin Wells, and get playing time at DH until Stanton returns.
- Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers — This is purely speculation, but for all of his weaknesses, Torres has proven that he can hit in the Bronx October spotlight. For his career, he has a .352 postseason on-base percentage with just 42 strikeouts in 236 plate appearances. Still only 29 years old, he would be a candidate to play some 2B, some 3B, and some DH.
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