5 Yankees storylines heading in spring training

A year after the highly acclaimed Juan Soto pivot, a frenzied winter shopping spree that remade the roster, general manager Brian Cashman followed a “Back to the Future” script for 2026, choosing to duplicate last season’s 94-win team for at least the start of spring training — punctuated by Friday’s addition of Paul Goldschmidt (Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, now Mets, are the only players gone from last year’s Division Series roster).

The reviews have been mixed, mostly due to the fact that the ’25 group lost the AL East to the Blue Jays by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, then got booted by Toronto in the Division Series. It’s worth noting, however, that those Yankees led MLB in just about every offensive category and that their plus-164 run differential was second only to the Brewers (plus-172).

Aaron Judge is a big reason for that, obviously. But this $330 million roster actually isn’t the same one that began last season and it should get better over time as long as the Yankees are able to survive these next six weeks in Tampa without any setbacks or surprises (good luck with that).

With that in mind, here are five storylines we’ll be watching as the players arrive this week, right up to Opening Night against the Giants on March 25 at Oracle Park.

1. HEALING ACES

We know Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and Carlos Rodon (elbow cleanup) aren’t expected to rejoin the rotation until late May or early June, so it’s not as if they’ll be racing the clock in March. But you can bet the state of their rehabs will be chronicled very closely, especially after Cashman passed on any major upgrades this winter, instead trading for Ryan Weathers to bolster the middle of the starting staff.

Counting on Cole was a significant part of Cashman’s offseason strategy, but he missed all of last season, and any hiccups along the way would be destabilizing. Same goes for Rodon. Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) isn’t anticipated back until after the All-Star break. As for those returning intact, eyes will be on Cam Schlittler as another ace-in-waiting. Can he build on last season’s meteoric rise? 

2. THERE GOES THE JUDGE

The only thing more nerve-wracking for the Yankees than fretting over Judge’s health during spring training is monitoring his every step from a distance, and that’s what will happen next month when the captain plays for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Judge tends to ramp up slowly at this time of year, and it’s not uncommon for him to get dinged some during that six-week Tampa process. He missed time with an abdominal issue two years ago and spent a chunk of last season dealing with a flexor tendon strain. Now the three-time MVP will be playing at regular-season intensity earlier than he ever has, so it’s bound to create some anxiety for those at Steinbrenner Field.

3. SHORTCUT FOR LOMBARD?

Top shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. headlines the Yankees’ group of non-roster invitees to spring training. Will his big-league debut be far behind?

At this stage, he’s not quite on the radar yet, but that’s not to say Lombard — ranked No. 32 among all prospects by MLB Pipeline — can’t speed up his ETA down the road with a breakout performance in the next few weeks.

Lombard’s wiry 6-2 frame, big bat, smooth glove and Miami roots already have spurred comparisons with Alex Rodriguez. But he’s still only 20 and batted .215 with eight homers and a .695 OPS in 108 games for Double-A Somerset last season. With Anthony Volpe (shoulder surgery) on the shelf until May, expect the noise around Lombard to build; the Yankees’ vision for the future at the position could wind up changing sooner than expected.

4. CALL TO (BULLPEN) ARMS

Cashman passed on the rental route for bullpen help at last season’s deadline and instead locked in on longer-term solutions by trading for closer David Bednar and setup man Camilo Doval, two moves that worked out well enough to solidify those same roles for 2026. Both should be even better, and getting a full spring training with the team should only help. Beyond that, Fernando Cruz is back for high-leverage work, Tim Hill again will be the main weapon against lefties and the flexible Ryan Yarbrough can provide long relief or spot starts.

The Yankees liked Mets discard Paul Blackburn enough to give him a one-year, $2M deal, but they’ll be sifting through others such as Jake Bird, Angel Chivilli, Yerry De Los Santos and Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest to see if they can fill some vacancies.

5. WHERE DOES THE MARTIAN LAND?

As of right now, it’s looking as if Jasson Dominguez will be on the bench again. The Yankees wound up giving Trent Grisham a $17M raise to play centerfield (thanks $22.025M qualifying offer!) and Cody Bellinger got a five-year, $162.5M deal to return to left. The switch-hitting Dominguez would be far more valuable if he could dent lefty pitching (career .186 batting average, .530 OPS); that remains one of the few lingering concerns even after Cashman brought back Goldschmidt.  So Dominguez again heads to spring training looking to impress his current employer or help his marketability to be shipped elsewhere. The highly touted Spencer Jones is waiting in the wings, too.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.