With the MLB All-Star Break approaching, the New York Yankees enter the unofficial halfway point of the 2026 season with a 51-42 record, trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by four games in the AL East. Despite some key injuries and inconsistent stretches, the Yankees remain firmly in the American League playoff picture. As the second half approaches, here’s a look at what has gone right, what has gone wrong, and what to expect over the final months of the season.
Breakouts from Yankees’ Young Stars Have Carried the Team
Coming into the season, expectations were high for Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, both Massachusetts natives who came up through the Yankees farm system. Rice had a strong 2025, hitting 26 home runs with an .836 OPS in 138 games, but he has taken his game to another level this season. Rice has already matched his home run total from last year, with 28 home runs in 88 games, tying him for second in the American League. With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton missing time due to injuries, Rice has been a stable presence in the Yankees lineup.
The Yankees called Schlittler up to the Major Leagues last season. He immediately showed a lot of promise.
Schlittler made 14 starts and posted a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 73 innings. He especially dominated in the Wild Card round last season against the Boston Red Sox, going eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in his lone appearance that series. With Gerrit Cole missing the start of the season and Max Fried currently on the injured list, Schlittler has become the ace the Yankees have needed.
In 19 starts, Schlittler has an American League-leading 2.01 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 112 innings. He, along with Ben Rice, were named to their first All-Star Game. It’s safe to say that without the breakout of these young stars, the Yankees wouldn’t be in the position they are right now. They have been great so far, but the team will need them to continue performing in the second half as well as in October.
Key Injuries and Sloppy Baseball Have Led to a Summer Slump
In June, star slugger Aaron Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right rib. Giancarlo Stanton has also been out since April 24 with a right calf strain and hasn’t started running since re-injuring his calf while running the bases in mid-June. Without these two power threats, the Yankees offense has struggled mightily. They hit just .222 as a team in June, the fourth-worst mark in the league for that month.
Some of the players who started off the season hot have cooled off significantly. Ben Rice was one of the best hitters in baseball for the first two months, but hit .196 with a .657 OPS in June. Veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger has also been slumping after a great start to the season, hitting .228 in June and .103 in seven games in July so far. With neither Judge nor Stanton close to a return, New York needs these two bats at the top of the lineup to step up.
Yankees Pitching Has Fallen Off
The Yankees’ starting pitching has also regressed. Through the first two months, the starting rotation had a 2.97 ERA, the best mark in all of baseball, but since June 1, the starters have a 4.93 ERA. Gerrit Cole has not looked like his old self since returning from Tommy John Surgery, posting a 4.01 ERA in eight starts, and Will Warren has a 5.34 ERA over his last 11 starts after posting a 2.34 ERA through his first seven.
While the pitching has certainly cooled off, the defense behind them certainly hasn’t helped. Going into Tuesday’s game, the Yankees were 4-12 in their last 16 games and allowed 28 unearned runs during that stretch. Aaron Judge recently called out his team for their lack of focus during this recent slump. Strong words from the captain should motivate the team for the rest of the season and in the playoffs.
The Yankees Can’t Wait for the Sluggers to Save Them
Judge and Stanton are expected to return at some point this season, but neither has a timetable for return. However, it’s no guarantee either of them will look like their usual selves when they are back. Therefore, the Yankees will need everyone in the lineup to step up and keep them close in the AL East race until they get their slugger back in the lineup. They could also trade for a bat before the trade deadline, with names like Ryan Jeffers and Hunter Goodman being linked to them with the struggles of Austin Wells at catcher.
New York also needs their starting rotation and bullpen to perform well the rest of the season and into October. Max Fried is getting closer to a return, but with struggles from Cole, Warren, and Ryan Weathers, the Yankees could look to add to this group. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the hottest name on the trade market and would give the Yankees arguably the best starting rotation in the American League.
While the Yankees do have the best bullpen ERA in baseball, this group has had inconsistencies throughout the season. Trade-deadline acquisitions from 2025, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, have not been what the Yankees hoped for when they acquired them. Doval has a 4.67 ERA this season, and Bird has a 4.08 ERA. Closer David Bednar has had a strong season, so New York should look to add one or two high-end relievers to add to the back end of the bullpen.
Additionally, they need to clean up their defense to help the pitching and play fundamentally sound baseball if they want to make a deep run in October.
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