The New York Yankees sit two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the American League East and four games up in the race for a wild-card spot. They have the ninth-best record in MLB, but the second-best run differential in the sport.
Even though the Yankees are 10 games over .500, it’s hard not to feel like they have been underachieving. The Yankees’ expected win-loss record has them 22 games over .500 — that’s what happens when Devin Williams blows several games in April and the team goes through a 6-16 stretch.
Manager Aaron Boone was asked about how he felt the first half of the season went for the Yankees.
“Incomplete. There’s obviously been a lot of good, there’s been two weeks where we really struggled,” Boone said. “We set out in spring training and the start of the year to get back to the playoffs and go chase after a world title, and all those hopes and dreams are right there. … Long way to go still. We gotta keep getting better, but we’re in position to do what we need to do.”
The Yankees will begin their second half Friday in Atlanta, before traveling to Toronto for a crucial three-game set against the Blue Jays.
Here are three storylines to watch as the Yankees play the final 66 games of their schedule.
How many needs can Brian Cashman fill?
General manager Brian Cashman told reporters last week that the Yankees would “go to town” at the trade deadline, perhaps signaling that they will be aggressive in trying to upgrade the roster. He also acknowledged how many spots the Yankees need to improve, and he was still unsure how much talent would be available on the market.
The Yankees could use an upgrade at third base, in the starting rotation and in the bullpen. The needs are so glaring that one could make an argument for each being the biggest one.
At third base, Oswald Peraza has the worst wRC+ among all third basemen with at least 150 plate appearances. His 28 wRC+ means he’s 72 percent worse than the average MLB hitter. Unfortunately for the Yankees and Peraza, there’s nothing to indicate he’s simply been a brutally unlucky hitter. He just isn’t good enough offensively. Peraza is an exceptional fielder and one of the fastest players in the sport, but his offense is so bad that he’s a liability.
Some third-base options the Yankees could consider include: Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suárez; Colorado Rockies’ Ryan McMahon; Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes and Isiah Kiner-Falefa; and Los Angeles Angeles’ Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo. All of the options are flawed, either offensively (McMahon, Hayes, Kiner-Falefa) or defensively (Suárez, Moncada, Rengifo).
Eugenio Suárez is asked about trade rumors, and the Yankees specifically:
“It’s a team that wants to win. They’re hungry still. If I got over there, I would do my best and try to help them win the World Series.” pic.twitter.com/z1SI1KHe6k
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 14, 2025
The Yankees’ need for a starting pitcher grew after they lost Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery. It’s left them without a clear No. 3 in the rotation behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. Rookie Cam Schlittler looked promising in his debut, but it’s a big ask for an inexperienced starter to step in and be dominant right away.
Starting pitchers the Yankees could look at include: Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly; Kansas City Royals’ Seth Lugo; Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera; Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mitch Keller; and Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martinez, among others.
In the Yankees’ bullpen, the need is dire. Outside of Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and, on some days, Tim Hill, the bullpen is filled with either underperformers or relievers who should still be in the minors. The Yankees should try to acquire at least two relievers and seek to improve the bullpen’s 20th-best ERA.
Some names to watch include Minnesota Twins’ Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax; Colorado Rockies’ Jake Bird and Seth Halvorsen; Los Angeles Angels’ Reid Detmers; Pittsburgh Pirates’ David Bednar; Washington Nationals’ Michael Soroka; and Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase.
What can the Yankees expect from Luis Gil?
The reigning American League Rookie of the Year is nearing his return to the big leagues after missing the entire first half with a lat strain.
Gil made his first rehab assignment start over the weekend and struck out six batters in 3 1/3 innings. He threw 50 pitches and is expected to have a conservative build-up before returning to the Yankees. The latest the club can activate Gil is Aug. 12, but he’s expected back sooner than that. Boone said the Yankees were still deciding whether they wanted to call him up to the majors once his pitch count reaches 75 or 90 pitches. That means Gil will have at least three more starts in the minors, making him a possibility for the club in early August.
If Gil can be as electric as he was last season, the Yankees could get creative with their rotation. He could bump Schlittler or Will Warren to the bullpen, giving themselves another quality arm in relief. They have been searching for a quality multi-inning reliever since Michael King’s departure, and one of these pitchers could be the answer.
Recovering from lat injuries can make it tricky for pitchers to return to form immediately, so it remains to be seen what Gil can offer the Yankees for the rest of the season.
Is Anthony Volpe salvageable?
Despite the Yankees’ public insistence that their shortstop is elite, he has a long way to go.
Anthony Volpe has been the second-least-valuable shortstop in MLB this season, with only Joey Ortiz of the Milwaukee Brewers having accumulated less WAR, according to FanGraphs. Brewers manager Pat Murphy recently put Ortiz on blast in the media, expressing his displeasure with his shortstop’s offense. Meanwhile, the Yankees say all is well with Volpe, who has an 87 wRC+ and is regressing in all facets of his game.
He plays too important of a position to be struggling like this, and his defense has become a massive issue lately, where he’s either playing passively or making questionable decisions on what to do with the baseball.
The Yankees need Volpe to get it together, or the questions of whether he’s the long-term answer at shortstop will only get louder.
(Photo of Luis Gil: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
