Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Yankees

 

If the last year or so has taught me anything, it is this: everybody wants to play in New York. They just don't realize it til it's too late that they don't want to play for the Yankees.

In 2024, the Yankees had the biggest star in the game come to them and play beautifully, and then he decided the Mets were respecting him more. This year, Cody Bellinger had an incredible year with the Yankees, and now it's looking like Scott Boras is making a deal very difficult. Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes are all suiting up for the Mets next year after we seemed to burn our bridges with them. The only people that haven't fled the Bronx have been Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario. And meanwhile, we gave Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee, gave Michael King a much firmer place to start in San Diego, Drew Thorpe will start for the Sox this year if he's healthy enough, and in a year or two Roc Riggio is gonna hit 40 homers in Coors Field. We're much better at improving other teams than we are at improving our own.

The Yankees still had the third-highest record in baseball this year, delivered an MVP season for Aaron Judge, and was home to several great seasons from a variety of role-players. But that wasn't enough either. The Jays were better than us, and could consistently show up in October. And so here we are, still trying to win a World Series for the first time since Steinbrenner was still alive. Will it happen in 2026? For the low, low price of 199.99, a Yankee championship could be yours..

Austin Wells was the primary choice at catcher this year, as Jose Trevino was flipped to Cincinnati for a strong year of Fernando Cruz. Wellsy has his perks but he's not perfect. In 126 games he hit .219 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs, a very average offensive season. Defensively he was a liability this year. We've gotta do better than 'Wells or Rice' as a catching platoon, man.

2026 Prediction: A colossal improvement. I'm not sure if it'll be enough to become THE guy back there for the next 10 years, but it'll do the trick.

In a year without Gerrit Cole, and in a year where Luis Gil would be out for several months, the last spot in the rotation, behind Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt, went to rookie Will Warren. Warren had some chances in 2024, but was still a risk for a rotation spot right after a championship. Sure enough, Warren was one of two Yankees to make all 33 starts, and went 9-8 with a 4.44 ERA, 171 Ks and 80 earned runs in 162 innings. A little messy, and a bit too many long balls, but the sort of heat that the Yankee fans could get behind.

2026 Prediction: He'll be 27, and he just pitched a full season of high velocity work as a rookie. See ya in 2027. I'd love to be wrong and get another full campaign from him, but I just can't trust pitchers anymore.

Jasson Dominguez spent the entire year in the majors. He is 22 years old, still one of the most promising young players in baseball, and still reaching his full potential. Due to platooning him with Trent Grisham, Dominguez played 123 games, and hit .257 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. The moment simply has not come yet. It looked like it was here in 2023, when Dominguez was on fire on a call-up and aided the team before getting hurt, but he's really yet to take charge of an opportunity since then. I'm really worried Boone has given him the Yermin Mercedes effect, where he's been so warped by a manager's tough love that he can't perform to the standard.

2026 Prediction: It all comes down to whether or not the Yanks re-sign Bellinger. Cause if they do, and Grisham still takes seniority, we have another year of this. But if they don't, and Dominguez can start everyday, not only does he have a breakout year and 30 homers, but it's more of an incentive to get Spencer Jones up.

Clarke Schmidt only had 14 games up this year due to injuries, but he looked very good in them. In 79 innings he had a 3.32 ERA, 73 Ks and a 1.7 WAR. Very good use of our time. Sadly he didn't factor much into the team's progress in the second half.

2026 Prediction: Much fuller, healthier year. His free agency is coming up kinda soon, too, so it's about time.

And now, our bullpen, or as they will be known next year, the Mets' bullpen. Luke Weaver's been terrific for us since we turned him into a reliever, and this year he began to wear out his welcome slightly. In 64 games, Weaver had a 3.62 ERA, a 1.021 WHIP and 72 Ks, plus 8 saves as the Yanks went away from an initial closing choice. Granted, that higher ERA is a clue to why we needed bullpen help midyear. Weaver also had a 135.00 ERA in 3 postseason appearances so...yeah

2026 Prediction: Figures his shit out in Queens, becomes an ideal setup man again.

The biggest picture of 'the Yankees as the problem' came from Devin Williams, a sure shot in the ninth that didn't work at all here, despite the team bending the rules to let Williams keep his beard. Williams did not mesh well with this team, and with the moment; in 67 games he had a 4.79 ERA, with only 18 saves and a lot more blown ones. It's important to add that Williams was perfectly fine in an eighth inning role, and his 90 Ks in 62 innings gave us enough pure dominance to be placated by. But we traded Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin for the next great closer, and Williams was not that guy for us, despite everything that said he would be. He was, however, scoreless in 4 postseason innings, even getting a win. 

2026 Prediction: HUGE season in the ninth for the Mets. They'll move on from Edwin Diaz very quickly.

Luis Gil, as he tends to, missed some time with injuries this season, and when he returned you could tell he was still being very careful not to overexert himself. It seemed to work well enough in terms of dominance, as he had a 3.32 ERA, a 4-1 record and a 1 ERA in 11 starts, despite only 41 Ks. Gil needed to just keep balls in play and work carefully, and it seemed to work out, even if his postseason start didn't go especially well.

2026 Prediction: Much better year, much more on target and closer to 2024.

It initially baffled me when the Yankees traded for Amed Rosario, even sacrificing Clayton Beeter to do so, but Rosario became a very helpful utility bat for us. While a later addition would be the defensive version of this, Rosario had some cool power moments, hitting .303 with 10 hits, 5 RBIs and a home run in 16 games. He also had 3 hits and an RBI in 10 postseason at-bats. From the strength of this small sample size, the Yanks kept him on, making Rosario the only person to seem to prefer the Yankees to the Mets this decade.

2026 Prediction: Nowhere near as contact-friendly but he'll have some cool moments late.

Landing David Bednar from the Pirates was a huge move, as it finally gave us an effective closer after the last two had let us down. The man known as the Renegade had a rough start in the Bronx, but, as he had earlier this season, found his footing and became an excellent ninth inning man, with a 2.19 ERA, 4 wins, 35 Ks and 10 saves in 22 appearances. He also had a 1.50 ERA, 9 Ks and 2 saves in 6 postseason innings.

2026 Prediction: 35+ saves, the culmination of his whole career.

Shakier still was Camilo Doval, who'd led the league in saves a couple years ago for the Giants. Doval's control issues got the better of him in New York, and in 22 games he had a 4.82 ERA, plus a 1.607 WHIP. Doval figured some things out by October, and gave up 1 earned run in 3 postseason innings.

2026 Prediction: He just needed to adjust. Becomes a really nice relief asset for us, even if it's not pretty in points.

My personal favorite mid-year Yankee pickup was Jose Caballero, who was leading the AL in saves when we got him from the Rays. Cabby is insanely versatile, can play multiple infield positions, hits for contact and steals bases. We needed a guy like him, even if McMahon was taking most of the reps at 3rd. Cabby was a huge success with the Yanks, hitting .266 in 40 games, with 21 hits, 9 RBIs, 3 homers and 15 steals. He was limited in the postseason, but the fans seem to really like him.

2026 Prediction: If Volpe doesn't figure the big leagues out, Cabby might be a winning everyday shortstop. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it certainly could.

And that was 2025. It was a lot. Lots happened this year, in baseball and in general. I didn't post as much as I wanted. I dunno how often I'll post in 2026, or how often I'll have new cards worth posting about. We'll see where things go, I guess. As it stands, thanks for checking out the blog this year, and I hope you've enjoyed the writing and content. I hope to have near as much to say in the following 12 months, and I hope things are a little happier for all of us. 

The State of Super-Ute Guys

 

Jose Caballero, from the moment he burst onto the scene in 2023 with the Mariners, seemed to be the latest in a long line of powerful utility infielders. He was plugged between second and short, hit for contact and stole bases, and didn't need to be an everyday starter. He gave that Mariners team flexibility, which, between Crawford, Moore and then-Wong, they appreciated. Then they traded him for Luke Raley for some reason, and ever since the Rays have been benefitting from his flexibility, since the Rays are inherently a very flexible team. So far this year, Caballero has a league-leading 25 steals, and is much more integral of an offense piece than someone like Taylor Walls, who continues to infuriate me given his inability to hit.

Caballero's success, despite not being used as an everyday starter and using his own versatility as a selling point, indicates the return of the professional super-ute. There was previously maybe one or two in a spell, like Brock Holt being the everyman for the Red Sox or Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez wearing various hats for the Dodgers, but now there seems to be an avid interest in many teams pinning down this spot. Last year may have been the tipping point, with Willi Castro and David Fry becoming super-utility standouts and becoming the most crucial angle on the lineup. 

So this year, we're seeing both the limits and the scope of this strategy. And it really just boils down to this: some people are born to be a superutilityman. Some people are just second basemen that haven't earned the position yet. It's like the difference between a closer and an RP1 that works the ninth, you have to actually earn the role in order to keep it. So we're seeing some previously promising super-utility guys, like Jared Triolo and Gabriel Arias, struggling as the teams change. Triolo is barely hitting this year, and is being outdone by contemporaries like Nick Gonzales and Adam Frazier. Oswaldo Peraza is similar, you get the sense that on another team he wouldn't need to be a superutility infielder, and as it stands he's just kind of a piece for the Yanks.

But conversely you hear about some of the things that Willi Castro's doing and it all makes sense. Castro has played 6 different positions this year [not counting his inning on the mound], he's got 6 homers and 42 hits, and occasionally he'll have a 2-homer day, like he did against the A's. Unlike most other super-ute guys [though Cabby's fast approaching], he's insanely likable, very fun to watch and the fans have rallied around him.

Caballero, however, might have Castro beat for a surprise ASG spot. I'm not sure how many other Rays are especially close to making the team this year, maybe Rasmussen or Lowe make it, but Cabby is the most crucial member of the Rays so far. This is a team based around contact, moneyball and subtlety, and the best players have been young, speedy, efficient guys who aren't too showy and don't cost too much. Caballero is the patron saint of that. And I'm glad he's getting his due, even if it's for the Rays, who'll likely never pay him what he's worth.

Coming Tonight- After last season I worried he was cooked. Definitely not the case.  

Cabby Road

 

So...the 2024 Tampa Bay Rays had their firesale in the midst of a winning streak. They're 5.5 games back from a wild card spot, barely above .500, and they still intend on competing to some degree. They'll just be doing it without Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes, Shawn Armstrong, Jason Adam, Amed Rosario, Aaron Civale and Phil Maton. Who combine for 5.3 WAR, 21% of the team's overall 25.8 WAR. 

That is the essence of the Cash-era Rays teams. They gave up a ton of players and yet there's still an outside chance this team could compete. Not 100% guaranteed, as...just in the AL East alone there's two definite wild card competitors, and that's without getting into the usual AL West scrum and the two fighting AL Central guys. But it hasn't been ruled out. They're still winning games.

And right now they're playing the Houston Astros, another team I do not like. Yet somehow I have found myself rooting for the Rays, solely because I'd rather the Rays win games right now than the Astros. The Stros won the first match, getting a nice start out of Yusei Kikuchi because...of course they fixed him, but there's more to come. And hopefully the Rays can level things and prevent against a boring playoff schematic.

But like...I do realize they don't have a whole lot to work with at the moment. With Paredes gone and Richie Palacios hurt, the team's next most valuable hitter is Brandon Lowe, who's hitting his usual .250 with 35 RBIs in 61 games. I'm surprise Lowe didn't leave this season, solely because I'm surprised the Rays still think there's more left for him to do there. Keeping Yandy Diaz I get, there wasn't a good enough suitor and Diaz is probably the team's biggest star right now. But Lowe may never match up to his 2019 debut, and they have to come to terms with that.

Meanwhile, Jose Caballero, who broke out last year as a base-stealing super-ute with the Mariners, is continuing that tradition, with some excellent defensive play and 12 steals. Caballero isn't the greatest hitter but his contact skills aren't bad. And considering who was supposed to be playing SS around now for Tampa, having a nonproblematic, fun, versatile shortstop isn't the worst thing. The Rays this year have been ruled by guys like Caballero, Palacios and Ben Rortvedt, just subtle hitters with good defensive skills who don't have to do a hell of a lot but get the job done. Though, unsurprisingly, Christopher Morel already has 2 homers as a member of the Rays. The reclamation project has begun.

There could be more for the Rays to do this year, especially considering that Jeffrey Springs is back, but I'm not too certain they'll factor a great deal into this season's endgame. They'll be a decent spoiler that could sneak in, but they're not the alpha anymore, and they know it.

Coming Tomorrow- The thing about debuting in your early 20s is that it takes a little while for you to mature into a useful everyday player. But it does happen eventually, as the Nats are learning.

The Narrowest Possibility

 

There's a large probability that the Mariners don't make the playoffs. Their last three games are against Texas, they may not be able to catch Houston or Toronto, after everything in July and August they couldn't hold onto the momentum and are now hoping to hold onto something. 

And look, like a lot of people who missed the playoffs this year, like the Padres, Cardinals, Guardians and Giants, this isn't a death nell of their way of life. The Mariners will probably compete again next year, they still have so many great pieces, including Rodriguez, Gilbert, Castillo, Kelenic and Crawford, and it will really come down to whether or not circumstances are different next year, and if the division can withstand having three competitors or not. I think this season was still a net win, even if they fell apart towards the end, and the fact that they were able to go on the run they did midyear and sit atop the division for a bit does prove how much they have going for them. This is a very good team, it's just stuck in a division with two better ones. 

But even as a lot of Mariners fans come to terms with the fact that they probably won't be watching into October this year, there still exists the tiniest probability that the Mariners make it. A lot of it does have to do with the outcome of last night's game, and as I'm writing this last night, I'm not sure what happened. At this point, it could go either way. But if the Astros fall down another peg and make the deficit only a half-game, then the Mariners just need to win a game or so against the Mariners, and the Astros need to lose a game or so against the Diamondbacks. And then...y'know...

Look, I know it's unlikely. The Astros rarely ever do what they're supposed to, especially when the thing they're supposed to do is lose. The Mariners also have been very inconsistent and haven't gripped the moment like they had earlier in the year. That's what makes this unlikely. But if it does happen, it'll be one of the greatest baseball developments in a while. The Astros, after cockily trouncing their way back to 1st in the West, then skidding back down thanks to series' against the Yankees and Royals, would be the funniest thing ever, and the poetic justice this team has evaded for so long. They may evade it again, but the thought of it is pretty impressive.

The Mariners do have a lot of things going for them that could still land them a playoff spot. The pitching is still awesome, and the bullpen has evened out, with Andres Muñoz doing a bang-up job as closer. Rodriguez is finishing the season with a 30-30 season with 100+ RBIs, and for a season that was looking meh for a bit, it's an incredible outcome. And as the Kolten Wong experiment failed, Jose Caballero has risen to the starting 2B spot and has been an excellent defensive infielder, creating a really cool double play duo with J.P. Crawford. A lot is still great on this team, and that's what makes this possible, even if it's not the overwhelming possibility.

I'd love for the Mariners to somehow squeak in, especially in Houston's spot. I'm prepared for it to not happen...but wouldn't it be awesome if it did?

Coming Tonight: He took a year off, joined a cool competitive team, and...things didn't completely go as planned.