Yankees Struggle Out of the Gate as Early Spring Training ‘Losers’ Emerge

Spring Training isn’t about results — not really. It’s about timing, rhythm, adjustments, and identifying which players are ready to compete and which ones still look stuck in offseason mode. Through the first two games of the New York Yankees’ 2026 slate, the club has seen both extremes: a frustrating 2–0 shutout loss to the Orioles followed by an explosive 20–3 win over Detroit. The veterans showed up early, from Aaron Judge’s predictably sharp timing to Jazz Chisholm Jr. supplying the team’s first hit of the spring.

But Spring Training also reveals the early cracks — the players struggling to find their footing, the roster hopefuls not yet matching the pace, the pitchers who run into unfortunate matchups. New York has been clear about one thing this spring: they want consistency. And through the first weekend, a few Yankees have found themselves on the wrong side of that evaluation.

Below are the early “losers” from the opening games — not in a damning sense, but in the sense of players who will need a sharper showing moving forward.

1. The Top of the Yankees’ Opening Game Lineup

New York’s opening-game lineup wasn’t a throwaway mix of minor leaguers. Austin Wells, Jose Caballero, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Amed Rosario all started — a strong indication that manager Aaron Boone wanted to see what this early version of his projected upper-half lineup could look like.

Instead, the result was a sputtering collective effort.

Outside of Chisholm’s single and his lone walk, the group combined to go 0-for-7. Wells, slotted into the leadoff role, couldn’t set the tone. Caballero struggled to put the ball in play with authority. Rosario, expected to bring solid contact skills, never found early traction.

Spring Training is notorious for slow offensive starts — timing returns later than bat speed — but the Yankees’ first look at their upper lineup didn’t inspire confidence. The disappointing opener didn’t hold them back the next day, when the offense erupted for twenty runs, but slippage against competitive pitching was an early reminder that this roster still has questions to answer.

With Wells fighting to regain trust after his uneven 2025 season and Rosario looking to solidify his defensive-first role, the Yankees will need this group to sharpen its timing before March ends.

2. Reliever Bradley Hanner

Bradley Hanner didn’t get an easy assignment. Entering a scoreless game against Baltimore, his second batter was Pete Alonso — the Orioles’ biggest offseason acquisition and, frankly, a hitter who shouldn’t have still been in a spring opener.

Still, the results weren’t ideal.

Hanner allowed three hits, a walk, and the two runs that ultimately sealed New York’s first loss of the spring. Alonso jumped on the first pitch he saw and launched it, reminding everyone that even in February, he remains one of the sport’s most dangerous fastball hunters.

To Hanner’s credit, he regrouped to finish the inning. And the Yankees won’t overreact — not in February, and not when the right-hander is fighting for a middle-relief role rather than high-leverage innings. But with bullpen competition fierce and New York emphasizing clean innings, early stumbles matter.

The organization likes Hanner’s strike-throwing ability and his arm strength, but outings like this reinforce why his spot isn’t yet secure.

3. Outfielder Duke Ellis

Few players enter camp with more to gain than Duke Ellis. A .305 hitter with an .832 OPS in the minors last season, Ellis is exactly the type of player who can steal a roster spot with a loud March. But through two games, the opportunity has turned into an early setback.

Ellis struck out in both at-bats against Baltimore, then returned to the lineup the next afternoon and added a third strikeout. He finished the opening weekend 0-for-4 — the only Yankees hitter against Detroit who failed to reach base, a particularly tough look given that eighteen different players stepped into the box.

Spring slumps are often meaningless. But in Ellis’ case, the margins are thin. He isn’t competing against established major leaguers — he’s competing against other fringe outfielders whose spring at-bats are weighted heavily in roster decisions.

The Yankees see the value of his speed, versatility, and left-handed bat, but they need proof he can adjust to major-league breaking balls. The next ten days will be critical for him.

Conclusion

It’s only two games. Nothing the Yankees struggled with over the weekend will define their direction, nor will any of these players be judged on February swings or one tough inning. But early impressions matter, especially for fringe contributors and players battling to carve out meaningful roles.

New York’s veterans look polished, the pitching staff has flashed encouraging depth, and the overall talent level is unmistakably stronger than last season. But if consistency is the spring theme — as the coaching staff has emphasized — then these early misfires serve as the baseline from which improvement must begin.

The Yankees have time, but not unlimited time. Spring Training always flies by faster than teams expect. And for these early “losers,” the opportunity to flip the narrative starts immediately.