The defensive issues plagued the Yankees in Games 1 and 5. An error put the game-tying run on third base in Game 1, which they lost in extra innings. And three boneheaded plays in the fifth inning put Game 5 in LA’s hands. The World Series was decided by poor defense and it must change for the Yankees to get back.

Even with those defensive blunders, the bullpen had chances to win both games. Nestor Cortes was brought out of the pen for the second time all season and blew Game 1. Tommy Kahnle could not get an out in Game 5. If these aspects change, the Yankees might finally win their 28th World Series.

The ever-changing Yankees’ bullpen collapsed in the World Series

The Yankees’ bullpen on opening day and their bullpen in Game 5 of the World Series have only two similarities. Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes are the only pitchers who made it through the season in their bullpen. Ian Hamilton got hurt in the ALCS, otherwise he would have been the third. Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson are elsewhere, Jonathan Loáisiga and Nick Burdi got hurt, and Clayton Beeter is in AAA. Ron Marinaccio was also DFA’ed during the season.

The Yankees pieced together a bullpen that included Mark Leiter Jr. pitching high-leverage innings. They traded for Enyel De Los Santos and almost immediately let him go. They must prioritize bringing in new bullpen arms that can last throughout the season. That cannot include Clay Holmes, who is an unrestricted free agent and just blew the most saves in MLB history.

The Yankees have turned Luke Weaver from one of the worst starters in baseball to a special closer. Tommy Kahnle is always hurt but should be on the opening-day roster. Loáisiga should be back from injury and Leiter Jr has control. They must move on from Holmes, who had his great moments but was not reliable. With a great bullpen, the Yankees can return to the World Series in 2025.

Defensive miscues must end

The face of the Yankees’ poor defense this season was Gleyber Torres. He has not been a good defensive infielder at any point in his career and it has cost the Bombers a lot. With Giancarlo Stanton locked into the designated hitter role, he has to play the infield and it has cost them. Anthony Volpe showed that he has issues to work through at shortstop in the World Series, and the Yankees have a converted center fielder playing third base in Jazz Chisholm.

If the Yankees could make the simple plays consistently, they would be at least headed to LA for Game 6. Juan Soto was part of the problem, as he allowed two doubles to turn into triples in Game 1. While he is one of the greatest hitters alive, there are places for him to improve. Part of this is personnel, Torres is a free agent and could be headed out, and part of it is coaching.

The Yankees have been unable to coach these defensive issues out of players. Torres was supposed to be a shortstop but also was not good there, so he went back to second. Gold Glover Anthony Rizzo made some head-scratching plays throughout the season. And Juan Soto regressed defensively throughout the season. This is an organizational issue and has to be fixed.

Create a deeper lineup

When handicapping the 2024 World Series, everyone said the Dodgers had the offensive advantage. While the top of the Yankees’ order is hard to match, LA does it. Beyond Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman, they have players who can hit, run the bases, and create havoc. Tommy Edman won the NLCS MVP and spent most of the World Series hitting ninth. Teoscar Hernandez will get a massive contract in the offseason. And Kike Hernandez was a difference-maker too. Outside of Game 4, the Yankees got no offense out of the bottom of their order.

Game 4 was an example of what the Yankees can be with a solid bottom of the order. Volpe, Verdugo, and Austin Wells combined for seven RBIs to power the Yankees to a seven-run victory. Volpe and Wells will be part of the team moving forward and Oswaldo Cabrera can add to the depth.

The Yankees should prioritize re-signing Soto while also creating more lineup depth. Players like Jon Berti and Trent Grisham could also be a part of that. Despite their World Series failure, the 2025 Yankees are poised to be back with a few major changes.