The New York Yankees’ chances of making it back to the World Series took a hit during spring training due to the season-long loss of their ace, Gerrit Cole, to Tommy John surgery, the uncertain status of slugger Giancarlo Stanton, and the absence of reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for at least three months.

New addition Max Fried must immediately replace Cole as the de facto ace, while pressure rises on Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman to provide stability in their rotation. Young players like Austin Wells, Jasson Domínguez, Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice must produce.

The American League East division will be a gauntlet with the Boston Red Sox improved, the young Baltimore Orioles looking to take their next step, the Tampa Bay Rays playing in a more hitter-friendly park in Steinbrenner Field and immense pressure on the Toronto Blue Jays to break through.

Bold prediction

With added muscle over the offseason, Ben Rice, the projected fill-in at designated hitter in place of Giancarlo Stanton, will hit at least 30 home runs and be in contention for making the American League All-Star Game.

Projected starting lineup

This is Wells’ first time entering a season as the Yankees’ starting catcher. If he does lead off for the Yankees, he’ll become the first catcher in franchise history to do so.

Judge is coming off of the greatest season by a right-handed hitter in MLB history. With the number of injuries the Yankees already have, they cannot afford any absence by the reigning AL MVP.

Bellinger’s left-handed swing was tailor-made to play half of his games at Yankee Stadium. He’s the son of former Yankees infielder, Clay Bellinger, who won two titles with the franchise in 1999 and 2000.

The Yankees signed the veteran to a one-year, $12.5 million contract over the offseason. They hope the 37-year-old can bounce back after posting the worst season of his career. There’s optimism after he posted a .799 OPS in the second half.

Chisholm moves back to second base, his natural position. At his best, Chisholm has 30-30 potential, but last season was the first year in his four full seasons that he’s been able to play at least 125 games.

Domínguez will be a popular pick to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. He’ll be given ample time to establish himself in left field, as he’s replacing Alex Verdugo. Domínguez has had immense expectations on him since he signed for $5.1 million as a 16-year-old teenager in the Dominican Republic.

Rice made his MLB debut last season after Anthony Rizzo injured his wrist. He had a three-homer game against the Boston Red Sox. He’s established new career highs in exit velocity this spring and should get the majority of DH at-bats versus right-handed pitching.

Volpe won the Gold Glove at shortstop in his rookie season and was a finalist last year. He has yet to finish with an OPS over .700 in his two seasons. He’ll need to hit more than he has for the Yankees.

Cabrera has played every position on the field except catcher in his three big-league seasons. He enters the year as the Yankees’ projected starting third baseman after DJ LeMahieu hurt his calf early in spring training.

Projected rotation

Rodón has not lived up to the six-year, $162 million contract he signed. He was better in 2024 but nowhere near the ace the Yankees thought they were getting. With Cole out, Rodón will have to become a workhorse.

Since 2020, no pitcher with at least 500 innings has a better ERA than Fried’s 2.81. Fried signed the highest contract for a left-handed starter in MLB history when he agreed to $218 million over eight years this past offseason.

The Yankees tried trading the veteran this offseason to create more financial flexibility. He has a vesting option for 2026 if he pitches 140 innings this season. The Yankees likely will try to limit his innings in 2025, but their depth has taken a hit.

Carrasco, 37, was seen as a depth option at the start of spring training but now projects to make the Yankees’ rotation after the injuries to Cole and Gil. He has finished three of his past four seasons with an ERA of at least 5.50.

Schmidt will begin the season on the injured list as he continues to properly build up his arm strength after dealing with minor back and shoulder soreness. Schmidt missed three months last season with a lat strain. Will Warren is expected to temporarily take Schmidt’s spot in the rotation.

Projected top relievers

Williams has already established himself as one of the most important pitchers in Yankees history, as he was the catalyst for the franchise changing their longstanding facial hair policy. Williams replaces Clay Holmes, who led MLB last season with the most blown saves, as the Yankees’ closer.

Weaver was a revelation last season after moving to the bullpen. He was one of MLB’s best set-up men. Together with Williams, the Yankees could have one of the best one-two punches at the back end of their bullpen.

How the Yankees stack up

“Hope” is from Stephen J. Nesbitt’s annual Hope-O-Meter fan optimism survey. “Farm” is from Keith Law’s farm system rankings. “Bats” and “arms” are from Jim Bowden’s ranking of Opening Day lineups and rotations. “PWR” is from The Athletic’s preseason power rankings. Team projections come from Austin Mock, while Jake Ciely provided player projections.

(Top photo of Aaron Judge: Elsa / Getty Images)

Chris Kirschner is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Yankees. He previously covered the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-2022 for The Athletic. Chris was named Georgia’s Sportswriter of the Year in 2021 for his work covering the Hawks. Chris is a native of Bronx, NY. Follow Chris on Twitter @chriskirschner