Sep 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) congratulates outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) on his two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Nearly Identical Roster is Yankees Biggest Storyline

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 6:00 PM ET

After coming up short last season, the New York Yankees remain confident they'll be able to "run it back" this season.

Upon doing so, they've established an extremely similar roster to what they had a year ago. The Ryan Weathers trade was arguably their biggest move of the year, and that says a lot as they re-signed Cody Bellinger to a five-year deal.

A slew of minor league moves were made, but there's nothing worth monitoring super closely. At the end of the day, this Yankees team is full of talent it's just a matter of everything working out.

Spring Training is step one of many en route to their quest for another World Series appearance. Seemingly every team in the AL East got better, so it's far from an easy path to get there.

MLB.com Wonders What Will Be Different About This Yankees Team

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"The Yankees believed their 2025 roster was ready to win a championship, so much so that they’re running most of the same group back for another shot," they wrote. "Consider this: they led the Majors with 849 runs scored and have three-time MVP Aaron Judge still in his prime. Gerrit Cole will return in May or June, they’ll get a full year of Cam Schlittler, and the bullpen was remodeled at the Trade Deadline last July."

Knowing all of that, it's not hard to imagine why the likes of Aaron Boone and company are comfortable where they're at. It's hard when teams around them are signing guys like Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker or trading for pitchers such as Freddy Peralta or Edward Cabrera.

Sure, the bullpen is slightly different, but there's no guarantee Schlittler is going to pick up where he left off. At some point, Aaron Judge will return to human form and be unable to hit 50+ home runs a year.

Curious To See How This Team Looks Fully Healthy

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The biggest question on everyone's mind is can this team stay healthy when it matters? Losing Cole was a huge blow, but they know he'll be back sooner rather than later which immediately helps their chances of making a deep run.

That said, there's also no guarantee he comes back at 100%. Cole at 80% is still better than most pitchers in the league, but his rehab and ability to stay healthy will determine just how far this team can go. There are a ton of other factors, but the Yankees have the talent, no doubt, it's just a matter of getting everyone together at the right time.

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