Aug 15, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A view of the bat of Washington Nationals third baseman Paul DeJong (14) as part of Players' Tribute weekend during an at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inningat Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Three Things to Watch in Yankees Spring Training Opener

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 2:00 PM ET

With Spring Training beginning on February 20, it's finally time for the New York Yankees to put their money where their mouth is.

A trip back to the World Series is the ultimate goal, but that's going to be far easier said than done.

This Yankees team managed to regroup by bringing back a relatively similar unit to what they had a year prior, but this year they expect things to be different.

Numerous top prospects will be battling it out throughout the end of this month into March as they each want to carve out a spot in the big leagues. There are a few names worth keeping a close eye on, but it's far more than top prospects getting all the attention.

1. Will Gerrit Cole Pitch in Spring Training?

Get behind the plate for Gerrit Cole’s bullpen session. You’ll also get to hear what the PitchCom device sounds like #yankees pic.twitter.com/HfdAfoDfRt
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 17, 2026

The biggest question on everyone's mind revolves around the health of Cole. The 2023 Cy Young winner has been with New York since 2020 but is coming off a major surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2025 season.

Knowing he hasn't pitched in an MLB game since October 30, 2024, Cole appearing in Spring Training would be a huge sign of progress. He's not expected to be back by Opening Day, but the Yankees also can't rush him back as that could derail things even further. Thankfully, they have a pair of pitchers who are worth keeping an eye on.

2. Carlos Lagrange vs. Elmer Rodriguez

One of the biggest stories to watch in Spring Training revolves around these two pitchers. They're undoubtedly two of the best the Yankees have in their minor league systems, but both are still extremely young and don't need to be thrown into the big leagues too soon.

Lagrange went viral for throwing a 102 mph fastball against Aaron Judge while Rodriguez is the one who gets the "opening day" nod. Knowing these are the first two starters the Yankees are throwing out there, it's clear just how highly the organization thinks of them both.

3. Non-Roster Invitees

The Yankees have invited 27 non-roster players to 2026 Major League Spring Training: pic.twitter.com/ZDB0oYqCuc
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 5, 2026

Seeing as the Yankees already have a pair of left-handed catchers on their roster, it's quite intriguing to see four other names invited to Spring Training. Austin Wells remains the clear everyday catcher for this team, but the No. 2 spot could still be up for consideration.

Paul DeJong signed a minor league deal and now has a chance to work his way back up to the big leagues. Obviously, he has some fierce competition in the infield alongside George Lombard Jr.

Lombard is the name everyone is going to monitor as the clearcut No. 1 Yankees prospect. Elsewhere, don't sleep on outfielders Duke Ellis or Seth Brown. Their age may not be ideal, but that doesn't mean they weren't raking in the minors.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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