New York Yankees 2024 Offseason Preview: What’s Next for Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers After World Series Loss?

Let’s take a look at the New York Yankees’ 2024 season, the questions the team will have to address this winter, and the early outlook for 2025.

Read more: 2024 MLB Offseason Preview: What’s Next for the Guardians, Mets, Red Sox and More??

Postseason result

After winning the AL East and securing the best record in the American League, the Yankees made it through the postseason with relative ease—until they ran into a slump in the Fall Classic against the Dodgers, losing in five games.

The Yankees defeated the Royals in four games of the ALDS before defeating the Guardians in five hard-fought games of the ALCS. Giancarlo Stanton’s strength was clearly evident in the first two rounds, as he hit five home runs in the Yanks’ first nine playoff games, plus two in the World Series.

The Yankees arrived at the World Series for a No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup with the Dodgers, but the heavyweight bout failed to live up to the hype. The Dodgers’ pitching outperformed New York’s, but more importantly, the Yankees’ offense faltered at exactly the wrong time, falling behind 3-0 before erupting in their Game 4 win. In particular, Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles — two hits, two walks and seven strikeouts in 15 at-bats before his home run in Game 5 — will remain in the minds of Yankees fans all winter long.

Things that went well

Throughout the regular season, the dynamic duo of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto gave the Yankees a prolific pair of hitters to rival any recent teammate. Overall, the two outfielders combined for 99 home runs, 253 RBI and 250 runs. They ranked first (Judge, 1.159) and third (Soto, .989) in OPS.

The judge was particularly dominant. His OPS was even better than the 1.111 mark he posted in his MVP 2022 season. The slugger’s 144 RBI and .322 batting average were also career bests. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani grabbed headlines with his 50-50 season, but Judge was the best hitter in baseball this year.

Things that went wrong

In July, former Yankee Luis Severino joked that he wasn’t afraid to face the Bronx Bombers because the team only had two good hitters. At the time, Severino was mostly right. While Judge and Soto did the heavy lifting, several New York position players had disappointing seasons.

The team traded Alex Verdugo to be their starting left tackle last offseason. His OPS dropped nearly 100 points year-over-year to a low of .647. Second baseman Gleyber Torres saw a similar drop of nearly 100 points in his OPS (.709). Young shortstop Anthony Volpe didn’t regress, but he also didn’t improve from a lackluster rookie season. The 23-year-old finished the season with a meager OBP of .293 despite regularly striking out from the top. First baseman Anthony Rizzo may have been the biggest disappointment of all, as he struggled to stay healthy for the second straight year, hitting eight home runs and a .228 batting average in 92 games.

Off season plans

Like many veteran teams, the Yankees have several players leaving in free agency, leaving general manager Brian Cashman with many tough decisions.

The biggest decision will come in the outfield in the form of Juan Soto. Cashman’s offseason plan must begin and end with him doing his best to retain the 26-year-old superstar, who will likely make over $500 million this winter. Verdugo is also a free agent, but the organization has an excellent replacement in Jasson Domínguez. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton will return as DH.

There are also important holes to fill in the infield, as Torres is a free agent and Rizzo’s club option is likely to be declined. The remaining spots are in better shape as Volpe will return at shortstop, Jazz Chisholm Jr. can play third, and Austin Wells and Jose Trevino form a solid catching tandem. Chisholm’s presence offers a lot of flexibility as he can also play in the second or midfield position.

New York had a very effective pitching staff this year, and most of its key contributors are under contract for 2025. Gerrit Cole will return as the team’s star and in the rotation of Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, Luis Gil and Nestor Cortes Jr. Having six starters for five spots is a big problem for manager Aaron Boone.

The relief corps has also been a big part of the team’s success in 2024, but is in transition with Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle leaving in free agency. Luke Weaver returns after a great season (2.89 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 11.0 K/9 rate) and was so effective in the postseason that he likely secured the closer’s role heading into 2025 has. Cashman needs to either keep Holmes and Kahnle or bring in similarly qualified replacements for setup roles.

In summary, Cashman needs to re-sign Soto, clear two infield spots and add multiple pitchers to the bullpen. It’s an eventful winter ahead after the team’s first World Series appearance in 15 years.

Perspectives on the horizon

New York’s youth pool suffered a setback this season as some of the organization’s top youth players failed to make significant progress. This is still a respectable group with a headliner.

Domínguez was on the verge of a permanent promotion when he appeared in eight games for the Yankees in 2023 before Tommy John surgery sidelined him until midway through that season. He returned to the majors in September and is a strong candidate to open 2025 with a starting job in New York.

Spencer Jones hasn’t made much progress this year but continues to be full of potential. The hulking center fielder spent the entire season in Double-A after completing 2023 at that level. After posting 200 strikeouts this year, he needs to improve his contact skills.

A few pitchers could also contribute next year. Will Warren has already thrown 22 2/3 innings in the majors, and although he posted an ugly 10.32 ERA, he recorded a solid 29 strikeouts with just 10 walks. Chase Hampton could also reach the majors next season, albeit likely late in the season after throwing just 18 2/3 minor league innings during an injury-marred 2024 season.

Goals for 2025

The Yankees are typically a “World Series or bust” team, and 2025 will be no different. The organization has appeared in the postseason in seven of the last eight seasons and won the AL pennant in 2024 for the first time in 15 years. While the Fall Classic result was a blow to New York, the expectation for the Yankees will still be to win it all in 2025.

With Soto signed to a long-term deal, Domínguez’s contributions and the pitching staff’s good health, Boone should have everything he needs to stay afloat in the highly competitive AL East. Should Soto leave, Cashman will have to be resourceful to replace the superstar’s offensive contributions. There is no other player on the open market who can match Soto’s production, and it would be extremely difficult to acquire a star at his level via trade for the second year in a row.

Fantasy focus

Judge will be a top-three pick in every 2025 fantasy baseball draft, and in some leagues he will be selected first overall. Soto will also be a first-round pick, especially if he stays with the Yankees. Chisholm is the other position player whose name will be called in the early rounds, but there will be a big gap between him and the Yankees’ next hitter.

When it comes to pitching, Cole will pose a conundrum for managers. The right-hander has been a top-five pitcher in recent years, but is valued more as a low-end ace entering his age-34 season. Rodón, Cortes, Schmidt and Gil will all be selected in Round 10, as will Weaver or whoever emerges as New York’s closer.