The Yankees’ ZiPS projections for the 2026 season have been released by FanGraphs,
Let’s take a look at the projections…
Offense
Could a third straight AL MVP Award be in the cards for Aaron Judge? FanGraphs projects Judge’s numbers to take a bit of a step backwards from his 53-homer, 215 OPS+ campaign he put together this past year, but they still see a great year for the slugger with 42 home runs, 115 RBI, a 181 OPS+, and a 7.7 WAR.
For the purposes of this exercise, FanGraphs included free agent Cody Bellinger among the Yankees hitters, and the former NL MVP is projected to have another strong season with a 112 OPS+ to go along with 22 home runs and 90 RBI.
The Yanks are projected to have six 20-plus home-run hitters, including, interestingly enough, top prospect Spencer Jones. It’s yet to be seen if Jones will have a big league role with the Bombers this coming season, but he’s projected to hit 22 home runs in 525 plate appearances. Strikeouts have been an issue for Jones in the minors, and the projection sees him striking out a team-high 200 times in 2026.
Starting Rotation
The biggest question for the rotation revolves around how former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole will bounce back from last spring’s Tommy John surgery. Cole is projected to make just 19 starts but pitch relatively well with a 3.91 ERA.
Carlos Rodon is in a similar situation after having October elbow surgery to clean up loose bodies and a bone spur, and he’s projected to pitch to a 4.04 ERA over 129.3 innings.
With those big names having some health issues, the rotation could be led by Max Fried and Cam Schlittler. Fried is projected to lead all Yankees starters with a 3.37 ERA, while Schlittler is projected to rack up 131 strikeouts in 128.7 innings, posing a 4.06 ERA
Bullpen
David Bednar, acquired at last season’s trade deadline, could see a strong first full season in pinstripes, with projections giving him a 3.23 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 61.1 innings.
Another trade deadline add, Camilo Doval, could also be in a for a nice season with a 3.64 ERA and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, and Tim Hill are also projected to be key pieces in Aaron Boone‘s bullpen.
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