The New York Yankees didn’t really make too much noise before the 2026 trade deadline. They added a slugging first baseman in Luis García Jr., an outfielder in Heliot Ramos, and not much else. They failed to bring in significant additions to the rotation and bullpen, which was ‘addressed’ with cheap free-agent signing Michael Fulmer and waiver claim John Schreiber well after August 3.
For this exercise, let’s focus on the major trades, namely García and Ramos, and a third player who was called up
from Triple-A Scranton but has been, essentially and for all intents and purposes, a post-deadline acquisition: shortstop George Lombard Jr.
Luis García Jr.
The lefty slugger has been the best player the Bombers acquired at or around the trade deadline. The 26-year-old masher started his breakout in the nation’s capital and continued it in the Bronx. He has hit, before Friday’s game, a robust .292/.337/.500 with five home runs and a 132 wRC+ in pinstripes.
García had flirted with above-average power numbers in the past, but he had never put together such a strong season until 2026, making him a bit of a gamble for the Yankees. So far, it’s safe to say it has paid off big-time, as he has given the team a reliable, productive left-handed slugger to plug and play in the middle of the lineup.
During times when the Yanks missed some key power hitters, including the still-absent Aaron Judge, García has proved to be a useful hitter.
Heliot Ramos
While García’s arrival has been a hit, the same can’t be said about Ramos. The outfielder is struggling to the tune of a .141/.286/.266 with a home run, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, a 61 wRC+, and -0.5 fWAR. He has been with the Yankees for a month, yet he’s already their least valuable position player by fWAR.
If we see Ramos’ performance with the Yankees without context, he has been a disaster. However, it’s important to point out that since August 20, he has been hitting a solid .227/.370/.455 with a homer, two doubles, and a 136 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances. His expected stats also suggest he’s been quite unlucky in New York; he’s got a perfectly solid .338 expected wOBA as a Yankee. See, for instance, the hardest-hit double play ball in the majors this year:
Perhaps if we give him some more time, his overall stat line would look a lot better.
Ramos isn’t much of a defender, and he isn’t particularly fast, either, but in time, he’ll prove that he’s a fine hitter with power. His role will undoubtedly diminish when Aaron Judge returns from injury, though.
George Lombard Jr.
The Yankees decided to start the Lombard clock on August 4, right after the deadline. And what a ride it has been. He started his MLB tenure on fire, with highlight-reel defensive plays and two homers in his first four games.
After a few weeks, his offensive performance started to diminish, and he had a .253/.310/.367 line with a 90 wRC+ on Tuesday, when he had to depart a game after injuring his knee. He dodged a bullet and, after missing a few days, returned to the lineup on Friday.
The Yankees are committed to letting him develop at the MLB level. After all, he made light work of Double-A and Triple-A pitchers this year.
Lombard is the Yankees’ shortstop of the future. He’s an extremely young player, and he may make mistakes in bunches, but the potential is there for him to impact games both offensively and defensively (and on the basepaths, too) for a long time.
