The New York Yankees have completed their first road trip of the 2026 season, and while it’s definitely too early to take any bit of data too seriously, these six games leave us with some important takeaways. The most important one is reflected in the standings, as the Yanks boast the best record in the American League. Still, here are five fun ones:
Cam Schlittler is the real deal
Well, we are running out of adjectives to describe Schlittler. Not only did he post a 2.96 ERA in his 73-inning cameo last year, but he also dominated
in the postseason and is at 11.2 scoreless frames in the young 2026 campaign, with no walks and 15 strikeouts.
He is now throwing harder than last year, Wednesday’s start notwithstanding (it was cold in Seattle), and has developed three different fastballs with elite velocity, command, and movement profiles: a four-seamer, a cutter, and a sinker. We don’t want to use the “a” word yet, but Schlittler is well on his way to cementing his place as one of the finest young starters in the league.
The Yankees’ offense is more than just Aaron Judge
Many MLB squads have scored more runs than the Yankees’ 24 as of Thursday afternoon. However, even with Aaron Judge sporting a 52 wRC+, New York has been able to win five out of six games, and to do that, the offense has to come up with some big hits.
Granted, the pitching has been doing most of the heavy lifting, but some of the non-Judge hitters are showing up. Four of them deserve a special mention: Giancarlo Stanton, Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. Stanton is hitting .500 and slugging .750, Rice is sporting a .765 slugging percentage and a 19 percent walk rate, Bellinger has stolen two bases already and boasts a .400 OBP, and the Yankees don’t win on Wednesday without Goldschmidt’s huge three-run jack against George Kirby.
The pitching staff has a chance to be elite
Most teams have allowed more than 20 runs by now. The Atlanta Braves, the second-best pitching staff to this point, have conceded 12 runs. The Yankees, however, lead the league with just six runs allowed.
The starters have a 0.53 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and 35 punchouts in 33.2 innings. Only David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Paul Blackburn have allowed runs among relievers. A couple of pitchers on the roster bubble this spring, Jake Bird and Brent Headrick, have looked amazing. And the Yankees still have Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt due back at some point. In terms of quality and depth, the pitching staff has a chance to be elite.
Giancarlo Stanton still has it
Stanton has already hit his first home run of the season and boasts a 1.250 OPS. He might not be able to open a bag of chips, but he sure can swing a bat and murder a baseball. The veteran slugger leads the Yankees’ position players in fWAR with 0.4, and he hasn’t set a foot in the outfield. As long as he is healthy, he will be among the most productive players on the field. Staying in one piece has proven to be a challenge, though.
The Yankees know their strike zone
The Yankees, through Wednesday, rank second in baseball with 81.3 percent of ABS challenges won, only behind the Baltimore Orioles’ 85.7 percent. New York is a perfect 100 percent in challenges initiated by pitchers and catchers, and ranks fourth in MLB in challenges initiated by hitters, with a 72.7 percent success rate according to ESPN. Their 13 successful challenges overall are second behind the Minnesota Twins’ 16.
The Yankees sure do know their strike zone. They were even 5-for-5 on Monday with Mike Estabrook as the home plate umpire, the day in which manager Aaron Boone was this close to being ejected.
