The New York Yankees’ last impression on a baseball field was not their best.
Fairly or unfairly, the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series stands as a memory of the Yankees’ 2024 season that will be difficult to erase. After posting the best record in the American League and clinching a berth in the World Series for the first time since 2009, the Yankees undid a season’s worth of work in one inning.
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By committing two physical errors and an even more damaging mental mistake in the field, the Yankees allowed the Dodgers to put together a five-run rally — all with two outs — to tie the game 5-5. The rally proved pivotal in an eventual 7-6 Dodgers win that ended the season and denied the Yankees their 28th World Series championship.
Much has happened since.
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The Yankees lost outfielder Juan Soto in free agency when he signed a 15-year, $765 million contract that became official last Wednesday. Days after learning they were out of the running for Soto, the Yankees agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Max Fried — arguably the best starter on the market — on an eight-year, $218 million contract.
Now, New York is reportedly engaged with the Chicago Cubs in discussions for former MVP Cody Bellinger.
Cody Bellinger would be a great fit for Yankees since he’s very good at 1B and very solid in CF, too. But for now there’s a gap on the $. Cubs don’t want to eat any of it, Yankees think they should. Bellinger is guaranteed $52.5M over 2 years with an opt-out after 2025.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 11, 2024
According to one prominent analyst, the Yankees will need to shift their focus to making fundamental improvements on the field.
Hall of Famer John Smoltz, FOX Sports’ lead analyst for the World Series and MLB All-Star Game, identified the Yankees’ top priority in a new appearance on “Foul Territory.”
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“Instead of the Yankees always trying to outscore everybody, they’re going to try to run prevent people,” Smoltz said. “And they’re going to have to clean up defensively, no doubt they have to get fundamentally better. I would believe that’s the number-1 thing in spring training.”
Fried’s acquisition gives the Yankees a left-handed ace to pair with right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole atop their rotation. For all his success in Atlanta, Fried’s talents will go to waste if the Yankees can’t convert the fly balls and ground balls he allows into outs.
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The same goes for the rest of a rotation that includes reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and veteran Carlos Rodon.
The Yankees’ defense might improve simply by attrition. Soto and infielder Gleyber Torres, who’s expected to leave in free agency, were subpar defenders last season. The Yankees can readily identify capable replacements in the field internally, in free agency, or on the trade market.
Regardless of which way they go, shifting to a run-prevention focus in 2025 means the Yankees must tighten up their play in the field.
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