Overall, it has been a good first half of the season for the New York Yankees, even though they have been very inconsistent. They sit at 54-42 (a 91-win pace), and their best player, Aaron Judge, has played only 59 games. There are plenty of positives to take away from the first half for the Bronx Bombers, but there is a fair share of negatives as well.
In this article, I will go over three positives and three negatives from the Yankees’ 54-win first half. Let’s get the negatives out of the way first.
Health of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton
Well, like I mentioned in the opening, the Yankees have been without Aaron Judge for a decent portion of the first half. Judge last played on May 31 in Sacramento against the Athletics. Since then, he has been sidelined with a right rib fracture. During the All-Star break, Judge is set to undergo imaging on his right rib. Right now, the Yankees are targeting a mid- to late-August return for the captain, but the results of the imaging will provide a more precise timetable.
Giancarlo Stanton has played in only 24 games this season. He last played on April 24 in Houston against the Astros. Stanton has been sidelined with a right calf strain, and currently there is no timetable for his return.
Without two of their most important hitters in Judge and Stanton, the Yankees’ offense has still been great, posting the sixth-highest OPS in the majors at .742. But getting Judge and Stanton back will give the Yankees’ lineup a major boost.
Disappointing Offensive Season from Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has struggled all season at the plate. Over 91 games and 360 plate appearances, Chisholm Jr. is batting .223 with 13 home runs, 37 RBI and a .698 OPS. In 2025, over 130 games and 531 plate appearances, Chisholm Jr. batted .242 with 31 home runs, 80 RBI and an .813 OPS. Chisholm Jr. has still been very valuable because of his elite defense and baserunning, but the Yankees expected more from him at the plate, and thus far this season, he
hasn’t delivered.
Zero Production from the Catching Position
The Yankees have gotten absolutely nothing out of their catchers this season. The Yankees catchers (Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, & Ali Sanchez) have combined for a 0.2 fWAR (24th in MLB), and a .522 OPS (29th in MLB).
In particular, Austin Wells has put together a very disappointing campaign. Through 66 games and 220 plate appearances, Wells has a .504 OPS, and a –0.3 fWAR. The Yankees expected Wells to be a reliable force behind the plate for them, and this season he has been far from that.
Although, during the last 4 games before the all-star break, Wells has shown some signs of life. In the last 4 games, in 13 plate appearances Wells has hit 2 home runs, and has a 1.058 OPS. This is a miniscule sample size, but at this point the Yankees are looking for anything from Austin Wells, and hopefully this recent short stretch can get him going.
Since we are now done talking about the main negatives from the Yankees’ first half, let’s take a look at some of the bright spots.
Ben Rice Has Turned Into a Star
After putting together a spectacular second season in the big leagues, Ben Rice has been even better in his third MLB season. Rice has been the Yankees’ best hitter this season, batting .279 with 29 home runs and 68 RBI. Those 29 home runs are the third most in MLB, while his 68 RBI rank fourth. Rice’s .971 OPS also ranks third in the majors. His 29 home runs through 91 games this season are already more than the 26 home runs he hit in 138 games last season. The ascension of Rice has been vital, especially because of the injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
38-Year-Old Paul Goldschmidt Getting It Done
This past offseason, the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million contract. Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office expected Goldschmidt to be a veteran presence on the bench who would get occasional playing time. But in 2026, Goldschmidt has produced in a big way while taking on a much larger role.
Due to the injury to Giancarlo Stanton, Goldschmidt was thrust into a more prominent role on this Yankees roster, and boy has he taken advantage of it. In 68 games, Goldschmidt is batting .258 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI. His OPS sits at a strong .808. He is doing all of this while playing a really good first base, recording +4 Outs Above Average. Goldschmidt has a 1.5 fWAR through 68 games, which would equate to a 3.6 fWAR over 162 games. Goldschmidt being this productive at the age of 38 has been a pleasant and much-needed surprise for the Yankees.
Bullpen Has Been Elite
The Yankees’ bullpen, despite being criticized at points due to the shortcomings of pitchers like Jake Bird and Camilo Doval, has been superb. Over the first 94 games of the 2026 season, the bullpen has pitched to a 3.04 ERA, the best in the majors. For a team to be this good in a certain area, you need to have guys who overperform their initial expectations, and the Yankees have two guys who are doing that: Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn. Headrick, through 47 appearances and 46 1/3 innings, has a 1.55 ERA, and Blackburn, a converted starter to reliever, has a 2.22 ERA through 32 appearances and 48 2/3 innings. The Yankees’ bullpen has been a strength.
Heading into the second half of the season, the Yankees are in a good spot. In my opinion, they are only going to get better with Judge and Stanton coming back from injury and the trade deadline on the horizon. The Yankees are primed to go on a run to the World Series in a remarkably terrible American League.
