Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
The Bronx Bombers, The Evil Empire, The Pintstripes; whatever you might call them, they are one of the most recognizable brands in the world, period. They do most things very, very well; you either love them or you hate them. The Yankees haven't had a losing season since 1992; many of you readers weren't even thought of then. You have to give them credit; yes, they have all the resources in the world, but they do a great job implementing them into their program.
The state of the franchise is in good (not great) shape. They've made the playoffs in all but five seasons this millennium, but haven't won a World Series since 2009. They locked up their future Hall of Fame superstar long-term and have a lot of talent in the majors and minors. They are set up to win for years to come.
This team isn't called the Bronx Bombers for nothing; this team slugged 274 home runs - 30 clear of the next best team. Aaron Judge led the charge with his fourth 50-plus home run season and third MVP in four seasons; when he's locked in, you can't pitch to him. It wasn't only Judge, however, that hit a bunch of homers. Trent Grisham, who returns after accepting the qualifying offer, hit a career-high 34 long balls, Jazz Chisholm hit 31, Ben Rice hit 26, Giancarlo Stanton hit 24, and Austin Wells hit 21, and don't forget that free agent (at the time of writing) Cody Bellinger had 29. There is a balance of veterans and young stars on this roster, and we haven't even mentioned the two X-factors for this team, Anthony Volpe and Jasson DomÃnguez, who could really elevate it. If these players could even hit 75% of their potential, the Yankees' lineup could be really scary.
A 35-year-old Gerrit Cole should make his return from Tommy John surgery early in the season, as should Carlos Rodon from an elbow cleanup surgery in the offseason. They will join Max Fried and a mix of young, talented arms, including Cam Schlittler,Luis Gil, and Will Warren. Clarke Schmidt will look to return after the All-Star break to give some more depth. The bullpen, which was a bit of a mess last season, if we're being honest, will return David Bednar and Camilo Doval, but departing free agents Devin Williams (signed with NYM) and Luke Weaver (still a FA as of time of writing) leave them thin at the back end.
The farm system is full of interesting players on both sides of the ball. Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. top the list of upper-minor players who could see time with the Yankees in 2026. They are both ultra-talented, but they face challenges if they want to receive regular playing time. Dax Kilby is also a great early-round shot in FYPDs. The pitching prospects are just as fun, if not more, as Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, and a rehabbing Chase Hampton all offer at least mid-rotation upside.
This team is hated by most, and if they missed the playoffs with a losing record, it would probably be celebrated by many detractors. It's hard to see this happening, however, as they are primed for more postseason success in the near and long-term future.
A name-blind look at Rice’s underlying metrics could easily trick someone into thinking he had an Ohtani-esque year at the plate in 2025. The 26-year-old finished the season in the top five percent of all major leaguers in expected batting average (.290), expected slugging percentage (.550), average exit velocity (93.3 mph), and hard-hit rate (56.1%), while also posting top-tier chase (21.2%) and barrel (15.4%) rates. Additionally, he seems immune to any home-field advantage allegations, as he posted an OPS of .819 in away games, and he led all regular Yankee starters with 63% of his home runs being no-doubters (a home run in all 30 parks). Manager Aaron Boone has gone on the record stating that Rice will be New York’s starting first baseman next season, as well. Given this assurance of regular playing time and his elite quality of contact metrics, Rice has perhaps the most cost-effective upside in the Yankee lineup, from a dynasty standpoint.
Elmer RodrÃguez
The Yankees had a trio of prospect arms rise to prominence in 2025: Cam Schlittler, Carlos Lagrange, and RodrÃguez. While Schlittler stole headlines with his playoff heroics, and Lagrange will likely graduate off prospect lists in 2026 as the most highly ranked of the three, RodrÃguez seems like the clear best investment in dynasty leagues at the moment. In addition to almost certainly costing less than the other two in terms of trade value, RodrÃguez has the most pro-ready pitch mix. The right-hander throws five distinct offerings, and still has room to add a bit more velocity on his 95 mph fastball as he fills out his 6’3, 160 lb frame. New York’s prospect pitching depth is extensive, but RodrÃguez could well turn out to be the best of the bunch in two or three years’ time. Get some shares while you still can.
Dynasty Sells
Anthony Volpe
Brand recognition matters a great deal for the broader public’s valuation of players, and Volpe serves as a prime example. His status as shortstop of the New York Yankees and the lingering vestiges of his blue-chip prospect pedigree give the born New Yorker greater fantasy notoriety than a player with three straight sub-90 wRC+ seasons would typically garner. Volpe’s underlying hitting metrics ranged from middling to awful across the board in 2025, and while his defensive woes (-6 OAA) may be due to the shoulder injury he was playing through, that same injury is set to sideline him for the early going in 2026 as well. While his young age (24) and solid counting stats (19 home runs, 18 stolen bases) will likely tempt some people to view him as a compelling dynasty option at shortstop moving forward, the time has come for savvier fantasy managers to move on.
Spencer Jones
The best time to have sold Jones was when he looked like the second coming of George Herman Ruth over a two-month stretch across June and July this past season, in which he hit 20 home runs and posted a 1.219 OPS in 42 games. The second-best time to sell him is right now. Jones flashed legitimate 40-homer, 20-steal upside in 2025, and the possibility of him putting up those kinds of elite fantasy numbers in the big leagues is enough to make him a compelling acquisition for certain managers. Given the rest of his profile, however, the likelihood of Jones reaching those heights with any semblance of consistency is minimal. The tall outfielder’s swing decisions and contact skills were among the worst out of all Triple-A hitters in 2025, and these weaknesses will only be exploited more frequently once he faces major league pitching and game-planning at the next level. This offseason, capitalize on someone else’s eagerness to gamble on Jones’ potential by getting strong value for him while you can.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
Feast or famine, that is all Spencer Jones knows how to provide at the plate. Built more like an NBA small-forward than an outfielder at 6’7, 240 lbs., Jones had one of the most entertaining (and frustrating) seasons of any prospect in 2025. Buoyed by an unbelievable July in which he crushed eleven homers and registered an OPS of 1.423, the 24-year-old finished the season at Triple-A having posted a slash line of .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 29 stolen bases across two levels. That’s the good news. The bad? His Triple-A strikeout (36.6%), zone contact (67.2%), and chase (35.3%) rates were all abysmal. Jones finds the barrel often (17% rate) and hits the ball unbelievably hard (94.8 mph average exit velocity), but he may never make enough contact against major league pitching for any of that to matter. The Yankees added Jones to the 40-man this offseason, so expect him to reach the majors at some point in 2026. His polarized skillset makes him a tough evaluation for fantasy purposes, but his immense upside makes him a top-50 prospect in baseball heading into next season. - Lucas Morel
Lombard Jr. is among the most gifted players in the minor leagues; his toolbox is loaded. The Yankees have been aggressive with their young shortstop, and he has responded well to the challenge (111 wRC+ in 469 PA at Double-A as a young 20-year-old) with some noted deficiencies. A .235 batting average doesn't get many excited, but with his speed (35 steals) and ability to make hard contact, combined with continued improvement in his plate approach, higher averages are coming. Lombard needs to be more aggressive in the zone because when he makes contact, he can do damage (.354 wOBACON). The Yankees cannot be completely satisfied with how Anthony Volpe has performed recently, so the door is open for Lombard Jr. to push for the position. He may still be a year and change away from seeing the big leagues, but there is no doubting the talent here, and another year of growth and Lombard Jr. will be a consensus top 50 prospect. - Greg Hoogkamp
A 6’7 248lber who strikes out everyone he sees? And he’s a Yankee? The closer this kid gets to the bigs, the more the hype train will get out of control, folks. The only thing holding him back right now is sketchy command of those long levers, although it is worth noting that he’s made great strides from his horrific walk numbers from the 2024 season. After delivering 120 innings last year and finishing at Double-A, it’s not out of the question for Carlos Lagrange to clean things up a little and make his MLB debut in 2026. Despite his value shooting up considerably, there’s still room to grow here as an ascending young talent - I’d be buying. - Darren Eisenhauer
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
