While the New York Yankees’ front office is busy making additions – and subtractions – to hopefully field a World Series team in 2025, there are players already in-house who could help improve the roster.
The additions like Max Fried, Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger will certainly help the Yankees next season, but they will need a handful of returning players step into bigger roles if they want to make it back to the Fall Classic.
Here are three players who could make a big impact next season with just some improvements.
Yankees bounce-back candidates in 2025
OF Jasson Dominguez
The long-awaited arrival of “The Martian” was delayed and derailed by injuries last season. A torn ulnar collateral ligament requiring Tommy John surgery at the end of 2023 delayed his start last season, and an oblique injury during the summer derailed it. He struggled for the first time in his career when he finally got back to the big leagues.
With elite speed and power, Dominguez has dazzled fans and scouts since he signed a franchise-record $5.1 million deal as a 16-year-old. He may finally be given the runway to takeoff this year with GM Brian Cashman sending the message he can win the starting left field job in spring training.
SS Anthony Volpe
The shortstop has been inconsistent in his first two full seasons in the big leagues — there is no way around it. So far through 319 games, Volpe has slashed .228/.288/.373 with 323 strikeouts and 94 walks. He has 33 homers and 33 errors.
But there were signs that Volpe was maturing as a hitter during the postseason. Volpe, who will turn 24 in April, was one of the Yankees’ better hitters in the playoffs. He slashed .286/.407/.408 with a grand slam in the World Series. He drew 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in the playoffs.
C Austin Wells
In his first big-league season, Wells played a career-high 115 games and the 25-year-old had a rollercoaster of a year at the plate. After getting settled in, Wells had a blistering July and August, hitting nine of his 13 home runs. In September and October, he faded. Wells hit just .120 with 22 strikeouts in 14 playoff games this season.
There is no bigger jump between the minor and major leagues than for a catcher. The workload dealing with an elite rotation and the pressure of hitting is just so much greater. Wells showed the usual signs of a rookie fading as he played a career-high in games. He will be better prepared for his second year.
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