The Yankees’ Offseason Overhaul Is Already Paying Dividends
After losing slugger Juan Soto to the Mets in free agency, the Yankees front office faced pressure to retool the roster. Rather than chasing a direct replacement, GM Brian Cashman took a different approach — focusing on building a more balanced team across the board for manager Aaron Boone heading into 2025.
The marquee move came with the signing of ace left-hander Max Fried, who inked an 8-year, $218 million deal to join Gerrit Cole atop the rotation. With Cole sidelined, Fried immediately assumed the role of staff ace as the season began.
He wasn’t the only big splash. The Yankees also brought in veteran slugger Paul Goldschmidt to shore up first base, traded for shutdown closer Devin Williams, and added Cody Bellinger to bolster the outfield.
With the 2025 season still in its early stages, fans have plenty to be excited about. Here are three new Yankees already making a major impact:
1. Max Fried – Living Up to the Ace Hype
Fried entered the season with enormous expectations and has quickly found his groove. Despite a rocky start in his first two outings, he’s now posting a dominant 1.88 ERA through 24 innings and has already earned three wins.
Though he’s not known for overpowering stuff, Fried has still managed to strike out more than a batter per inning, showcasing the depth and precision of his pitch mix. Even with a few unearned runs on the books, he’s looked every bit the ace the Yankees hoped for — and they’ll need him to keep dealing if they want to stay atop the AL East.
- Max Fried
2. Paul Goldschmidt – A Veteran Bat with a Hot Start
New York took a calculated risk on the 37-year-old Goldschmidt with a one-year deal — and so far, it’s been a home run. He’s hitting an impressive .352 over 71 at-bats, offering a massive upgrade at first base over last year’s struggles with Anthony Rizzo and Ben Rice.
While the power numbers haven’t popped yet, his consistent contact and strong defense have made him one of the team’s most reliable contributors. If he keeps swinging like this, the lack of long balls won’t matter much.
3. Devin Williams – Stabilizing the Bullpen
Though Williams had a few shaky moments out of the gate, his presence has brought much-needed clarity to the back end of the bullpen. With him locking down the ninth, Boone has been free to deploy Luke Weaver in high-leverage middle innings — and Weaver’s thrived, tossing nine scoreless innings so far.
Williams’ signature “airbender” pitch is starting to re-emerge, as seen in a sharp save against the Rays. He may not win over Yankees fans until October, but he’s already brought structure and upside to a revamped relief corps.
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