Yankees' grades from the 2026 season: Mostly good marks despite a disappointing end

The first eight seasons of the Aaron Boone-era Yankees were characterized, mostly, by earlier-than-expected October exits.

Season No. 9 played out the same.

And for the Yankees, as disappointing as the 2025 season-ending was – a four-game ALDS loss to the Blue Jays after a victory over Boston in the AL Wild Card Series – this latest October setback might have left the sourest taste of them all.

After outscoring the Red Sox, 18-2, in a two-game wild-card-series sweep, the Yankees, armed with a season-long standout rotation that was at its dominating best entering the postseason, were swept by the AL East champion Rays in the best-of-five ALDS.

There were highlights along the way – Ben Rice’s emergence as one of the game’s most lethal bats, to name one, with two potentially significant others being the big-league debuts of shortstop George Lombard Jr. and outfielder Spencer Jones. Lombard and Jones, along with Rice and new staff ace Cam Schlittler, showed possibilities of being franchise cornerstones for years to come.

But the overall season, because of how it ended, struggles to be called anything but a disappointment.

That said, the Yankees grades for 2026:

Aaron Boone, manager: Boone may have done his best work as the Yankees performed well without three-time MVP Aaron Judge -- which rarely happened in the past. But the Yankees have consistently underachieved in October under Boone, and the postseason what-ifs sound similar year after year, sometimes word-for-word. GRADE: B

David Bednar, RP: In his first full season with the Yankees, the highlight of the 2025 trade deadline haul showed the spotlight that comes with being this franchise’s closer isn’t too big. GRADE: A

Cody Bellinger, OF/1B: Bellinger missed 25 games with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He finished a roller-coaster regular season strong but not as consistent day-to-day as he was in 2025. GRADE: C+

Paul Blackburn, RP: Blackburn, a failed starter, blossomed into one of the league’s top relievers, likely earning himself a big free-agent market payday, though likely not from the Yankees. GRADE: A

Jose Caballero, INF/OF: The utility man was his typical, pest-like self on the basepaths with 34 steals (though he was caught 11 times), but wasn’t quite the same offensive or defensive spark plug he was last season after arriving at the trade deadline. GRADE: C+

Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B: Though impressive on the basepaths with a team-high 41 steals, Chisholm followed up a standout 2025 -- when he produced just the fourth 30-30 season in franchise history -- with a rough, across-the-board walk year that made it all but certain he won’t be back. GRADE: C-

Gerrit Cole, SP: While he showed the expected rust most pitchers exhibit when returning from Tommy John surgery, he also flashed the Hall of Fame-caliber

skillset that likely will punch his ticket to Cooperstown. GRADE: B

Fernando Cruz, RP: A partial right UCL tear suffered in late August shortened what had been a second straight strong season out of the bullpen. GRADE: B

Yerry de los Santos, RP: A frequent passenger on the up-down-up-down Scranton Shuttle, the dart-throwing reliever generally produced when called upon, posting a 2.05 ERA in 16 games. GRADE: B

Camilo Doval, RP: He was among the more disappointing trade-deadline acquisitions in recent years after his 2025 arrival, and was shipped off to the Pirates before this year’s deadline. GRADE: D-

Max Fried, SP: Two IL stints didn’t keep the reliable lefthander from having a second straight terrific season in the Bronx. GRADE: A-

Luis Garcia Jr., 1B: Garcia arrived at the trade deadline with the reputation of having superb bat-to-ball skills and did not disappoint. GRADE: B+

Luis Gil, SP/RP: The organization could decide to move on from the hard-throwing righty, whose AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2024 has never seemed more in the past. GRADE: D

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B/DH: Goldschmidt is a respected clubhouse veteran who, even with sporadic playing time in his age 38 season, consistently hammered lefty pitching. GRADE: B

Trent Grisham, CF: His career-best 2025 campaign prompted the Yankees to extend the $22.025 million qualifying offer, but over the next year, things progressively went downhill. GRADE: C-

Brent Headrick, RP: Overuse (a team-high 81 appearances) caused the lefthander to tire down the stretch but he spent much of the season as one of the game’s elite bullpen weapons. GRADE: A-

Tim Hill, RP: The consistent bullpen arm in 2025 was anything but in ’26. GRADE: C

Spencer Jones, OF: Things seemed to fall into place for the hyped prospect during his third stint in the big leagues this season, and that has the organization again dreaming big on him for the future. GRADE: B+

Aaron Judge, RF/DH: Judge followed up his third AL MVP season with one of the most frustrating years of his career after injuries limited him to 66 games. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

George Lombard Jr., SS: Though far from a finished product, nothing, including postseason baseball, appeared to faze the 21-year-old rookie after his call-up in early August. GRADE: B+

Ryan McMahon, 3B: Little production at plate combined with surprising inconsistency in the field has the Yankees searching for third base options in 2027. GRADE: C-

Heliot Ramos, OF: The reserve player failed to impress, on either side of the ball, after his acquisition at the trade deadline. GRADE: D

Ben Rice, 1B/DH: The seemingly effortless way in which he reached 41 homers spurs the thought that it’s just a matter of time before Rice hits 50. GRADE: A-

Carlos Rodon, SP: Like Fried, Rodon had two IL stints but, like Fried, was mostly outstanding when on the mound. GRADE: A-

Amed Rosario, INF: Under the category of “you had one job” – in this case, hit lefties – Rosario, unlike in the past, didn’t do it. GRADE: C-

Cam Schlittler, SP: Schlittler will win the AL Cy Young Award in a landslide. Enough said. GRADE: A+

Giancarlo Stanton, DH/OF: Stanton worked his way back for pinch-hit duties in the playoffs but his season was essentially sunk in late April in Houston when he suffered a calf injury. GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Anthony Volpe, SS/2B: Volpe elevated his already high clubhouse standing with his work in the minors after losing the shortstop job to Lombard Jr. and putting himself in position to be, possibly, the starting second baseman in 2027. GRADE: C+

Will Warren, SP: Warren had his second straight workhorse-like season, making 29 starts after posting 32 times in 2025. He occasionally tantalizes with front-of-the-rotation stuff. GRADE: B+

Ryan Weathers, SP: A forearm flexor strain suffered in late August short-circuited what had been an excellent first year in pinstripes for the hard-throwing lefthander. GRADE: B+

Austin Wells, C: Wells has turned himself into a solid catcher – and at times an exceptional one – but his offense continues to regress. GRADE: C

Ryan Yarbrough, RP/SP: Yarbrough is the under-the-radar Swiss Army Knife of the bullpen. GRADE: B

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.