The New York Yankees are at it again! They really look to come back with a bang in 2025, just a few months after failing to win the World Series title. As pointed out by MLB insider Joel Sherman, the Yankees were too dependent on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, as they relied too much on them to perform, mostly. But isn’t that too much to ask for from just the two?

Well, looking at the performance of both of these players, it definitely matters a lot to the Yankees. While Judge had a great 2024 season when he made 58 home runs and 144 RBIs with a.322 batting average, 1.159 OPS, and 223 OPS+, Soto also batted with a.288 average, making 41 home runs with 166 hits, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs. Quite evident to be Judge and Soto-centric, isn’t it? 

The Yankees are too dependent on their two superstars

The New York Yankees will look to defend their American League title after failing to make a significant mark in the World Series. They had their two superstars, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who still held the best record of 94-58 in the American League.

Now, on February 10, MLB insider Joel Sherman spoke in an interview with the New York Post Sports, “The Yankees were very much an NBA team last year; they were Judge and Soto centric, and the question became, can you keep moving forward with that model or you better off where you need depth of talent to do it this way, if there was a limit of payroll, and there’s clearly a limit on payroll.”

Sherman compared the Yankees with the NBA team, which followed a similar approach of going forward with players who have contributed majorly for the team rather than looking for new talents. So, what’s the main problem in that? Well, despite Aaron Judge and Juan Soto’s performances, the Yankees were no match for a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, who literally showed them what they had been capable of doing. But that’s not all!

Sherman went on to mention the $301 million payroll limitation, which should also be considered when trying to add new and young talent to the Yankees’ roster. However, the Yankees suffered a major blow after Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets for a $765 million contract, and they will be looking to make some additions to bolster their performance in the upcoming season. 

The Yankees look to address the gaps before spring training

The Yankees suffered a major loss, losing their superstar, Juan Soto, to the New York Mets. This massive defeat has pushed the Yankees’ manager, Brian Cashman, to focus on preventing the runs with some major additions—Devin Williams and Max Fried. While Max Fried went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA, 166 K, and 1.16 WHIP, Devin Williams had a 1.25 ERA, 38 K, and 0.97 WHIP; their addition could bolster the pitching staff and help the Yanks make it big this time. But that doesn’t end here!

The Yankees have focused on improving their offensive production, which led them to go for the former MVPs, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. Given that Goldschmidt had a.345 average, scoring 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, and.716 OPS, he could be a great bet for the Yanks. However, Bellinger is not much behind either, as he made 18 home runs with a.266 average, 78 RBIs, and.751 OPS, thus making the Yankees look like a strong force to reckon with, isn’t it?

Well, it is too early to say anything about that until the players they acquired do something exceptional and the Yankees leave a significant mark in the World Championship. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comment section below.