"Move the Needle," he says.

"It’s a deal the Yankees had to get done. After standing pat and failing to make any major moves thus far into the offseason, it truly began to feel as if it was Bellinger or bust for New York. Fortunately, they’ve managed to retain their top free agent, but does his return truly enhance the team’s chances of winning a World Series?"

You're wrong!

Bellinger returning is important!

 

"Don’t get me wrong. Bellinger returning is important. But the Yankees are effectively back to where they were last season when they were routed in the ALDS by the rival Blue Jays. As it stands, the organization will trot out the same core in 2026 as they did in 2025, while many of their competitors have re-tooled and gotten better."

The Blue Jays lost Bichette, if that helps.

 

"Bellinger’s return seems like the absolute bare minimum for New York. GM Brian Cashman better have a few more moves up his sleeves, because as it stands now, the Yankees don’t look like the best team in the American League, let alone a real threat to dethrone the Dodgers."

So who's the best team in the AL?

I mean, it's just a pretty vague and eye-opening statement to say "many of their competitors have re-tooled and gotten better" without describing who in the AL has "re-tooled and gotten better."

Supposing the Blue Jays were the best team in the AL in 2025 ... they made the World Series and beat the Yankees head to head in the regular season and the playoffs, of course.

Have the Blue Jays moved the needle? If you REALLY like Dylan Cease that much, then go on record and say it.

Who else is in the running?

The Mariners, the Rangers, the Astros, the Red Sox, the Tigers ... have they really re-tooled and moved the needle in a positive direction? "Running back" Tarik Skubal doesn't count.

I like Pete Alonso well enough. Is he going to be worth 20 extra wins for the Orioles?

 

The 2026 Yankees are not an exciting narrative. They are going to slog their way through the regular season with 90+ wins and likely lose in the playoffs again. Same reasons as always. Though maybe this year they catch a few breaks and emerge victorious.

As for Bellinger, he is precisely the type of player that might help get them over the hump.

 

 

PED usage doesn't bother me as much as it bothers many people.

Pettitte has a case. He's 100 games over .500 for his career.

But there are dozens and dozens of players who are more deserving and have waited longer and ... obviously ... if the voters are suddenly forgiving of PED usage in Pettitte's case, I think it's just because he charmed them with an "aw, shucks" persona.

Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam in the World Series.

I mean, sure.

If you're picking a bounce-back candidate for the Yankees ... and you don't include players coming back from the IL, such as Gerrit Cole ... who else are you going to go with?:

"Manager Aaron Boone acknowledges he’d like to see Volpe get on base more consistently, but the Yankees point to his age, work ethic and postseason résumé -- including a World Series grand slam in 2024 -- as indicators that brighter days are still ahead."

As you ought to know by now, none of these factors are reason for optimism. 

I fully expect him to be better in 2026. He isn't going to be worse. 

But it's just like, "he's young and he hit a grand slam in the World Series and also has had occasional good games in the playoffs."

I mean, come on now. Are any of these things actually indicators that brighter days are  ahead? Is it really necessary for me to list a whole bunch of mediocre young players who had big games in the playoffs?

When Brian Doyle was 24 years old, he batted .438 in the World Series. Brighter days were not ahead for Brian Doyle on the way to a career WAR of -1.2.

I think the World Series grand slam was the worst thing to happen to Volpe. Similar to the home run he hit in Game One of the Wild Card series last year. He seems to have gotten addicted to the feeling and wants to hit a home run every time. That's how you end up striking out 11 times in 15 at-bats. 

 

Anthony Volpe has a nice family.

I don't even disagree with what ARod is saying. Volpe is an extreme example of an all-or-nothing modern hitting philosophy. Also:

“He really is an incredible young man with a great family and the organization has fallen in love with him."

That's cool. 

His dad should be the emcee at the company picnic.

Volpe can be a participant in the potato sack race while the starting players sit it out.

And you have nothing better to do than write about it.

Some people lack self awareness.

But I suppose he did recognize that, yeah.

Most Yankee fans didn't want him back on the team anyway. 

On account of they won the World Series.

"The Dodgers are bad for baseball" crowd.

The tactic is so tedious and stupid.

Create a non-existent position and then tear it down.

"Just as everyone feared or sneered, the Los Angeles Dodgers are champions. Again. In what some forecasted as a harbinger of doom, the sinister strategy of employing the best baseball player on the planet along with a generous number of his nearly equal peers proved effective. It’s not fair, some people will say in the coming months about the fact that the team broadly believed to be the best ultimately won it all."

In the world of hyperlinks, "everyone" and "some people" should have examples of the widespread existence of such sentiments.

"To be a little less sanctimonious and a lot less poetic: People take issue with Dodgers because of their payroll. Including the penalties for blowing past the various tax thresholds, the Dodgers paid more than half a billion dollars for their rings this season. Small market owners would tell you the Dodgers should be cheaper. If the Dodgers didn’t try so hard at roster construction it would be easier to keep up. Is that how competition works?"

"People."

"People" have lots of opinions, but there just isn't a huge anti-Dodgers fever sweeping the country. 

Maybe they're watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 reruns.

Hey, man, you're the clown who was talking about a Subway Series in June. "The '86 Mets 2.0" and all that nonsense.

Fundamentally, the reason your predictions are usually wrong is because you seldom know what you're talking about. 

Who will be the hero?

Funny, this is my pick as well:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, INF

With Bo Bichette playing at less than 100 percent due to a compromised left knee, there’s a decent chance we see Kiner-Falefa in Game 7. And while he hasn’t hit well in this World Series so far, IKF did hit .333 with a pair of doubles in the seven-game ALCS victory over the Mariners. And he has some significant playoff experience, having played in 20 playoff games between the Yankees in 2022 and the Blue Jays this postseason.

Sans the power, Kiner-Falefa has demonstrated some of what has made the 2025 Blue Jays so successful at the plate -- he makes frequent contact (15.1% whiff rate during the regular season) and doesn’t strike out often (16.8% K rate in the regular season). If there’s one thing Toronto has shown during these playoffs, it’s that putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the opposing defense can pay dividends.

If it comes down to a big moment late in the game when putting the ball in play could be huge, Kiner-Falefa could find himself in the spotlight with a chance to etch his name into Blue Jays lore.

-- Manny Randhawa

 

"Shut up and ground out to the second baseman with runners in scoring position."

The Star-Ledger doesn't need to pay attention to Mark Teixeira. It isn't sports coverage.

Just my periodic reminder that Yankee fans ran Clay Holmes out of town.

Not to mention IKF, who starred in the ALCS turning confident doubles plays and delivering a pivotal two-strike hit in Game Seven.

Luke Weaver was a fun ride while it lasted. It was a mirage. He is the same as most relief pitchers. He is closer-quality unhittable for very brief periods of time. He's more Chad Green than Mariano Rivera.

Mr. Met Chris Bassitt finally gets a chance to get a ring with ... ummm ... let me look him up online to find out what team he's on.

Scherzer was with the Mets for 15 minutes.

Good article, though. 

They really changed their facial hair policy because of this guy.

"Where" is the least of my concerns.

Winning is fun. Losing is not fun. It really doesn't matter where it happens. 

Please don't talk about the Yankees. You don't know what you're talking about.

The 2025 Mets are going to challenge the 1986 Mets.

It's basically just a jinx. If Lupica has a prediction about a baseball outcome, bet the ranch on the opposite.