Here are Yankees storylines we can't wait to cover at spring training

TAMPA, Fla. – The 2026 Yankees open camp this week with a roster that already looks chiseled in stone: every 2025 regular is back, the bullpen hierarchy is intact, and the rotation is set if the medical reports stay clean. That doesn’t mean the next six weeks will be short on plotlines. As pitchers and catchers settle into the complex off Dale Mabry Highway, here are the questions that will dominate our notebooks:

1. Where do Jasson Domínguez and Jared Jones fit? Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham’s return leaves the starting outfield unchanged, pushing Domínguez into a fourth-outfielder role and Jones into depth-chart limbo. The Yankees still believe Domínguez needs 450–500 plate appearances to tighten his approach against left-handed pitching, something he didn’t get while starting only 29 games after the All-Star break last summer. Jones’s right-handed power and 70-grade speed are tantalizing, but the 28-percent strikeout rate he posted across Double-A and Triple-A last year gives the front office pause. A loud spring could still send Jones to Scranton for everyday at-bats while the club decides whether either prospect becomes late-July trade currency.

2. Can the young starters add the missing pitch? Right-hander Brock Schlittler, breakout star of the 2025 ALDS against Boston, is penciled into the middle of the rotation. The organization wants him to incorporate a changeup to keep lefties honest; we’ll chart how often he deploys it in exhibition games and whether hitters’ early feedback accelerates or stalls the experiment. Southpaw Ryan Weathers, acquired from Miami in the only external move of consequence this winter, is being asked to develop a two-seam fastball to complement his four-seamer and sweeping slider. The shape and location of that pitch during his first Grapefruit League outings will hint at whether he can crack the season-opening staff.

3. What is Ben Rice’s defensive home? Few things excite the Yankees more than Rice’s bat speed, but his glove remains a work in progress. With Paul Goldschmidt back on a one-year deal, Rice will spend camp learning first-base footwork from a four-time Gold Glover. Manager Aaron Boone has not ruled out occasional catching reps—Rice logged 18 games behind the plate in 2025—but every error or awkward exchange this spring will determine how flexible the Yankees can be once the season starts. The club also wants Rice to face more left-handed pitching; Goldschmidt’s presence could shield him from tough matchups early on.

4. How does the injury rehab circuit look? Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are all throwing off mounds as they work back from late-season ailments. Each bullpen session will be scrutinized for velocity, command and body language; if any of the trio suffers a setback, Weathers or swingman option Luis Gil could vault into the opening-day rotation.

5. Who plays shortstop while Anthony Volpe mends? Volpe’s November shoulder surgery will sideline him until at least May, creating a month-long audition for Jose Caballero. Caballero’s elite sprint speed and 95th-percentile bat-to-ball metrics give the lineup a different dimension, but his ability to turn the routine play will decide whether he sticks once Volpe is cleared. Utilitymen Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera could lose bench at-bats if Caballero forces his way into an everyday role.

6. Is this the beginning of the end for Jazz Chisholm Jr.? Entering his walk year, Chisholm is unlikely to receive a contract extension. The 28-year-old is coming off a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign despite groin and oblique issues that cost him 37 games. When engaged, he is a middle-of-the-order force and a plus defender with a cannon arm; when he isn’t, the mental lapses mount. A focused, healthy spring would boost both his trade value and the Yankees’ championship odds.

Position battles may be scarce, but the stakes are anything but low. By the time the club breaks camp on March 28, answers to these questions will shape the narrative of a season the Yankees expect to end in late October.