No one player can replace Juan Soto.
Same goes for Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees have superstar shoes to fill following the offseason departure of Soto to the Mets and Cole’s season-ending elbow surgery.
But the Yankees hope they are equipped to survive both losses with a deeper, more balanced roster than the one that went to the World Series last year.
After Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with their crosstown rival, the Yankees spread out their spending to sign Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt and to trade for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams.
But those four aren’t the only ones who will need to help pick up the slack, especially with the Yankees set to begin the season without Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbow in both arms) and Luis Gil (lat strain), too.
Here are the Yankees’ biggest X-factors for 2025.
MAX FRIED
When the Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract — the biggest ever for a left-handed pitcher — they envisioned him slotting behind Cole as one of the best No. 2 starters in baseball.
But without Cole, the Yankees need Fried to be their ace.
Fried’s 3.08 ERA over the last six seasons with the Braves ranks third among starters who threw at least 800 innings, while his 71 wins rank second. He earned two All-Star selections, two top-five finishes in National League Cy Young Award voting and three Gold Gloves during that stretch.
However, Fried’s 3.25 ERA last season was his highest since 2019, while his 11-10 record left more to be desired.
The Yankees believe baseball hasn’t seen the best of Fried.
“I have a lot of confidence in [pitching coach] Matt [Blake] and our pitching group that they can move the needle a little bit more and help him get better,” manager Aaron Boone said in December.
“You never want to stop working to get better. Look, he’s a frontline starter already, so how much can you move that needle? Hopefully we can.”
That would go a long way in filling Cole’s void.
JASSON DOMINGUEZ
Last season, the Yankees led the American League in runs per game (5.03) and home runs (237).
But that was with Soto, who delivered 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a .989 OPS.
For the Yankees to remain elite on offense, they will need increased production from multiple positions to help account for what they lost in Soto.
Left field is one of them.
Yankee left fielders last year combined for a .652 OPS, which ranked third-to-last in the AL. Last year’s primary left fielder, Alex Verdugo (.647 OPS), went unsigned until Thursday, when he reached a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Braves.
Domínguez, 22, is now the starter in left with an opportunity to live up to his top-prospect status.
The switch-hitter totaled 11 home runs with an .880 OPS in 58 minor-league games last year but struggled during a September stint in the majors.
Coming even close to his minor-league production would mark a major upgrade and could eventually factor into how the Yankees protect Aaron Judge in the lineup.
But Domínguez’s bat isn’t the only thing that makes him an X-factor. A natural center fielder, Domínguez misplayed multiple balls in left field last September and has had some trouble there this spring, too.
With this year’s roster emphasizing defense and run prevention, the Yankees need Domínguez to be capable on both sides of the diamond.
PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT
As unproductive as left field was for the Yankees last year, first base was worse.
The Yankees’ .619 OPS at the position ranked dead last in baseball, and they lacked continuity there after Anthony Rizzo went down for more than two months with a fractured forearm.
Goldschmidt, 37, posted career lows with a .245 batting average and a .716 OPS for the Cardinals last year, but both marks would represent significant improvements for the Yankees.
Three years removed from winning NL MVP, Goldschmidt was encouraged by the .799 OPS he posted in the second half last season, and he’s followed that up with a strong spring.
But Goldschmidt’s right-handed bat has become even more important with Stanton’s timeline to return uncertain.
If Goldschmidt can come close to his past All-Star form, he could be a solution in the middle of the Yankees order. But if Goldschmidt regresses again this season, the Yankees’ offense might be in trouble.
BEN RICE
Before he signed Goldschmidt, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman lauded Rice’s left-handed bat multiple times.
And while Goldschmidt is in line to be the primary first baseman, Rice seems poised to carve out a role with the Yankees.
That could be at DH until Stanton returns. The Yankees will likely use Judge there, too, to keep the slugger fresh.
Rice, 26, also offers depth at first base and catcher, his original position.
He hit .171 as a rookie but flashed his power potential with seven homers, including three in one game against the Red Sox.
Rice added 10 pounds this offseason and has looked even stronger this spring. He hit his fifth home run of the spring on Wednesday — a 388-foot blast that jumped of his bat at 110.3 mph. He previously hit homers with exit velocities of 113.3 mph and 111.6 mph.
