Four Key Takeaways for Yankees After Series Victory Against Pirates

Here are four key takeaways from the New York Yankees series win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Mar 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) reacts after allowing a two run home run to Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees were able to bounce back after a series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks with a nice weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Coming into the weekend, the Yankees were understandably expected to win the series against the Pirates. Pittsburgh might have some talented pitchers, but their lineup is one of the worst in baseball, resulting in the team not being very good. 

Their offensive struggles showed for most of the series and New York was able to come away with the series victory. 

However, while winning the series was encouraging, it wasn’t perfect and there are some lingering issues for the Yankees to address. 

Here are four key takeaways from the series win for the Yankees against the Pirates. 

Stroman Not Long-Term Answer 

It was another lackluster start from the former All-Star on Saturday and the Yankees really have to think about what his future is with the team. 

Against the Pirates, the right-hander totaled just four innings pitched and allowed four runs in a no-decision. 

This was the second straight start in which he didn’t reach the fifth inning, which obviously isn’t good. Short starts put pressure on the bullpen, and the Yankees need him to be better with their injury issue in the rotation. 

Offense Keeps Rolling 

In the first two games of the series, New York’s offense continued to roll. They were able to put up nine runs and 10 runs to begin the set, and really set the tone. 

This offense continues to be extremely impressive with talent throughout the lineup. The power has been unmatched so far this campaign, and there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic that they might be able to keep this up to some degree. 

Warren’s Struggles

After a fairly impressive first outing for the young right-hander against the Diamondbacks, the encore against the Pirates wasn’t nearly as good for Will Warren. 

The right-hander allowed four runs in four innings pitched and took the loss. Furthermore, there does seem to be a bit of an issue with his velocity as the game progresses, which will be something to keep an eye on moving forward. 

With Clarke Schmidt set to return soon, it will be interesting to see the spot in the rotation he ends up taking. 

Grisham a Strong 4th Outfielder

Even though the veteran outfielder was brought in for his defense, he is off to a nice start offensively as well to begin the year. In the second game of the series, the slugger went 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI. 

If Grisham is going to continue to hit like that, he will be able to find himself playing time in the outfield with the defensive concerns late in the game for Jasson Dominguez and a desire to get Aaron Judge some time at designated hitter. 

In the series finale, he also showed off the clutch gene in the ninth inning with a two-run RBI single to tie the game. Getting that type of production out of the ninth spot in the lineup showcases the depth and talent this unit has currently.