4 Winners and 4 Losers From Yankees' Nine-Game Homestand: Grisham Turning the Tide

The Yankees' recent homestand was a mixed bag with highly varying performances.

New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Immediately after the MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees held a key nine-game homestand in the Bronx.

With the Tampa Bay Rays pulling away in the AL East and the Boston Red Sox hot on the Yankees' tail for the first Wild Card spot, it was imperative for the Bronx Bombers to come away with a winning record during this stretch. Despite dropping the first series to the St. Louis Cardinals, New York rebounded by taking two of three from both the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners to finish 5-4.

It was an inconsistent homestand overall, especially at the plate. The Yankees' lineup showed signs of breaking out in some games but remained lifeless in others. The starting pitching and bullpen, save for two games, were able to keep New York in position to win every game. Some players were able to snap out of funks, while others continued to struggle.

Here are some of the winners and losers during the Yankees' homestand.

Winner: Trent Grisham

Aug 9, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What started out as a losing homestand for Trent Grisham turned into a winning one.

Before the middle game of the Braves series, the center fielder was mired in an 8-for-74 spiral since July 12. He was also struggling defensively, and the Cardinals took advantage of his diminished fielding in the rubber game of that series.

But over the last two games of the Braves series and the three-game set against the Mariners, Grisham snapped his slump and started a hot streak. He tallied nine hits in his next 21 at-bats, with seven of them going for extra bases (four doubles and three home runs).

Grisham's hits were timely too. He hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning in Game 3 vs Atlanta, delivered a key two-run single in the seventh inning of Game 1 against Seattle, and dominated the Mariners in Game 2 with a double, two homers and four RBI to fuel a comeback victory. If the Yankees can get more production like this from Grisham moving forward, then the offense should be in much better shape.

Loser: Ali Sanchez

Aug 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Ali Sanchez (39) runs out a single against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Perhaps it's unfair to tab Ali Sanchez a loser of this homestand after only four plate appearances. But that's exactly why he was negatively impacted by this stretch.

Sanchez was previously used as part of a platoon with Austin Wells, as the latter was effectively an automatic out against left-handed pitching amid his season-long slump. However, Wells is showing significant improvement to the point that the Yankees were confident enough to put him in a lineup against the Braves' Chris Sale, one of the best left-handers in all of baseball. Wells responded by roping a double off the former Cy Young winner.

If Wells maintains his current form, then Sanchez will see extremely limited opportunities down the stretch.

Winner: Austin Wells

Aug 9, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) hits a single in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

By extension, Wells was a clear winner during the Yankees' homestand.

Outside of the last game of the homestand, the Yankees started Wells behind the plate in each contest and he rewarded the team's faith in him. Wells went 8-for-22 with three doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored, while tallying a hit in all but one game.

Production from Wells will go a long way towards strengthening the bottom of the order, especially when reinforcements arrive at the top.

Loser: Heliot Ramos

Aug 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos (34) runs off the field after the top of the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heliot Ramos was one of the Yankees' two additions at the trade deadline, and his first impression was unfortunately poor.

Even though he reached base four times (one hit and three walks) in the series opener against the Braves, Ramos still recorded only two hits while striking out 10 times in his first 25 at-bats as a Yankee. His defense also doesn't look much better compared to Jasson Dominguez, the player he replaced on the active roster; Ramos misplayed a seemingly routine fly ball in the second game of the Atlanta series that resulted in a pair of runs scoring in the inning.

Granted, there's still time for Ramos to leave his mark on the Yankees. But considering the Bronx Bombers gave up a top prospect in Henry Lalane for him, it's hard not to be underwhelmed by Ramos' debut in pinstripes.

Winner: Luis Garcia Jr.

Aug 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) celebrates his two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals with teammates in the dugout during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In contrast to Ramos, Luis Garcia Jr. made a good first impression, notably by hitting a two-run home run in his very first game with the Yankees.

Garcia ultimately went 8-for-31 over eight games with his new team, and half of those hits went for extra bases. He also struck out just three times and even played solid defense at first base, leading the Yankees to keep playing him there while deploying Ben Rice in the DH spot.

It will be very interesting to see how the Yankees use Garcia when Giancarlo Stanton returns, as Rice would be moving back to first base in this scenario. For now, he will try to continue a solid start to his tenure in the Bronx.

Loser: Will Warren

Aug 12, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (29) follows through on a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the most part, the Yankees got strong starting pitching performances during the homestand, save for poor outings by Cam Schlittler in Game 1 against the Cardinals and Will Warren in Game 2 against the Mariners.

But while Schlittler's poor start does little to impact his status in the starting rotation (and he even made up for it with a brilliant outing against Atlanta), Warren's role as a starter is far more uncertain. He was victimized by a lack of run support in Game 3 against St. Louis, but his poor performance against Seattle is further proof of the right-hander's inconsistency and unreliability.

Ironically, the Yankees lost the game Warren pitched well in and won the game he pitched poorly in. Nonetheless, he appears to be the clear odd man out when Carlos Rodon returns to the starting staff.

Loser: Amed Rosario

Aug 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) catches a pop fly hit by Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (not pictured) in front of third baseman Amed Rosario (14) during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just like Ali Sanchez, it seems foolish to declare Amed Rosario a loser when he's seeing limited action. But the same logic applies here: Rosario was negatively impacted by this stretch because he's bound to see less playing time moving forward.

The veteran only made seven plate appearances during the Yankees' homestand, failing to get a hit in any of them (although he drew a key walk in the series opener against the Braves). Meanwhile, Ryan McMahon played the vast majority of the homestand and was productive, going 8-for-25 with five walks and five RBI, including the walk-off sacrifice fly in that same game against Atlanta.

Given the Yankees' focus on run prevention, Rosario's poor defense effectively limits him to pinch-hitting duties. Even then, Heliot Ramos is likely to replace him as the platoon bat against lefties once New York's lineup returns to full strength.

Winner: George Lombard Jr.

Aug 11, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) throws out Seattle Mariners right fielder Taylor Ward (not pictured) on a ground ball during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saving the best for last, the biggest winner of the Yankees' homestand was George Lombard Jr., who played his first few games in the major leagues yet looked like a seasoned veteran.

In eight games, Lombard went 8-for-29 with two home runs, three walks and six runs scored while dazzling in the field. Even though he showed his inexperience at times (most notably with eight strikeouts), that's even more reason to be excited about the young shortstop.

Lombard gradually adapted to each minor league level when climbing the ranks, so the fact that he's producing to this degree yet still adapting to the major leagues should make fans wonder what his full capabilities are. There is a very real possibility that Lombard will be the Yankees' starting shortstop down the stretch.

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