5 Yankees Who Have Erased Any Early-Season Doubts in May

Any early concerns regarding these Yankees are officially in the rearview mirror.

José Caballero is one player whom Yankees fans no longer have to worry about. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

As baseball's biggest team, the Yankees constantly face a ton of pressure each season. The 2026 MLB campaign is no different, and while things haven't always gone smoothly this spring, the Yankees are arguably exceeding their lofty expectations, sitting atop the American League with a 25-11 record as of Wednesday morning—just 0.5 games behind the Braves for the best record, period.

New York's future is bright, to say the least, and that positive outlook stems from the majority of players—young guns and veterans alike—doing their part in manager Aaron Boone's lineup. That includes performances from individuals marred by question marks before or during the early part of the season, only to erase those concerns with each passing game.

Here are five Yankees whose ongoing performances have addressed any early concerns fans possibly had.

* Stats are as of Wednesday, May 6 at 3:20 p.m. ET.

1. José Caballero, SS

With Anthony Volpe injured to start the season, José Caballero faced a ton of pressure as the Yankees' de facto starting shortstop.

The rival Rays traded the veteran infielder to the Big Apple last season, leading to his tallying three home runs, nine RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and 14 walks while slashing .266/.372/.456 in 40 games (79 at-bats) to end the year. Those are decent batting stats; however, fans wondered how he'd fare as the everyday SS, seeing how Boone & Co. used him all over the infield and outfield last year.

Fortunately, Caballero hasn't looked out of place. In fact, he's thriving, boasting a .982 fielding percentage while pacing the Majors with 107 putouts. His plus-2 outs above average (OAA) rank eighth-best among MLB shortstops, while his 80% success rate is sixth-best, according to Baseball Savant.

José Caballero has been one of the most important Yankees in 2026. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Caballero's excellent performance has given him a stranglehold over the starting SS role, which fans assumed would go to Volpe when he returned. Instead, Volpe returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over the weekend, and, to be honest, a path back to the Yankees' lineup seems unlikely.

Caballero's strong batting effort and reliable defense helped Yankees fans move on from Volpe, leaving it up to the 29-year-old to prove if the best is yet to come.

2. Ryan McMahon, 3B

Speaking of the Yankees' infield, it goes without saying that Ryan McMahon's performance gave fans plenty of reason to demand change earlier this season. The former All-Star third baseman was struggling to make contact with the ball in April, and while stellar defense has been his calling card throughout his MLB career, that also took a dip through the first several weeks.

From March 25 to April 22, McMahon slashed an abysmal .125/.276/.188 with a home run, four RBIs, and 20 strikeouts in his first 22 games (48 ABs). That included 16 hitless performances (72.7%), emphasizing how frustrating he was to watch—clearly not worth the $16 million annual salary he's earning.

But just when hope was being lost, McMahon turned the page.

Ryan McMahon has played his way back into Yankees fans' good graces with his recent performances. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

McMahon looks like a new player since notching a pinch hit vs. the Red Sox on April 23. Including that outing, the 31-year-old 3B has two HRs, seven RBIs, two doubles and a stolen base in his last 12 games. He's slashing .325/.325/.525 in 40 ABs along the way, and that's without mentioning his seven hits across an ongoing four-game hit streak.

McMahon's hot streak could be a sign of a return to form, but it also might be a brief mirage. Either way, it's great to see the veteran third baseman stepping up while the Yankees are missing Giancarlo Stanton's bat. Hopefully, he can avoid a drop-off and remain a consistent contributor throughout the rest of his contract.

3. David Bednar, CP

David Bednar's start to the season was perplexing, to say the least. On one hand, the two-time All-Star closer earned five saves in his first seven games while striking out eight batters in 6 2/3 innings. On the flip side, his ERA sat at 5.40 during that stretch, and that's without even mentioning his control issues (four walks).

It took some time, but Bednar isn't a walking red flag anymore. The 2023 NL saves leader has flipped the switch, pitching to a 2.08 ERA with five saves in his last eight opportunities (8 2/3 innings). Not only has he struck out 10 batters along the way, but he has also walked only one batter in those games, proving his control has improved.

Bednar gets two BIG outs to leave the bases loaded in the eighth pic.twitter.com/7fGnrbVF3Q

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 6, 2026

There's a lot of baseball left. Bednar will likely run into a few hiccups between now and October. At the same time, his stellar play as of late means the Yankees don't need to prioritize finding a new closer. He still has this season and next year remaining on his contract, allowing Cashman more time to consider succession options.

4. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

As a former National League MVP, Paul Goldschmidt's quicksand-like start to the 2026 season worried Yankees fans. Ben Rice's explosive start kept Goldschmidt on New York's bench for most of April, making it difficult to get into a rhythm. He slashed .125/.276/.333 with a homer and a trio of RBIs in his first nine appearances (24 ABs).

It turns out that Goldschmidt was waiting for the right opportunity to pop off. Stanton and Rice's recent injuries allowed the Wilmington, DE native to see more at-bats, leading to six hits—including three extra-base shots (two doubles, one HR)—, four RBIs, one walk and a .316/.350/.579 slash line in the last five games (19 ABs).

Paul Goldschmidt has exceeded expectations after a slow start to the 2026 season. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Goldschmidt won't overtake Rice for the starting 1B job (nor should he), but what his turnaround has accomplished is giving the Yankees one of the best bench bats in the Majors. Most clubs are happy enough if a backup player does an adequate job of replacing an injured starter. In contrast, New York has a game-ready ex-MVP whose max exit velocity (114 mph) has matched his career high set back in his 2015 rookie campaign, per Baseball Savant.

In other words, Goldschmidt deserves all the praise for bouncing back. Keeping things up will increase the odds that his current one-year deal won't be his last in the Bronx.

5. Aaron Boone, manager

Although the Yankees' players deserve credit for exceeding expectations, so does manager Aaron Boone.

New York fans questioned how far Boone could take this team at the start of the year. While back-to-back 94-win efforts in the two previous seasons were nice, fans were hungrier for more now that it's been almost four years since the Yankees' last AL Championship Game appearance. Last year's June-to-August collapse also left a bad taste in many people's mouths.

Aaron Boone has been exactly the type of manager that the Yankees need him to be this season. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Not only has Boone erased doubts with the AL's best record, but he's also made some great managerial decisions.

The 53-year-old skipper pulled the plug on Luis Gil when things were quickly heading south. He made the right call to start Jasson Domínguez in the minors until he built more confidence, which is already on display since his promotion. And when fans thought Anthony Volpe would retake the starting shortstop job when he became healthy, Boone optioned him to Triple-A to avoid disrupting Caballero's rhythm.

The Yankees began the season without key starting pitchers Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole, yet Boone didn't let their absences crater his club's outlook. He's coached Will Warren and Ryan Weathers to pitch confidently on the mound, and even gave Elmer Rodríguez his first big-league chance. Rodríguez is already back in Triple-A, sure, but that's another example of Boone stopping an experiment when he knows it isn't working rather than forcing a situation that will negatively impact a young prospect.

MLB teams can only go as far as their manager takes them. The sky seems to be the limit for how effectively Boone is managing the Yankees this season, giving him every reason to continue operating exactly as he is.