What Yankees Spring Training Adjustments Tell Us About Opening Day

The New York Yankees have been experimenting with their Spring Training lineup.

Feb 16, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) talks with outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees took down their division rival, Toronto Blue Jays, 8-7 in their fifth Spring Training game of the year.

Knowing a guy like Aaron Judge is leaving the team soon for the World Baseball Classic, this was an important game to have as their lineup saw a vast majority of their projected starters get playing time.

Once this team re-signed Cody Bellinger, everyone knew their starting lineup would look quite similar, if not completely the same.

Judging by the way they moved things around in Spring Training there's a chance there are quite a few moving parts that show manager Aaron Boone isn't set on his one through nine hitters just yet.

Yankees Projected Lineup

As of February 23, MLB.com projected this to be the Yankees lineup:

1. Trent Grisham, CF

2. Aaron Judge, RF

3. Cody Bellinger, LF

4. Ben Rice, 1B

5. Giancarlo Stanton, DH

6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B

7. Ryan McMahon, 3B

8. José Caballero, SS

9. Austin Wells, C

Against the Blue Jays on February 24, the Yankees rolled out this lineup:

Heading to Dunedin for the Day 🌴#RepBX pic.twitter.com/9sg6UbZsXJ

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 24, 2026

1. Trent Grisham, CF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Cody Bellinger, LF
4. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
6. Austin Wells, C
7. Amed Rosario, 3B
8. Jose Caballero, SS
9. Marco Luciano, DH

Notable Absences

The Yankees tend not to start, or even play the same players in back-to-back Spring Training games. That's quite notable as Ben Rice was their designated hitter the day prior and Ryan McMahon was in the lineup that day as well at third base.

Jasson Dominguez also played in left field as those were the Yankees one through three hitters against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Obviously, no one expects Marco Luciano to be their Opening Day designated hitter. That said, there are a few interesting elements to look into.

Should Jazz Chisholm Jr. Get Looks at Cleanup?

Feb 20, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) hits a single in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during spring training at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Last year Chisholm Jr. had 62 at-bats from the No. 4 spot in the lineup. The Yankees moved him around from four through six, though he was usually the No. 5 hitter. Seeing Jazz at cleanup isn't the worst thing in the world as he had six home runs and 16 RBIs in that spot. Keep in mind, he had 106 at-bats when batting No. 6 and had just six homers and 13 RBIs.

Should Austin Wells Hit Higher Than No. 9?

Wells is far from the worst hitter on this team so it seems a bit silly to keep him at the nine-hole. He had 76 at-bats there last season which was the third most of any spot in the lineup. Seeing him at No. 6 against the Pirates was interesting as it was the No. 7 spot where he saw the most at-bats (133) last season. Again, this is only Spring Training and the team is experimenting in more ways than one so not everything can be looked into super seriously.

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