Ranking the 5 Most Disappointing Yankees Halfway Through the 2026 Season

The New York Yankees snapped their losing streak against the Minnesota Twins, and then ended up dropping another one right after. They were down big before fans even finished getting to their seats, and when there was a chance to come back, sloppy defense and some key components of their bullpen let them down.

This swoon isn't just a team underperforming. It's an amalgamation of a few things, and these particular players have been at the root of the Yankees' issues all year.

5.) Carlos Rodón

If Carlos Rodón had a choice, he wouldn't have spent a single day on the injured list. This isn't a way to blame him for being down as much as he has, but if the Yankees are going to have any success this season, it's going to be off the backs of their rotation, and Rodon is a key piece of it.

The issue is that, even if he can't control what's happening in his body, his stop-and-go year, between starting on the IL, finally making it back, and landing back on the shelf, is starting to have consequences. Case in point: the Yankees were forced to use Brendan Beck, who doesn't have big-league stuff, because Rodón got hurt.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) takes the ball to relieve pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

4.) Jazz Chisholm Jr.

When it comes to Chisholm, it feels like everybody concentrates on the wrong thing. It's always lollipops and something he tweeted. The only issue anybody should take up with him is that his bat has been mediocre this year.

Chisholm was never going to be a 50/50 player. His wiry frame may actually be incapable of tapping into a Kyle Schwarber-like power well. It does feel like he put a lot of pressure on himself to reach heights few Yankees with his skill set have reached, and it seems to have affected him, at least in terms of performance. It's the only explanation as to how a player like Chisholm has a 97 wRC+ at this point in the season.

He has been such a great Yankee offensively, too. That's the biggest bummer about the year he's having. It felt like Chisholm unlocked something the second he got here.

Even if the thought was that he would regress somewhat, did anybody expect this? Funny enough, were his bat to pick up, he would actually be one of the more valuable players in the league, because his 8 Outs Above Average at second base, which is an elite mark defensively, is likely why he has a 2.2 WAR, according to Fangraphs. He's on his way to have his third-most valuable season by the cumulative metric.

3.) Ryan McMahon

Ryan McMahon was never a great hitter, but he's having his worst season yet at the plate. There's no sugarcoating this one. Nobody gets paid $16 million for defense.

In the grand scheme of things, that's pittances compared to other baseball contracts, but it's still too much for a guy who has a 78 wRC+ on the year. Plus, his defense has regressed, as well. He is beginning to sail his throws, and even though his 3 OAA is better than what the Yankees are used to at the position, that's a down year for him.

McMahon also has -2 Defensive Runs Saved, coming off a year in which he had 10. He's regressing in the one thing he's good at, and the word "elite" can't be thrown around his glove anymore.

2.) Camilo Doval

The last two could go either way. Both were supposed to be prominent fixtures for the Yankees, and both are unplayable. In the case of Doval, he struggles in both high and low-leverage situations. Things have reached the point where a veteran journeyman like Yovanny Cruz seems like a tantalizing option.

These days, Doval is making history, and it's not the good kind. According to Katie Sharp on X, Doval, who was meant to be the setup man, is the first reliever in the team's history to have back-to-back games where he allowed four or more runs and faced seven or fewer batters.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Camilo Doval (75) follows through in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1.) Austin Wells

Catchers are notoriously bad hitters, but Wells is on another level. His 37 wRC+ is the worst in baseball. It's at a point where anything, offensively, is an upgrade.

The biggest bummer about Wells is that he was meant to be the catcher of the future. Did anybody expect this? It's hard to imagine that he will even finish out the year.

Right now, the Yankees are looking at Ryan Jeffers, and the kicker is that they'd rather have a guy who hasn't played since May than Wells. It's pretty sad that it has even reached this point with him.

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