Could This Gloomy Prediction for Yankees After Rash of Key Injuries Come True?

With key pitchers Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil sidelined for the New York Yankees, could a repeat of 2023 be on the table this season?

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The combination of anticipation and angst among New York Yankees fans as Opening Day approaches is something to behold.

Bold predictions are everywhere for the reigning American League champions.

Some argue the team could be better off without Juan Soto, while others still see a contender even with several major players sidelined.

Ace Gerrit Cole is out for the season and 2024 American League Rookie of the Year winner Luis Gil is out several months with his own injury. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton's status is unclear, but missing the whole campaign is on the table.

However, a new ace in former Atlanta Braves southpaw Max Fried is in town, and veteran bats like Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt could potentially make enough of an impact to keep the offense afloat.

But the last time the Yankees played a season without Soto, who left for Queens and the New York Mets in free agency, was 2023, a year that famously did not go well.

In ESPN's 2025 season preview, David Schoenfield shared his bold prediction for New York, and he sees a disappointment for the Yankees.

"Without Cole for the season and minus Gil for several months, it could be 2023 all over again," Schoenfield wrote. "That Yankees team finished just 82-80 and was outscored. Let's go two wins worse and the Yankees finish 80-82 for their first losing season since 1992."

It's a testament to the organization that New York has not suffered a losing season since the end of the George H. W. Bush administration.

They came close in 2023, a year in which the offense floundered as Aaron Judge missed nearly 60 games even as Cole walked to the American League Cy Young Award.

Could an inversion be on the table this season, where Judge dominates but the Yankees struggle with Cole injured?

It's doubtful.

Any doomsday scenario for New York in 2025 would likely rely upon Judge missing significant time. The loss of Cole is a massive blow to the team's chances of winning the World Series, but the addition of Fried should help stave off a lot of its regular season impact.

This current era of Yankees baseball has also been marked by getting the most out of pitchers, and a young starter like Will Warren could be a candidate to step up even more than optimists are expecting now.

As long as Judge is around to pace the offense, New York should avoid a losing record, which would likely mean last place in a loaded American League East division.

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