Yankees Finalize Opening Day Roster: Who Made the Team?

Here are the 28 players that will don pinstripes at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, kicking off the 2022 regular season.

TAMPA — Seated in his office at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday morning, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked for the umpteenth time if he had any roster decisions to report.

The skipper smiled. With the team heading north on Tuesday night after New York's final Grapefruit League contest, it was finally time for the big reveal.

Boone confirmed that New York will be carrying 16 pitchers to start the season, taking full advantage of rosters expanding to 28 players for the first month of the year. That in mind, all three of the remaining pitchers in contention for roster spots at big-league camp have made the team.

Before we dive into this 28-man roster any further, here are all the players that made the team, along with some of those that just barely missed the cut and will start the season in Triple-A.

New York Yankees 2022 Opening Day Roster

Here are the 28 players that made the New York Yankees 2022 Opening Day roster, set to travel north with the team when spring training comes to an end.

Catchers

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• Kyle Higashioka

• Jose Trevino

Kyle Higashioka hit seven home runs in his first nine spring training games, set to start behind the plate on Opening Day. Jose Trevino, meanwhile, was acquired in a trade with the Rangers on Saturday, a deal that sent right-hander Albert Abreu out to Texas.

Ben Rortvedt's oblique injury was a catalyst for the Trevino trade. Rortvedt won't be ready for the beginning of the season, needing more time to ramp up in his workload on offense.

Infielders

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• Josh Donaldson

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa

• Gleyber Torres

• Anthony Rizzo

• DJ LeMahieu

• Marwin Gonzalez

Versatility galore. Marwin Gonzalez gets the nod as a non-roster invitee and a subsequent move will be made imminently to open a slot for him on the 40-man roster.

Between Gonzalez and DJ LeMahieu (who might be the odd man out of the starting lineup on Opening Day), Boone has plenty of options to keep everyone fresh and make late-game subs.

Outfielders

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• Joey Gallo

• Aaron Hicks

• Aaron Judge

• Giancarlo Stanton

Expect Giancarlo Stanton to make routine appearances in the outfield as the season gets underway. Especially at Yankee Stadium, where there's less ground to cover in right field, you will see Aaron Judge slide over to center field, opening a spot for Stanton on defense.

All eyes are on Joey Gallo to see if he can bounce back after his poor start in pinstripes last summer. Also, will Aaron Hicks stay healthy? He's played in more than 90 games just twice in his six-year stint with the Yankees.

Starting Pitchers

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• Gerrit Cole

• Luis Severino

• Jordan Montgomery

• Jameson Taillon

• Nestor Cortes

Gerrit Cole gets the ball on Opening Day with Luis Severino scheduled to follow in Game 2 of the season on Saturday. Jordan Montgomery threw a live batting practice at camp on Tuesday, keeping him in line to pitch Game 3 of the regular season, also against the Red Sox.

From there, Jameson Taillon and Nestor Cortes round out the rotation.

Relievers

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• Aroldis Chapman

• Jonathan Loáisiga

• Chad Green

• Clay Holmes

• Wandy Peralta

• Miguel Castro

• Lucas Luetge

• Michael King

• Clarke Schmidt

• Ron Marinaccio

• JP Sears

Those last three names are the arms that officially made the team on Tuesday. JP Sears and Ron Marinaccio are set to make their MLB debuts, jumping up to the big-league club for the first time after showing what they can do at camp this spring.

Clarke Schmidt also made the team, returning for his third stint with the club while looking to secure a full-time role on this team's pitching staff.

Other than Miguel Castro—who was acquired in a trade with the Mets on Sunday—and the expanded roster guys, the rest of New York's bullpen is very similar to how the Yankees operated in relief last season.

Who Is Starting in Triple-A?

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• Miguel Andújar

• Tim Locastro

• Deivi García

• Luis Gil

• Manny Bañuelos

• Greg Bird

• Ender Inciarte

Deivi García and Luis Gil were also contending for a spot on the Yankees' big-league pitching staff. Instead of starting the year in the Bronx, those two right-handers will begin the season in Triple-A, making sure they're stretched out as starters in case they're needed in the rotation in the Bronx. 

Same goes for Manny Bañuelos who got off to a magnificent start in Grapefruit League play. As a non-roster invitee—like outfielder Ender Inciarte—an additional roster move would've needed to be made. Those two veterans were assigned to Scranton on Monday. 

On Tuesday, Miguel Andújar and Tim Locastro were also optioned to Triple-A. Odds are, they'll be the first to get the call if any position players get hurt at the big-league level early on this season. 

Finally, Greg Bird joins the team in Scranton after signing a minor league deal on Tuesday. The slugger returns to the organization where he began his professional career.

MORE:

• Report: Marwin Gonzalez Makes Yankees Opening Day Roster
• Ex-Yankees Reliever Signs Minor League Deal With Dodgers
• Miguel Andújar's Future With Yankees Still Uncertain Despite Encouraging Spring

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