What Should the Yankees 2026 Pitching Rotation Look Like When Fully Healthy?
The New York Yankees 2026 season has seen a lot of grit, hardship, and the Bronx Bombers depending on younger guys on the roster instead of their impactful stars. After pitching last Tuesday, Max Fried has been put on the 15-day IL due to a left elbow bruise, while Carlos Rodón is being activated off the injured list after dealing with inflammation in his left elbow. The Yankees have seen a ton of injuries affect the team this season, and fans could only imagine what the pitching rotation could look like when fully healthy. So what could New York’s rotation look like in a potential postseason scenario?
Max Fried
The drop-off for Fried from the 2025 to 2026 season has been unfortunate. In 2025, the three-time all-star recorded 19 wins, finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young Award race. Now, in 15 starts this season, the 2021 World Series Champion has a 4-4 record. Fried hasn’t picked up a win on the mound since April 27th, and his last five starts on the mound consisted of four no-decisions and a loss. Now that he’s on the IL, this only slows down the momentum he was regaining. It doesn’t help that the Yankees’ offense has been abysmal; however, a returning Fried with full confidence is a world-class threat to any batter.
Cam Schlittler
After winning five of his first seven starts of the 2026 campaign, Cam Schlittler hasn’t been able to pick up a win despite pitching great since July 24th. In his last three games, the 2026 all-star pitched 15.1 innings and struck out 24 batters. That’s essentially half the innings he pitched; Schlittler struck out opponent batters. If the Yankees offense can find a consistent groove, the 25-year-old could find a ton of momentum before a postseason appearance.
Gerrit Cole
Since coming back to New York’s rotation on May 22nd, Gerrit Cole has put up a 6-6 record in 15 appearances. Winning three out of his last four starts certainly has to help his confidence, and the six-time all-star needs to continue finding those little ways to guide the Yankees to a win even when their offense is in an anemic state. Even at 35 years old, Cole has looked impressive this deep into his illustrious career. He’ll have to continue that as the Bronx Bombers’ third starter in the mix.
Carlos Rodón
Just like Fried, who has 19 wins in 2025, Rodón went 18-9 last season and now finds himself with a 4-2 record through nine appearances on the mound. The 33-year-old is expected to start today in the Yankees’ first game of a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles after being activated from the IL on Monday. It will be a huge start for him, coming back from an injury, playing on the road, and dealing with looming postseason expectations. However, if Rodón can pull through with a big performance Tuesday night and continue dishing out consistent starts, he could be an enormous factor for New York come postseason time.
Ryan Weathers
The final spot in the rotation could either be given to Ryan Weathers or Will Warren. While both men have been healthy to start 20+ games, they both have struggled, especially as the offense has struggled as well. If you look at the numbers, Weathers outbids Warren in innings pitched, ERA, and strikeouts. However, I wouldn’t doubt if he also gets moved into bullpen situations come postseason time alongside Warren.
