For decades, the Yankees have built their empire on a simple geographical truth: the right-field fence at Yankee Stadium is 314 feet away, and left-handed hitters love it.
Yet, as the team prepares for the 2026 campaign, General Manager Brian Cashman seems to be wrestling with a bout of roster dysmorphia, claiming the lineup has tilted too far to the port side. “The right handed balance is a concern,” Cashman admitted recently, adding, “That’s something that we got to figure out over time…I need to balance this out.”
It is a curious statement from an architect who just spent the last two years hoarding left-handed bats like they were going out of style. The current projected lineup features Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm, Ryan McMahon, and Austin Wells, creating a gauntlet that right-handed pitchers theoretically hate to navigate.
While the Yankees have two glaring holes as the Winter Meetings begin, complaining about having too many hitters tailored for your specific home ballpark feels a bit like a billionaire complaining his wallet is too heavy.
The Right-Handed Void Behind Aaron Judge
To be fair to Cashman, the imbalance is stark when you look at the names hitting from the right side of the plate. Beyond Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees are relying on Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero and the switch-hitting Jasson Dominguez to keep opposing managers honest. If a team throws a dominant left-handed starter—or worse, a bullpen full of southpaw specialists in October—the Yankees risk being neutralized before the first pitch is thrown.
This fear of being platoon-proof explains why the front office is hesitating on a big outfielder signing, but Cody Bellinger just so happens to have reverse splits and is elite against LHP. However, doubling down on another lefty, even one as talented as Bellinger, forces manager Aaron Boone to construct lineups that are incredibly susceptible to late-game pitching changes. The Yankees need a right-handed hammer to protect Judge, someone who strikes fear into lefties the way Judge strikes fear into everyone.
The Spencer Jones Complication
The situation gets even murkier when you look down on the farm, where the organization’s top prospect is yet another left-handed slugger. Spencer Jones, often dubbed the left-handed Aaron Judge, has an opportunity to steal a roster spot this spring, which would only exacerbate Cashman’s “problem.” Jones offers immense upside and power that plays perfectly in the Bronx, but his arrival would essentially turn the lineup into a lefty seminar with Judge as the guest speaker.
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If Jones forces his way onto the team, Cashman might be forced to trade from a position of strength to address the balance issue. It’s a good problem to have in a vacuum, but in the AL East, roster construction is about eliminating weaknesses, not just stacking strengths. The Yankees can’t simply rely on hitting solo homers into the short porch; they need to manufacture runs against elite lefty pitching, and right now, they don’t have the personnel to do it consistently.
Looking Ahead: Finding the Right Balance
The search for a right-handed bat likely means the Yankees will be active in the trade market, perhaps looking for a veteran who mashes lefties to platoon with one of their young stars. It doesn’t need to be a superstar like Kyle Tucker—who doesn’t fit the handedness need anyway—but rather a professional hitter who balances the seesaw. Paul Goldschmidt served that purpose nicely against LHP last season.
The irony is that the Yankees spent years trying to get more left-handed to take advantage of the stadium, and now that they have achieved it, they are desperate to reverse course.
Cashman has a tricky needle to thread here, ensuring he doesn’t sacrifice overall talent just for the sake of symmetry. You never want to turn down an elite lefty just because you already have a few, but you also don’t want to be the team that gets swept in the playoffs because you couldn’t hit a slider from a left-handed reliever. The “balance” Cashman seeks is out there, but finding it without overpaying might be the hardest task of his winter.