The New York Yankees have been quiet in terms of adding pieces to the lineup for the 2026 season.
There’s still a long way to go before spring training starts, and there are still multiple free agents and trade candidates out there, but here’s a look at what New York’s starting lineup could look like on Opening Day.
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CF – Trent Grisham
LF – Cody Bellinger
RF – Aaron Judge
1B – Ben Rice
DH – Giancarlo Stanton
2B – Jazz Chisholm
C – Austin Wells
3B – Ryan McMahon
SS – Anthony Volpe
Here are a few takeaways from this potential Yankees Opening Day lineup prediction.
Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankee outfielders Cody Bellinger (35), Trent Grisham (12) and Aaron Judge (99) react following game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The New York Yankees must re-sign Cody Bellinger, not just because of his fit with the team and stadium, but because an offseason where multiple big-name free agents leave the Bronx for more lucrative deals would be a bad look for the front office and Hal Steinbrenner.
Even though Bellinger remains unsigned, the former MVP ending up back with the Yankees for the 2026 season feels like an inevitable move by the front office.
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There has been some speculation about whether the Yankees could end up trading Jazz Chisholm Jr. at some point this offseason, but it makes the most sense for New York to hold on to him.
There’s already so much uncertainty with the Yankees’ middle infield alignment, and trading away a player who hit 31 home runs with an OPS of .813 wouldn’t be a wise move by the front office. Plus, Chisholm isn’t a horrendous defense either.
Things could change throughout the season, but right now, Chisholm should be slotted in at second base in the Opening Day lineup.
The most controversial part of this prediction is Anthony Volpe being the starting shortstop for the first game of the 2026 season.
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Volpe had a dreadful 2025 season on both offense and defense; there’s no other way to put it. Three years into the Volpe experience, and things aren’t going great. On the other hand, it can’t get worse than this.
That said, the Yankees don’t have many other options to start the season on the right side of the middle-infield. Amed Rosario is not an upgrade defensively, Jose Caballero really isn’t an upgrade offensively, and signing Bo Bichette isn’t a sure-fire thing for New York.
The Yankees’ biggest hope is that Volpe makes progress over the offseason and comes into camp ready to be a league-average bat at best.