For most of the 2025 season, the Yankees' bench was one of the weakest in baseball.
GM Brian Cashman's additions helped lift an uneven, light-hitting bench to allow manager Aaron Boone to navigate the second half of the season and postseason.
It didn't result in a championship, they performed well enough that they brought back most of those bench options from a year ago.
While that may signal that there aren't many spots open on the bench for Opening Day, there are still options the Yanks will have to sift through this spring.
Here's a breakdown of all the potential bench options...
The Locks
Health is a big part of this, as Anthony Volpe will begin the season on the IL. That elevates a 2025 bench player into the starting shortstop role, but also opens up the backup infielder role.
Here are the sure-fire picks for the Yankees bench on Opening Day -- if everyone remains healthy:
Amed Rosario
Paul Goldschmidt
J.C. Escarra
Jose Caballero will be the everyday shortstop to start the season, and Boone and the organization will have to sort through that position once Volpe returns. Caballero's backup could be Rosario, who has experience just about all over the field. However, Rosario will be the backup to Ryan McMahon at third base when they take on southpaws.
Rosario's versatility will give Boone enough experience at multiple infield positions that he can prioritize others, like the outfield.
Goldschmidt will back up Ben Rice, who is set to take the majority of the starts at first base, while Escarra will give Austin Wells a spell once in a while as the team's backup catcher.
Martian Left Behind?
One of the biggest stories this spring is what the Yankees plan to do with Jasson Dominguez.
The young outfielder started the 2025 season as the team's everyday left fielder, but he was overtaken by the surprising Trent Grisham to the point where Dominguez became the fourth outfielder as Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge roamed the outfield for most of the second half and the postseason.
And, unfortunately for Dominguez, all three outfielders are projected to be the Opening Day outfield when the 2026 season starts. So where does that leave Dominguez?
The organization has teased that Dominguez's role in 2026 will be reduced, and it seems likely he starts the year in Triple-A. In 2024, the last time Dominguez was in Triple-A, the outfielder slashed .309/.368/.480 with seven homers and an OPS of .848. Perhaps some more seasoning in the minors can help him on the defensive end and when it comes to hitting from the right side of the plate.
But Dominguez can also kill it this spring and force the Yankees to bring him along. That feels less likely at this juncture.
Fourth Outfielder Options
Aside from Dominguez, New York has a few options to fill that fourth outfielder role.
Veteran outfielder Seth Brown was invited as an NRI, and his lefty swing would be perfect for Yankee Stadium. He did have career-lows last season with the Athletics, playing 38 games before being released. It's an intriguing prospect to bring Brown to Opening Day, but the team is already too left-handed, especially in the outfield.
Marco Luciano is a right-handed hitter who was invited to camp on a minor league deal and is a former top prospect. While he hasn't played in the majors in a couple of years, he could potentially show enough to break camp.
And then we have Oswaldo Cabrera, the Swiss-Army Knife of the Yankees the last few years. Cabrera broke camp last season as the starting third baseman before a season-ending injury forced a slew of moves -- from moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third to eventually trading for McMahon. Cabrera will look to prove to the Yanks that he's healthy. If he is, he should have the inside track to be a bench piece.
Many forget Cabrera has experience in the outfield -- as does Rosario -- so he could be used in a variety of ways.
Spencer Jones
Jones took a massive step in his development in 2025, dominating Double-A pitching and carrying that over into Triple-A. Between the two levels, the young slugger slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs, 80 RBI and an OPS of .983. That production elevated Jones from an afterthought to on the doorstep of a promotion to the big leagues.
But just like Dominguez, Jones doesn't have a clear path to the bigs. The outfield is crowded, and it may not benefit Jones to sit on the bench and play once a week. Like most of the Yankees' roster, being left-handed also does Jones a disservice, as the team is already loaded with them.
Jones could potentially play his way to breaking camp with the team, but he'll need to lower his strikeout rate. He fanned 200 times in 124 games in 2024 and 179 times in 116 games in 2025.
Other Infield Options
The Yanks need a fourth outfielder, but they can potentially piece it together with Rosario and Cabrera getting time in the outfield. Even Giancarlo Stanton could see some time in the outfield.
Although it's more likely the Yankees use a traditional outfielder on the bench, there are some infielders who could fill in the role if they play well enough or if Cabrera doesn't prove he's healthy enough.
Jorbit Vivas is one option. The youngster played 29 games in the bigs last season but didn't show much in terms of offense. He was 9 of 56 (.161) with two doubles, one home run and five RBI. He does provide versatility, playing at second and third last season, but would need to show more upside to make the team.
Paul DeJong is an interesting option. The veteran infielder was invited to camp and his experience is something the Yankees could use in a pinch. The 32-year-old played 57 games with the Nationals last year, slugging six homers while slashing .228/.290/.373.