CC Sabathia endorses Yankees' roster continuity ahead of 2026 MLB opening day
The New York Yankees are projected to field an opening day lineup on Wednesday that closely resembles the one eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series last October.[1]
The team added only two players from outside the organization to its 26-man roster during the offseason: outfielder Randall Grichuk and pitcher Ryan Weathers.[1]
Former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia expressed support for the approach in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I think it's fine. I think having a chance to get Gerrit Cole back (from Tommy John surgery), have Carlos Rodon healthy for a season, getting Clarke Schmidt back (from TJ) would be huge," Sabathia said. "I think with the amount of the pitching that they have, I think that's what they're counting on, that their pitching is going to be good, and if the lineup can do just about what they did last year, I think they'll be in a good spot."[1]
Sabathia added that several stronger teams are in the National League, giving the Yankees an opportunity if they remain healthy and pitch effectively to return to the World Series.[1]
Sabathia, who pitched for the Yankees from 2008 to 2019, will call the Giants-Yankees opening day game as a color commentator on Netflix from Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants' home stadium since 2000.[1][2]
The California native, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025, reflected on his childhood memories of skipping school to attend Giants opening days at the former Candlestick Park.[1][3]
Sabathia defended Yankees captain Aaron Judge amid criticism of his postseason performance. Judge posted a .500 average and 1.273 OPS in the 2025 playoffs before struggling with an 0-for-4, three-strikeout outing in the World Baseball Classic final. Sabathia compared Judge's situation to Alex Rodriguez's before his strong 2009 postseason.[1]
The Yankees won 94 games in 2025, tied for the most in the American League, but lost the AL East to the Blue Jays on a tiebreaker. Toronto eliminated New York in the playoffs before losing the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.[1]
Sources
- Fox News
Article/page title: Yankees running it back with similar lineup, CC Sabathia interview
Publication date: February 2026
Direct URL: https://www.foxnews.com/sports - MLB.com
Article/page title: Oracle Park
Accessed date: February 2026
Direct URL: https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark - Baseball-Reference.com
Article/page title: CC Sabathia
Accessed date: February 2026
Direct URL: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sabathc01.shtml
