3 awful spring training performances Yankees fans are overreacting to in 2025

Spring training is nearing the end, but that hasn't stopped New York Yankees fans (and fans from all over) from freaking out in some capacity. We will say, however, Yankees fans have had good reason with all that's transpired.

Gerrit Cole is out for the year. Luis Gil is probably out for the first half. We have no idea what's happening with Giancarlo Stanton. Clarke Schmidt doesn't exactly have anybody feeling great. Chase Hampton also went down for the year. We have yet to see anything out of Ian Hamilton, Jake Cousins, Tyler Matzek and Clayton Beeter.

But that's besides the point. Bugging out about injuries is fair and normal. What's perhaps a bit excessive is hawking spring training stats and pretending as if you're being personally attacked. Are some numbers a bit concerning? Sure. But nothing truly matters until the regular season opens.

And even then, we should give it a few months, right? Eh, maybe not Yankees fans, but one can dream!

3 awful spring training performances Yankees fans are overreacting to in 2025

Carlos Rodón

At this point, fans should be more worried about Rodón's spring usage rather than the performance he's put forth. The left-hander has made just two starts and surrendered six earned runs on nine hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. Bad, bad, bad. But why is anybody surprised by this?

Fans can whine all they want about Rodón being a disappointment ... or they can simply live with the reality that the Yankees overpaid for a hit-or-miss starter. It is what it is. We're hoping for the best and know he has the talent within to succeed, but nobody should be holding their breath.

That's why being bothered by his two starts so far would be a waste of time. If anything, it's fair to question why he's only pitching live batting practice or simulation games with Opening Day eight days away. He's the Opening Day starter!

Jazz Chisholm

It's true that Chisholm's .139 batting average and .494 OPS are terrible. It's probably true that Chisholm should have more than two extra-base hits in 36 at-bats. It's true that his 33% strikeout rate is very bad. There's not much to like here if we're to believe Chisholm is battling for leadoff reps in 2025.

But it's also true that Chisholm is a five-year veteran who has largely been successful. Some might say he's overrated, but that's all about perception. The man has a career .249 average, .757 OPS and 104 OPS+. He's stolen 99 bases in 449 games. He was an All-Star back in 2022 and picked up third base on the fly last season to help the Yankees to the World Series.

This is a good MLB player. His spring stats shouldn't be a concern unless you're interested in shortening your life expectancy.

Anthony Volpe

Volpe's case is a bit of a combination of the previous two. First off, like Rodón, it's very possible Yankees fans already know what Volpe is: an above-average defensive shortstop with various hit tools that he cannot consistently unlock. And that's ok. Then again, there's still time for him to develop as he heads into his age-24 season.

But like Chisholm, Volpe didn't necessarily need a "good" spring to change anybody's mind. Yes, we know, his .179 average, .553 OPS and 14 strikeouts in 39 at-bats aren't pretty, but he's somebody who has struggled with his hitting mechanics for a couple years now. Maybe he's trying to work them out when the games don't matter.

Would fans like to see that turn around before Opening Day? That'd be nice. But again, how much will that change for you? A really good spring from Volpe would only heighten expectations for fans to possibly (eventually) be let down. A bad spring from Volpe would highlight that he may have some more work to do. Either way, neither outcome should change his spot in the lineup.

He's a good baseball player with room to grow. He is not a leadoff hitter (yet). He is not an All-Star (yet). He is not a franchise cornerstone (yet). We'll only know if any of those things are true if he turns up the heat when the games start to count.