Ranking the 6 Yankees with the most to prove heading into spring training

Spring training is nearly upon us, and the New York Yankees will be reclaiming George M. Steinbrenner Field for the preseason warm-up. With that comes expectations, intrigue, and competition.

For some of the established players, this is simply a time for experimentation. It could be toying with a new pitch, or tweaking a leg kick in the batter's box, or any myriad of small and mundane forays to attempt to unlock something new.

However, others will be fighting for jobs and even their place on the roster. Even some of those who have security will need to use the fertile Floridian grounds to prove something. There are narratives in place, not all of which are appealing, and some of these players need to show out in order to swing the pendulum back towards positive feelings.

Six players stand out as guys who need to use this opportunity to shrug the weight off their shoulders, but not all have the same level of stakes. Here they all are, ranked from least to most to prove.

Ranking the six Yankees with the most pressure to prove something in spring training

6. J.C. Escarra

Last year's feel-good story, J.C. Escarra went from being a substitute teacher with an Uber side hustle to the Yankees' backup catcher on the strength of an .849 OPS last spring. However, the magic wore off by summer, as he was rather non-descript in the role last season. That's not the biggest challenge he faces, however.

He's a left-handed bat who backs up the lefty-swinging Austin Wells and is competing for reps behind the dish with another batter who hits from the left side in Ben Rice. Naturally, there have been calls to replace Escarra with a right-handed catching option. Fortunately for him, there aren't many who are appreciably better on the open market.

But New York just injected some chaos into the mix by re-signing Paul Goldschmidt. With the veteran righty expected to see time at first against southpaws, does that mean more time behind the dish for Rice? And if so, has Escarra been made completely superfluous? A repeat performance this spring might save his spot.

5. Cade Winquest

Cade Winquest will be looking to make the jump from Double-A to the majors, and will have the spotlight on him after the Yankees failed to add any prominent relievers to their pitiful bullpen. Add in the fact that he's the club's first Rule 5 selection since 2011, and you can see how the pressure will be on him to make this work.

However, that Rule 5 status insulates him a bit. The Yankees can't send him down without offering him back up to the Cardinals first, which should give him an extended run to prove he can make things work. A true stinker of a performance could change the calculus, but if there are enough bright spots, he can make the roster even if he struggles overall.

4. Angel Chivilli

Same bullpen caveats, but in the case of Angel Chivilli, the pressure is ratcheted up a little higher than it is for Winquest. That's because the 23-year-old actually has some big league experience, but the track record has not been good, to say the least. Last season, he put up a 7.06 ERA over 58 2/3 innings. He logged nine more frames down in Triple-A and posted a mark of seven even. His 2024 showing in the majors was better, but a 4.55 ERA is still nothing to write home about.

Further turning up the heat have been the glowing ways everyone from Brian Cashman to Matt Blake has spoken about the right-hander. He might struggle early, but as New York molds him, the expectation is that he will get better. He still has one option left, though, so it's easy send him to minor league camp if things don't go as planned.

3. Ryan Weathers

The biggest question Ryan Weathers has to answer can't be solved in the spring, though he could still fail the test. The primary issue with the intriguing lefty is his health, as he's never made more than 18 starts or thrown more than 94 2/3 innings at any point in his career.

That's not why the pressure will be high, though. The real issue is that fans wanted the Yankees to go after a top-end starter, like Freddy Peralta, but instead have to settle for a guy who still has the unproven label despite pitching in parts of five MLB seasons. Heck, we're not even sure if he was their preferred Marlins' arm after New York whiffed on Edward Cabrera. The brass has talked up the southpaw, too, but we're still not really sure what his ultimate role with the club could be.

2. Trent Grisham

Obviously, Trent Grisham's spot on the roster is as secure as they come, with the 2025 breakout star having his name next to the center field spot on the lineup card in ink. Still, there will be a ton of pressure on the 29-year-old.

The underlying data suggests that his stellar 2025 campaign was no fluke, but his much longer tenure of failing to hit his way out of a wet paper bag holds weight, too. Throw in a putrid postseason showing, the last thing fans remember, as well as his place as the first domino in the winter of running it back, and he'll have an immense weight placed on him to perform. If not, the howling on talk radio will become deafening, and many questions will begin to percolate.

1. Jasson Domínguez

The most obvious choice ever. Jasson Domínguez was already set to be thrown into the pressure cooker, but when Cody Bellinger re-signed, things got turned up to 11. The 23-year-old should be traded any day now, according to some. Others are getting ready to put him on a bus to Scranton with a one-way ticket. Still others are hopeful that The Martian can figure it out.

Things would be so much easier for the youngster if he had proven that he could be at least average when hitting right-handed and play adequate defense in left. Instead, the switch-hitter hasn't been much of a switch-hitter at all, and his pathetic showings in the outfield have sapped the good feelings from what should have been a promising rookie campaign.

It almost feels as if now, even if he does those two things highlighted above, it won't be enough. In reality, it probably will be, but there's a perception that Domínguez needs to become the superstar who was once promised now. Right now. Otherwise, the pitchforks will come out in full force.

That's not entirely fair, but for a team with championship aspirations and a drought that seems straight out of a Sci-Fi movie about the end of the world, patience is not something that will be afforded to the former top prospect.