Yankees' season could be defined by Gerrit Cole and three other pitchers

The New York Yankees have plenty of offensive firepower, with Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Ben Rice, and Jazz Chisholm, among others, leading one of the better offenses in baseball.

While there might be questions about how much of an impact some others will have in the lineup, the offense is not the biggest question for the Yankees in 2026. That goes to the pitching staff, and specifically, four pitchers.

As ESPN's Bradford Doolittle points out, the Yankees have four key pitchers, all starters, to focus on this season. Gerrit Cole leads this group of four pitchers for the Yankees' biggest question marks for the 2026 season.

Yankees have four big SP question marks in 2026

"The Yankees have a tough division to navigate over the next six months, but getting that foursome lined up healthy and strong when the postseason arrives might define how 2026 is remembered in the Bronx," Doolittle writes.

The "foursome" that Doolittle is referring to includes Cole along with three other starting pitchers. Max Fried, the Yankees' Opening Night starter, Cam Schlittler, their No. 2 starter to begin the season, and Carlos Rodon, who's on the injured list.

While there will be plenty of questions about the bullpen and the offense all season long, there won't be a bigger topic of conversation than the starting rotation.

Fried and Schlittler are healthy and the leaders of the rotation to begin the season. Cole and Rodon are currently on the injured list and are working their way back.

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If Fried and Schlittler can continue to pitch well, and Rodon and Cole can come back and be healthy, especially for the postseason, the Yankees' four-man rotation would have the case as the best in baseball at the perfect time.

While the offense, defense, baserunning, and the bullpen will face plenty of questions all year, there won't be a bigger question than the rotation.

Rodon and Cole returning from the IL would be huge for the Yankees, especially if Schlittler and Fried are pitching at an elite level, as they showed in their 2026 debuts already against the San Francisco Giants.

Doolittle points to the four-man rotation as the most pivotal question for the Yankees this season. How well they perform, especially come October, could define how the 2026 season is remembered in Yankees history.

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