{"id":112693,"date":"2026-01-22T18:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T23:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=112693"},"modified":"2026-01-22T18:30:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T23:30:30","slug":"beyond-bellinger-why-pitching-depth-is-the-final-piece-for-the-2026-yankees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/22\/beyond-bellinger-why-pitching-depth-is-the-final-piece-for-the-2026-yankees\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Bellinger: Why Pitching Depth is the Final Piece for the 2026 Yankees"},"content":{"rendered":"

After Cody Bellinger<\/a> returned back to the Yankees Wednesday<\/a>, the team is still not complete. The Yankees still need to make additions to this team to make them a true World Series threat in 2026.<\/p>\n

In terms of position players, that room seems full. The Yankees claimed Marco Luciano<\/a> off waivers. While Luciano is not a name that jumps off the page, he could provide some upside. He can play almost every position on the field and is a right-handed hitter. In a small sample size of 41 plate appearances, he owns a .333 batting average against left-handed pitching. In the minors, he hit to a .292 average against lefties. He is a good high risk, high reward option for the Bombers.<\/p>\n

The pitching department is where the shortcomings are. The Yankees need to add to both their rotation and their bullpen.<\/p>\n

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The Yankees Rotation should be solid. It will get deeper as Rod\u00f3n, Cole and Schmidt all return to the roster.<\/p>\n

Still, I think the Yankees could use another starter. I think Ryan Weathers plays better in the bullpen than in the rotation.<\/p>\n

Max Fried, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/mo4mGe4SHu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matthew Nethercott (@mnethercott_) January 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n