{"id":123286,"date":"2026-06-02T21:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T01:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=123286"},"modified":"2026-06-02T21:52:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T01:52:34","slug":"yankees-surprises-early-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/02\/yankees-surprises-early-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The Three Biggest Surprises So Far for the Yankees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every major league team has star players who underperform to start a season, just as every team also has at least one guy who outperforms expectations by a wide margin. The New York Yankees have had a bit of both so far in 2026, but what sets them apart from many other teams is that their success is not<\/em> being spearheaded by their best players. If you told someone before the start of the season that Aaron Judge<\/a> and Max Fried<\/a>, the two most valuable players for the Yankees in 2025 on each side of the ball, wouldn’t be the best hitter and pitcher on the Yankees in 2026, they would (understandably) call it nonsense. But that is the reality for these Bronx Bombers, so here are the three biggest Yankees surprises to start the season.<\/p>\n

The Three Biggest Yankees Surprises to Start 2026<\/h2>\n

Note: All stats entering June 2<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Brent Headrick’s Subtly Superb Season<\/h2>\n

Going into this season and even last season, New York\u2019s bullpen was\/is clearly the team\u2019s weakness. Instead of going after free agents to fill the holes left by Devin Williams<\/a> and Luke Weaver<\/a> departing in free agency<\/a>, the Yankees opted to let some of the guys they already have get a shot. One of those guys, who has been one of their best relievers in 2026, is left-hander Brent Headrick<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The 28-year-old, hailing from Illinois, has quietly become one of manager Aaron Boone<\/a>\u2019s most reliable arms out of the \u2018pen. Joining the Yankees last year after spending two years with Minnesota, Headrick has 27 innings under his belt to the tune of 29 strikeouts, 10 walks, and an ERA of just 2.00. Though it\u2019s only June, it already appears that Headrick is and will be one of the key pieces of New York\u2019s bullpen<\/a> down the stretch and into the fall.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Ben Rice’s Breakout<\/h2>\n

For Yankee fans who actually watched Ben Rice<\/a> all of last year, this one isn\u2019t really too much of a surprise. Though his numbers from last season were certainly impressive, swatting 26 homers with an .836 OPS, those who saw how much hard contact Rice was making knew that once his bad luck ran out, he\u2019d be one of the Yankees\u2019 most feared hitters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Rice is Right.<\/p>\n

Congratulations to Ben Rice on being named AL Player of the Week \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/16uiPjswb9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n