If you thought the New York Yankees’ defense couldn’t get any worse after their World Series meltdown last October, Spring Training 2025 is here to prove you wrong. It’s only March, and the Yankees are already fielding like they’re auditioning for a slapstick remake of The Sandlot. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, lounging in their World Series afterglow, are probably sipping champagne and nodding knowingly—they saw this coming a mile away.
The Dodgers Knew the Secret Sauce: Put It in Play
Let’s rewind to the 2024 World Series. The Dodgers didn’t just beat the Yankees in five games; they humiliated them with a game plan so simple it’s almost insulting: hit the ball and watch the Yankees trip over themselves. As an X post from @NoaChen888 on February 27, 2025, put it, “the dodgers literally had a gameplan of bat the ball into play because the yankees defense was so fundamentally unsound that they would make mistakes (it was successful).” And boy, was it ever. Game 5 was a masterclass in Yankee self-destruction—two errors, a brain fart from Gerrit Cole forgetting to cover first, and Aaron Judge dropping a fly ball like it was coated in butter. Five unearned runs later, the Dodgers were popping bottles, and the Yankees were left wondering if “defense” was just a suggestion.
The Dodgers’ scouting report was brutal but accurate. They told their players, per sources cited by The New York Post, that the Yankees were “talent over fundamentals”—a team so sloppy that putting the ball in play was like rolling a grenade into a clown car. And it worked. Every relay throw that skittered away, every outfielder who stood still while chaos unfolded—Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly even called it “Yankee defense” on a podcast, like it’s a diagnosable condition.
Spring Training 2025: Same Old Yankees
Fast forward to Spring Training 2025, and the Yankees are picking up right where they left off—except now it’s against lesser foes like the Rays and Blue Jays, not the World Champs. The errors are piling up faster than excuses in a postgame presser, and fans on X are having a field day.
Take Jon Berti, for instance. The utility man was reportedly miffed about the Dodgers trash-talking their defense after the Series. So naturally, as @DoyersDave posted on February 21, 2025, “Jon Berti was vocal that he had a problem with what the Dodgers said about the Yankees defense in the World Series and he just committed an error on his first play of spring training.” You can’t make this up. Berti’s first chance to prove the haters wrong, and he flubs it like he’s trying to hand the Dodgers a retroactive assist.
Then there’s Jasson Domínguez, the hyped prospect tasked with replacing Juan Soto’s bat (good luck) and shoring up left field. Except his glove seems allergic to fly balls. ESPN reported on March 4, 2025, that Domínguez lost a ball in the sun in his second Grapefruit League game and misjudged a wall shot in his fourth. Sure, he’s new to left field after years in center, but these aren’t exactly confidence builders. The Yankees are banking on his athleticism, but right now, he’s giving off “deer in headlights” vibes—perfect for a Dodgers rerun.
The infield isn’t faring much better. Anthony Volpe looked like he was trying to imitate Aaron Judge, flubbing a ball off his glove. Jazz Chisholm Jr., now at second base where he’s supposedly more comfortable, still has fans holding their breath every time a grounder heads his way. And while Paul Goldschmidt’s Gold Glove pedigree at first is a step up from Anthony Rizzo’s creaky 2024, he’s not exactly turning back the clock to 2017. The Yankees spent the offseason touting their “improved defense,” but so far, it’s looking like they just rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic.
A Laughingstock in Tampa
Spring Training stats don’t count, sure, but the vibes are grim. The Yankees opened their Grapefruit League slate on February 21 against the Rays, and while specific error tallies are still trickling in, the chatter on X suggests it’s been less “Bronx Bombers” and more “Bronx Blunders.” One can only imagine Aaron Boone’s press conferences: “Yeah, we’re working on it. Defense is a process. The sun was really bright today.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are probably cackling from Camelback Ranch. They don’t even need to scout the Yankees this spring—they’ve got the blueprint. Put the ball in play, sit back, and watch the circus. Manager Dave Roberts might as well send Boone a fruit basket with a note: “Thanks for the title. See you in October?”
Can They Fix It? (Spoiler: Maybe Not)
To be fair, the Yankees did try to patch things up. Max Fried and Devin Williams bolster the pitching, which could mean fewer balls in play to botch. Cody Bellinger’s average glove in center is an upgrade over Judge’s minus-6 Outs Above Average from last year. But when your defense was the punchline of a World Series collapse, it takes more than a few roster tweaks to rewrite the narrative.
As of March 5, 2025, Spring Training is young, and there’s time to tighten the screws. But if the early returns are any indication, the Yankees are still a few fundamentals short of a full toolbox. The Dodgers knew it last year, exploited it to a championship, and are likely betting on it again. For Yankee fans, it’s a bitter pill: their team’s defense is so bad, it’s not just a weakness—it’s a strategy. Here’s hoping they figure it out before the Dodgers get another crack at them. Or at least before Jon Berti’s next grounder.
Leave a comment