Timeline - 2020s
2020: The Yankees’ 2020 season will be remembered largely for its inconsistency. Surging to a 16-6 start in the pandemic-delayed campaign, manager Aaron Boone’s squad then dropped 15 of 20 games, correcting the slide with a 10-game winning streak. That was followed by a limp to the finish, concluding with a 33-27 record that was good for second place in the American League East, seven games behind the division-leading Rays. Tampa Bay had the Bombers’ number during the regular season, winning eight of 10 meetings.
Gerrit Cole enjoyed a strong first season in New York, pitching to a 7-3 record with a 2.84 ERA in 12 regular season starts. With an offense paced by American League batting leader DJ LeMahieu (.364) and home run leader Luke Voit (22), the Yankees swept the Indians in the AL Wild Card Series at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, punching their ticket to the AL Division Series – held at a neutral site, San Diego’s Petco Park. New York took the ALDS to the limit against the Rays; Game 5 was decided by one run, produced when Aroldis Chapman surrendered a solo home run to Mike Brosseau.
2021: Powered in large part by Aaron Judge -- who paced the club in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs and walks -- the Yankees posted a 92-70 record to finish second in the American League East, securing the AL's top Wild Card spot before falling to the Red Sox in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park.
Judge and others described the season as a "rollercoaster," while general manager Brian Cashman saw his team put forth a "Jekyll and Hyde" performance. Manager Aaron Boone kept a steady hand despite 11 losses in 17 games (April 1-21), then 22 wins in 30 games (April 22-May 23), then 22 losses in 35 games (May 25-July 4). New York won 50 of its final 79 games, the fourth-best record in the Majors over that span.
Gerrit Cole (16-8, 3.23 ERA in 30 starts) finished second in voting for the AL's Cy Young Award; his 243 strikeouts were the second-most ever by a Yankee. Corey Kluber pitched the 12th no-hitter in franchise history, blanking the Rangers in a May 19 gem at Texas. The Yankees also turned a franchise-record three triple plays (May 21 vs. White Sox, June 17 at Toronto, June 20 vs. Oakland. Judge, Cole and Aroldis Chapman were selected as All-Stars.
2022: The Yankees won 99 games to claim the American League East in a season highlighted by Aaron Judge’s pursuit of Roger Maris’ single-season AL home run record, which had stood for 61 years. Judge surpassed Maris in the penultimate game of the regular season, slugging his 62nd home run on Oct. 4 off the Texas Rangers’ Jesús Tinoco at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Judge led the Majors in runs (133), homers, RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), OPS+ (211) and total bases (391), garnering 28 of 30 first-place votes as he was crowned the AL’s Most Valuable Player.
New York’s 30th consecutive winning season (since 1993) was powered by a torrid 58-21 (.734) start, the second-best 79-game start in franchise history, behind only the 1998 club. They enjoyed 16 walk-off wins, second-most in team history. Gerrit Cole led the Majors with 257 strikeouts, shattering Ron Guidry’s single-season record of 248. Six Yankees were selected as All-Stars: Cole, Nestor Cortes, Clay Holmes, Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino. Stanton was the All-Star Game MVP.
The Yankees defeated the Guardians in a five-game AL Division Series before being swept by the Astros in the AL Championship Series. Aaron Boone became the first manager in Major League history to reach the postseason in each of his first five seasons at the helm.
2023: Gerrit Cole unanimously claimed the American League’s Cy Young Award, becoming the sixth Yankee to win the award and the first since Roger Clemens in 2001, but Cole’s stellar performance (15-4 with an AL-best 2.63 ERA) was one of the few bright spots in a campaign that saw the Bombers notch just 82 victories while failing to qualify for Postseason play. The tenor of the season changed markedly on June 3, when Aaron Judge sustained a torn ligament in his right big toe while making a spectacular catch at Dodger Stadium. Judge missed 51 games and the Yanks’ offense was unable to make up for his absence, with veterans DJ LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo all struggling. Domingo German threw the 24th perfect game in Major League history on June 28. Anthony Volpe won the starting shortstop job with a strong spring and became the first Yankees rookie to win a Gold Glove Award, while also becoming the first Yankees rookie to record at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season. The bullpen posted a Major League-best 3.34 ERA, a .221 opponent batting average and a .349 opponent slugging percentage.
2024: The Yankees returned to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, capturing the 41st pennant in franchise history before falling to the Dodgers in a five-game Fall Classic. With 94 wins, the Bombers claimed the American League East, powered in large part as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto made a formidable one-two punch near the top of the lineup.
Judge unanimously won his second American League MVP Award after leading the Majors with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs, batting .322/.458/.701 in 158 games. Acquired from the Padres in December, Soto paced the AL with 128 runs scored in his lone season as a Yankee, belting a career-high 41 homers before switching boroughs to sign with the Mets.
Luis Gil earned honors as the AL’s Rookie of the Year, having posted a 15-7 record and 3.50 ERA across 29 starts. Gil was the first Yankee to win Rookie of the Year since Judge in 2017, and the first Yankees pitcher since Dave Righetti in 1981. Judge, Soto and right-hander Clay Holmes represented the club at the All-Star Game. The Yanks led the Majors in homers (237) and walks (672), while ranking first in the AL in on-base percentage (.333), runs (815), runs per game (5.03) and OPS (.761).
2025: New York’s 94 victories tied the Blue Jays for the American League’s top record and the third-best in the Majors, as they defeated the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series before falling to Toronto in the AL Division Series. The offense was keyed once again by Aaron Judge, who won the AL’s Most Valuable Player Award for the third time in four years, securing the AL batting title with a .331 average while belting 52 home runs. Judge became just the third player to win a batting title while hitting 50 or more homers, joining Mickey Mantle (1956) and Jimmie Foxx (1938).
The Yanks led the division by seven games in late May, but settled for a Wild Card in large part because of their head-to-head struggles with Toronto, against whom they were 5-8 during the regular season. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. became just the franchise’s third player (fourth time) to compile a 30/30 season, while Trent Grisham hit a career-high 34 homers. In all, seven players hit 20 or more homers, contributing to their Major League-leading 274 blasts. Max Fried anchored the pitching staff throughout his first year in pinstripes, pacing the league with 19 wins while posting a 2.86 ERA, and Carlos Rodón registered career bests in wins (18) and starts (33). Rookie Cam Schlittler was dominant after a late-season callup, including a splendid effort to end Boston’s season in the Wild Card Series.