The Yankees officially chose the most polarizing path possible: run it back. With the offseason over, we rewind to November and replay everyone’s original Yankees plans to see just how far off the front office went from fan expectations. From dream scenarios involving Alex Bregman, Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, Sandy Alcantara, and bullpen reinforcements, to the reality of Cody Bellinger returning and almost nothing else changing, the gap is glaring.

So what does it actually mean that nearly the entire roster is back? Is Brian Cashman betting on internal growth, better health, and fewer October failures? Or did the Yankees miss a real opportunity to raise their playoff ceiling? We break down the leadoff problem, bullpen concerns, roster stagnation, and whether believing in improvement from Volpe, Dominguez, Rice, Wells, and others is enough to justify one of the most extreme “run it back” seasons in modern Yankees history.