March 19, 2026
Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935
by Connor Whalen ‘28 and Emilia Farrell ’28 on February 26, 2026
The New York Yankees hold the record for the most World Series championships with 27, which is nowhere near the second place St. Louis Cardinals’ 11 titles, and they look to gain their 28th championship win this fall. The Bronx Bombers have been in the postseason every season for the past nine years, except for a key miss in 2023.
The Yankees are headlined by captain Aaron Judge, who broke the American League single season home run record in 2022 with 62 home runs on the season, breaking the 61-year-old record held by former Yankee Roger Maris. A seven-time MLB All Star and three-time AL MVP winner, Judge is a key offensive threat to any opposing team the Yankees will face this season. Another key move for the Yankees this offseason was re-signing left fielder Cody Bellinger. The son of former Yankee Clay Bellinger, he re-signed with the team on a five-year contract. Last season, he proved to be offensively dominant against left-handed pitchers, with a batting average of .353 against lefties. Bellinger is also a key defender for the Yankees, finishing the 2025 season with a .991 fielding percentage.
2026 will also bring the return of Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole, who was sidelined all of last season after tearing his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Cole has returned to the bullpen in spring training and is reportedly looking like himself, as corroborated by teammate Austin Wells and manager Aaron Boone. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler will look to complement Cole in the Yankees’ pitching rotation, both with impressive stats on the mound in the 2025 season. Fried was the 2025 AL Gold Glove pitcher with a 19–5 record and 2.86 ERA. In his rookie season, Schlittler had 84 strikeouts across 73 innings in the regular season. Schlittler was also instrumental in securing the Wild Card Series victory against his hometown Boston Red Sox where he struck out 12 batters across his eight scoreless innings in his postseason debut.
Critics may argue that the 2026 Yankees look a lot like previous years’ rosters, but these are the core group of players that won 94 games in 2025 and made it to the World Series in 2024. The team does not need to prove that they can win at a high level. 2026 will also feature the health and stability of Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, and Oswaldo Cabrera, whose absences left a hindrance on last season. Elite offense, strong defense, and sharp pitching will give the Yankees balance on all sides of the ball. To win the 2026 World Series, the Yankees must focus on their continuity as their greatest strength, truly believing that the title is their destiny.
The Philadelphia Phillies have regressed each season since their 2022 World Series appearance, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs in back-to-back-to-back seasons. Philly fans’ groans have grown louder and louder, and players have become more vocal about their frustration with the complacency of the front office. The club is returning largely the same squad as they did last year: J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, and Kyle Schwarber will—for the third season in a row—be in the lineup. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, and Jesus Luzardo will return to the rotation, hoping to mitigate the loss of postseason hero Ranger Suarez. What will the difference be then, one might ask? The Phillies will win their first title since 2008 for three reasons. First, the infusion of youth into both the lineup and pitching staff will be a huge benefit. Justin Crawford, Aidan Miller, and Andrew Painter will all get their long-awaited call-ups to the show and add much needed energy and enthusiasm. Second, the bullpen added both high-leverage pieces—headlined by Cubs free agent Brad Keller and trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran—and depth, which has been the Phillies’ kryptonite time and time again. Lastly, the pressure will be on more than ever, as players’ contracts are coming to a close and outside voices are only growing louder. The stars in south Philly are not getting any younger, and the trophy that the most dedicated fanbase in MLB deserves so much will finally come to Broad Street this (red) October.
