The New York Yankees won’t look too different from the team we saw in 2025, especially on the offensive side, as Cody Bellinger was another returning member of last year’s 94-win squad.
After months of painful and public negotiating between the Yankees and superagent Scott Boras, Bellinger has returned to the Bronx and is gearing up for another season with a group that seemed to mesh well offensively last season.
His official return press conference occurred earlier this afternoon where Bellinger was made availabile to the media to answer questions, reiterating his commitment to bringing a championship to the Bronx.
Details about his excitement about returning alongside what his involvement in the upcoming World Baseball Classic will look like after rumors percolated about him being recruited by Team USA earlier in the winter.
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Cody Bellinger Will Forgo WBC and Begin Ramp Up For Yankees’ 2026 Season
The Yankees will see their captain Aaron Judge don the red-white-and-blue in the upcoming World Baseball Classic with closer David Bednar also participating in the tournament as well.
Some rumors swirled about Bellinger being among players considered for the event, which makes sense given his talent, versatility, and connection to Judge who is the captain of Team USA.
He will choose to not play in this year’s WBC, which isn’t uncommon for players who recently signed a big deal in free agency to do.
“Don’t think it’ll be this year…I owe it to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankee organization to go and give my best foot forward and try and win a championship.”
Cody Bellinger expressed a level of interest in participating in the event later in his career, but his focus right now remains on the Bronx Bombers.
He told reporters about his excitement to play alongside Aaron Judge again, referring to him as a future Hall of Famer and saying “You want to win that ring. You want a parade down in New York City.” as well.
The Yankees are already working out in Tampa with players such as Anthony Volpe and Carlos Rodon currently working to rehab from offseason surgeries.
Spring Training is just weeks away, and the Yankees are hoping the group they’ve spent plenty of money to retain can remain as potent offensively as they were in 2025.