The New York Yankees needed a spark. So on Thursday, they did something they’ve barely done all year: put Cody Bellinger at first base.
It’s only his fourth start there this season. Bellinger has spent the overwhelming majority of his time in left field, where he’s played 82 games. But with the team limping into Tampa Bay down 2-1 in the series and sitting on a 2-8 record over their last 10, manager Aaron Boone is shuffling things around.
Max Schuemann gets the nod in left field. Trent Grisham is in center. Jasson Dominguez is in right. It’s a different look for an outfield that’s been missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for extended stretches due to injuries.
Bellinger’s bat needs to wake up
The 2026 season hasn’t been vintage Bellinger. He’s slashing .245/.339/.414 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles and 10 stolen bases across 90 games. That’s fine. Not great. Not what the Yankees had in mind when they acquired him.
Still, Bellinger made his third All-Star team this year and his first since 2019. So the raw talent is still there, even if the consistency isn’t.
He’s been asked to carry more of the offensive load with Judge and Stanton out, and the results have been mixed. Some games he looks like the MVP guy the Dodgers had. Others he looks lost at the plate.
Why first base matters here
It’s not just about giving Bellinger a different glove. Putting him at first opens up the outfield for three guys who need at-bats. Schuemann has been decent. Dominguez is still figuring things out at the big-league level. Grisham is a vacuum in center but hasn’t hit much.
Bellinger has played first base before. He’s done it at an above-average level in the past. The Yankees clearly trust him there. The question is whether moving him off the outfield grass helps the defense overall or just creates a different set of problems.
The Rays are a tough matchup at the Trop. They’ve already taken two of three in this series. Tampa Bay grinds at-bats, steals bases and makes you throw strikes. Bad teams lose these games. Good teams find a way to steal the series split.
The Yankees are supposed to be good. Right now they don’t look it.
Bellinger starting at first base won’t fix everything. The lineup still has holes. The bullpen has been shaky. But it’s a move. Something different. Sometimes that’s all a struggling team needs to feel like things are changing.
First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. Eastern.
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