Yankees banking on improved defense helping fill Juan Soto absence

In the immediate aftermath of Juan Soto choosing the Mets, Brian Cashman addressed media and scanned through his roster for areas of need.The Yankees could look to upgrade at plenty of offensive spots to compensate for the run creation they had just lost.

They also could pivot toward run prevention. “Add to the pitching, improve the defense,” said the general manager, who has aimed for a more complete team after his top-heavy club won the AL pennant last season. The Yankees have brought in bats with résumés and pitching arms with questions but who have been dominant.How about the new-look defense? On paper at least, the Yankees project as a more sound defensive team largely because they have subtracted their two greatest deficiencies in center fielder Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres (even if they have not yet replaced the latter). The Yankees’ greatest defensive difference from 2024 to 2025 should be seen in center, where Cody Bellinger is not the defender he was with the Dodgers but should be a significant step up from Judge.

Among 40 qualified center fielders last season, Judge was rated 39th.He has lost half a step that became evident with too many balls falling in front of him, and Cashman signaled the Yankees preferred Judge as a right fielder — with less ground to cover, and where his strong arm matters — even before the Bellinger trade. “He’s an above-average athlete, he’s an above-average defender at first, he’s an above-average defender in the outfield,” Cashman said of Bellinger, who might not be above-average in center anymore but is still playable. Last year with the Cubs, Bellinger split time on the grass between center and right.

In a season in which he turned 29, his sprint speed remained on par with his first seven years in the majors, and most defensive metrics saw him as a slightly below-average center fielder — which would be just fine for the Yankees, who saw much worse defensive production at the spot last season....