It's time to admit an obvious fact about the New York Yankees in 2026.
If you were around in the late '90s and early 2000s, you already know about the New York Yankees allure. It was palpable, and even watching highlights from that Yankees dynasty still gives you a very unique and distinctive feeling in your gut.
Fast forward to 2026, and that aura has completely evaporated.
Gone are the days when New York was the most feared team in professional sports. Gone are the days when you just expected the Yankees to land the biggest and best players on the open market year after year.
It's a very different time in the Bronx as the Yanks are watching the Toronto Blue Jays — who just agreed to terms with star Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto — usurp them as the top power in the American League East and as a baseball heavyweight in general.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are what the Yankees once were, and the Blue Jays are now more of a marquee destination than New York. It is what it is.
As the Yankees sit idly by, teams around them are improving.
Toronto also added Dylan Cease in addition to Okamoto. It could also still bring back Bo Bichette. We can't rule out that possibility.
No, the Boston Red Sox have not yet re-signed Alex Bregman, but some feel that a reunion is imminent, and in the meantime, the Red Sox have bolstered their starting rotation while also adding a heck of a hitter in Willson Contreras.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner. Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images.The Dodgers went out and solidified the back end of their bullpen — the one true "weakness" they had — by signing Edwin Diaz.
And what have the Yankees done? Re-sign Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario.
So basically nothing.
Yes, there is still time for New York to make a move, and the Yanks appear to be waiting on Cody Bellinger more than anything else. But what happened to the days where the Yankees would be in on almost everyone in free agency? What happened to the days where blockbuster trades seemed like a daily occurrence in the Bronx?
The effort just no longer appears to be here for the Yankees, who may believe that their mystique of previous decades will still carry them forward in 2026. And that's just no longer the case.
Many of the top players in the game today didn't even witness the Yankees dynasty, and with so much money flying around, New York no longer stands out.
It also seems like Hal Steinbrenner does not care nearly as much about winning as George Steinbrenner did. It's the cold hard truth.
Hal views the Yankees almost solely as a business. Yes, it was also a business for George, but he was willing to do anything to win.
It's time to admit a painful reality when it comes to the Bronx Bombers: the allure just isn't there at this point, and no one fears them anymore.