Honestly, if you’re asking who is pitching for the Yankees tonight, you’re probably looking for a name to get excited about. But here is the thing: it is mid-January.
There is nobody on the mound tonight.
The Yankees, like every other team in MLB, are currently in the thick of the offseason. It is January 17, 2026. Pitchers and catchers don't even report to Tampa for another month. The actual "tonight" answer is a whole lot of nothing, unless you count Gerrit Cole throwing a weighted ball against a wall or Max Fried doing mobility drills in a private gym.
But I get why people are searching for this. The Yankees' rotation is a giant, flaming question mark right now. If the season started today, the "who is pitching" answer would look very different than what fans expected six months ago. Between blockbuster trades, Tommy John recoveries, and a sudden influx of left-handed depth, the Bronx Bombers' staff is currently a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces still in the box.
The Ryan Weathers shocker and the current depth chart
Just a few days ago, on January 13, the Yankees pulled the trigger on a trade that caught a lot of people off guard. They sent four prospects—Brendan Jones, Dillon Lewis, Dylan Jasso, and Juan Matheus—to the Miami Marlins for Ryan Weathers.
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If you haven't been following Weathers, he’s a 26-year-old lefty with a pedigree (his dad, David, pitched for the Yanks back in the day). He's got a fastball that touches 97 and a sweeper that can be nasty when it's on. But he’s also had his share of arm trouble. Last year was another injury-shortened campaign where he only managed eight starts.
The fact that the Yankees traded actual prospect capital for him tells you everything you need to know about their desperation. They need bodies. They need lefties.
Why the rotation is so thin right now
The reason everyone is worried about who is pitching is that the "Big Three" are all in the trainer's room.
- Gerrit Cole: He’s still recovering from the elbow surgery that sidelined him. Word from Michael Kay and others is that we might not see the "Cole Train" until late May or even June.
- Carlos Rodon: He’s starting the 2026 season on the injured list. It’s the same old story with Rodon—unbelievable stuff, but the health just isn't consistent.
- Clarke Schmidt: He’s likely out for the entire 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July.
When you lose that much production, your "tonight" starter in a hypothetical January world becomes a lot of "who?" and "him?"
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The projected 2026 Opening Day starters
Since there isn't a game tonight, the real question is who will be taking the bump when the Yankees open the season against the Giants on March 25. Based on the current roster and the recent Weathers trade, the rotation is shaping up like this:
Max Fried is the undisputed ace of this makeshift staff. The Yankees went out and got him to be the stabilizer, and boy, do they need him now. Behind him, you’ve got Cam Schlittler, a guy who has been climbing the ranks and now finds himself thrust into a high-leverage role.
The back end is where it gets experimental. You’ve got Will Warren and Luis Gil. Gil has shown flashes of brilliance, but his control can be a rollercoaster. Then there’s Weathers, who likely slots in as the number four or five starter just to give the bullpen a break.
The Yankees also just re-signed Paul Blackburn on January 15. That move didn't make a lot of headlines, but it’s a classic Brian Cashman "insurance policy" move. Blackburn isn't going to win a Cy Young, but he'll eat innings and keep you in the game, which is exactly what you need when your $300 million ace is throwing off a flat mound in Tampa.
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Dealing with the January "Pitching Panic"
Every Yankees fan goes through this in January. You see the rival Blue Jays or Orioles making moves, and you look at a rotation led by Max Fried and a bunch of "if they stay healthy" guys, and you start to sweat.
But remember: the roster on January 17 is rarely the roster on July 17.
The Yankees have been linked to almost every remaining arm on the market. There are still rumors swirling about the Japanese market, specifically right-hander Tatsuya Imai, though the window for those negotiations is closing fast. There is also the trade market. With the depth they’ve built (even after the Weathers trade), the Yankees could still move a guy like Luis Gil if they think they can land a more established veteran.
Actionable takeaways for the 2026 season:
- Watch the calendar: Pitchers and catchers report around February 15. That is when we will get the first real look at Cole’s recovery progress.
- Keep an eye on the waiver wire: The Yankees have been active here, recently snagging Kaleb Ort from the Astros. These small moves matter for the "middle-of-the-week-in-May" games.
- Don't overvalue Spring Training stats: When games finally do start in late February, remember that Schlittler or Warren giving up 4 runs in 2 innings doesn't mean the season is over. It’s about the process and the health of the arm.
The reality of who is pitching for the Yankees tonight is that nobody is. But the battle for who gets to pitch in April is officially the most interesting story in the Bronx right now. The rotation is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster—stitched together with expensive free agents, trade gambles, and young prospects—but if Fried holds the line and the "injured list trio" returns by mid-summer, the Yankees might actually survive the early-season gauntlet.
Check the transaction logs frequently over the next two weeks. Cashman isn't done. With the Red Sox and Jays loading up, the Yankees can't afford to stand pat with just Ryan Weathers and Paul Blackburn as their big winter additions.