About Last Night: NYY 10, WSH 5

By: Ethan Semendinger

August 26th, 2025

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Should you buy into the hype of the Yankees beating a bad team? I'm not so sure. Even so, positive signs have emerged.

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Quick Stats -

• Winning Pitcher: Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA)

• Losing Pitcher: Brad Lord (4-7, 3.84 ERA)

• Save: N/A

• Home Runs (Washington): Jacob Young (1)

• Home Runs (New York): Ben Rice (21), Jazz Chisholm (25), Jasson Dominguez (10)

Big Story - Sometimes there is no "BIG" story ahead of the game. Truthfully, this Monday didn't bring much news to get all that worked up about.

Anthony Volpe sat for the second game in a row. Is that indicative of a bigger shift? No. He's going to play again tonight.

Jose Caballero is going to be used as a utility player from here on out. Great. He should've been used that way already, getting in 4-5 games a week.

And that was just about it on news. So...

Here was the Yankees' line-up to start a 3-game weekday series against the Nationals:

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Player of the Game -

• Cam Schlittler: 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB's, 8 K's

Notable Performances -

• Trent Grisham: 2-4, Run, 2 K's

• Ben Rice: 1-3, 2 Runs, Solo Home Run, 1 RBI, 2 BB's

• Aaron Judge: 1-4, Run, RBI, 1 BB

• Cody Bellinger: 2-3, Run, 3 RBI's

• Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 1-3, 2 Runs, 2-Run Home Run, 2 RBI's, 1 BB, 1 K

• Paul Goldschmidt: 2-4, Run, 2 K's

• Jasson Dominguez: 1-4, Run, 3-Run Home Run, 3 RBI's, 1 K

Better to Forget -

• Yerry De los Santos: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB's, 3 K's

• Mark Leiter Jr.: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB's, 1 K

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The Game - If you caught my last game summary- from last week's Seinfeld night- you could tell I put (too much) effort into it. Last night was Hamilton night. I've never seen the show, nor do I know any of the music. (Which, would surprise friends of mine from high school, as I was a member of the school's theatre group.) That being said, I'm not able to make any references to Hamilton for the game summary this morning.

Instead, I'll walk you through my general feelings about each player who played in last night's game:

Trent Grisham: It was a solid day for Grisham (2-4), who, ahead of the game had positive things to say about New York, the Yankees, and the clubhouse/team, when asked about his feelings on returning in 2026. He is in the midst of a career season with the bat at 28. Defensive prowess will not be a worry for him this offseason. Instead, the question is: Is he more like his 2020-2021 self (111 OPS+ in 191 games) or his 2022-2024 self (84 OPS+ in 381 games)?

Ben Rice: Truthfully, I don't know what to think about Ben Rice, and I think it stems from being burned too many times recently on Yankees hitting prospects. Of course I want him to be great for a long time, but I also have feelings that he's going to end up down the Gary Sanchez path: a great rookie showcase, but never living back up to that hype. (He's beaten the Greg Bird allegations though, so that's good!)

Aaron Judge: The best player in baseball? Yes. Shohei Ohtani's 2-way allure is quickly going away (He has a 4.61 ERA in 10 starts with just 27.1 innings this year). However, Judge post-injury has not been the same. I just hope the Yankees didn't rush him back and potential do more harm than good in a season that has been too volatile already. Cal Raleigh also hit his 50th home run of the season yesterday, while Judge sits at 40. Wow.

Cody Bellinger: Is it possible for the Yankees to entice a player to sign a short term deal? If so, the Yankees should work that magic with Cody Bellinger. He's almost certainly going to opt-out of his contract after this season. That's going to be a big loss for the Yankees, given his consistent hitting and defensive versatility. Would he be willing to take a shorter (3-4 year) offer? Probably not, but I'd rather see him get overpaid elsewhere in the league than see him get too many years and folllow the DJ LeMahieu track.

Amed Rosario: I wanted him years ago. He's fun. I like him. Good energy guy. He also probably won't be a Yankee next year.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Many people don't like Jazz Chisholm. I don't agree, but I understand. He's flashy, a bit over-the-top, and sometimes a bit of a diva. He also has a superstar attitude while hitting .240. That doesn't match. What does match? He now has 25 home runs this year, he's a great defender (now that's he's back where he belongs at second base), and he fits a role the Yankees need: a villain. The Yankees are more fun when there's a guy everybody around the league doesn't like. Jazz fits that role, and he does such a good job of it. He gets Yankees fans too. Maybe he should tone it down (especially when the Yankees are in a slump), but I think a lot of it is just an act.

Paul Goldschmidt: He'll be remembered fondly after his one season in the pinstripes ends. Maybe Rice takes over for him next year. Maybe Bellinger. Maybe both. Nevertheless, Goldschmidt has been more than advertised. The Yankees needed a higher-average, lock-down first base defender. He's had some ups-and-downs, but overall the picture is good. Don't spoil it.

Jasson Dominguez: Give him time. He's not the next Mickey Mantle. Forget about that. He's a big leaguer, and he's still just 22. Give him time. He seems to be figuring it out at the big league level. Give him time. I sense a good-to-great (not Hall of Fame, not MVP, but good-to-great) career ahead of him if he can keep making steady progress. Age and limited experience (COVID hurt him a lot) make me believe there's a lot of growing and potential still to access. Give him time.

Ryan McMahon: A solid move to fix defense. Has it been perfect at third base? No. Did he come in hot and quickly cool off with the bat? Yes. Am I worried about a number 8 hitter's hitting ability? Not that much. If he can get his average back up to around .225 and continue to be a solid glove at third, that's a win. (Don't forget, Miguel Andujar is out there, watching!)

Jose Caballero: Finally, it appears Boone is going to use Caballero in the role he should've started using him in a month ago: as a super utility guy. Caballero is Oswaldo Cabrera for the rest of this season. Caballero may replace Cabrera (as much as that would hurt) beyond this season. He should be out there 4-5 games a week all around the infield and outfield. Take advantage. I'm a fan. I always tend to root for these "do it all", "whatever you ask" players.

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Cam Schlittler: He may be the best pitcher the Yankees have. But, please, please, note the emphasis on "MAY". He's pitched 8 games at the MLB level. His stuff looks great. But, he's also played just 8 games. It takes a little bit for teams to gather enough footage and round out their scouting reports. It also takes a little bit just for the opportunity for other batters to get experience against him. I want to believe, especially for next season and beyond, but as a whole, it's not a good sign when an 8-game rookie is outperforming two known aces of the staff.

Yerry De los Santos: The Yankees never should've given him the 9th inning. He was gassed, and he paid for it tonight. That's on him, and Boone. Otherwise, he's a solid relief guy.

Mark Leiter Jr.: I don't trust Leiter. I don't see what other people see in him. I don't think his stuff is amazing, I don't think his demeanor on the mound is inspiring, I don't think he should be in a circle of trust. However, I'm getting flashbacks to Nestor Cortes in the 9th inning with Leiter. Expect it now. Boone's going to go to Leiter in an impossible situation. Watch out.

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Next Up - The Yankees will continue their 3-game weekday series tonight against the Washington Nationals, in the Bronx with the game set to start at 7:05 PM (EDT). Luis Gil will take the mound for the Yankees (1-1, 4.26 ERA) against MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.11 ERA). The game will be broadcast on YES.