Feb 24, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits a two-run home run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
DUNEDIN, Fla — The Yankees and Blue Jays faced off in a spring exhibition game. It got close in the ninth inning, but the Yankees won this one 8-7 over Toronto to improve to 3-2 in Grapefruit League play.
Notes/Observations
— Will Warren made his first start of the spring today. There was constant traffic. Command wise, he looked a bit wild in the first two innings, but looked more in control as he settled in.
Toronto gave Warren problems in 2025. He posted a 14.78 ERA against the Blue Jays in two appearances (regular and postseason combined) in 2025. His fastball looked good today. He was able to strike out four Blue Jays, all swinging, in his outing.
Paul Goldschmidt looks like a bargain. He had two hits — a two-run homer and a two-run double — both off right-handed pitching. It’s only spring, but having someone like Goldschmidt on your team who can come out and
— Cody Bellinger has been locked in to start his spring. He was 2-3 today, with both hits being singles (the second hit would be gone at GMS).
— Jake Bird pitched for the second time this spring training, and it’s easy to see why the Yankees are high on him going into 2026. He gave up one hit in an inning and a third, while striking out two batters. His stuff looked really good today, as it did his last outing.
Brent Headrick is the guy Bird is competing with for the final bullpen spot. The lefty too had a good outing today, working around an infield single.
His pitches were on par with where the were last season, and his stuff looked crisp. Having a lefty like Headrick who is platoon neutral is valuable to any ball club.
— Yankees NRI RHP Bradley Hanner struggled after that. He made a mess of things in the sixth inning, allowing four runs, though the fourth was on his catcher for committing an E2, allowing him to score.
— Another NRI, RHP Kervin Castro came in and got the final out of the sixth inning and stayed in for the seventh. With some help from his defense, he worked a scoreless inning. The Yankees would add some much needed insurance off a solo home run by Jace Avina in the top of the 8th inning
— The Yankees used the ABS challenge a lot today. The home plate umpire, Thomas Fornarola, had a really bad zone all game. The team went 8 for 10 with the system. A lot of the calls they challenged lead to baserunners and eventually runs. The benefits of this system are already bean reaped, and it’s just spring training.
Highlights
What’s Next
Tomorrow, the Yankees will play their first night game of the spring, taking on the Washington Nationals from George M. Steinbrenner Field. Lefty Ryan Weathers will make his debut in a Yankee uniform, getting the start for the Bombers. The game will be televised on the YES Network and the Gotham Sports App.
