The New York Yankees - baseball’s most iconic franchise with 27 World Series titles to their name - are facing a new kind of scrutiny, not for what they’ve done, but for what they haven’t. The team still wins, still draws crowds, and still fills the Bronx with October baseball more often than not. But for a fanbase raised on the expectation of championships, the current version of the Yankees feels like a different team altogether - one that’s content with being competitive, but not necessarily dominant.
On a recent episode of his podcast, longtime New York sports voice Mike Francesa didn’t mince words about the state of the franchise. He pointed to what he sees as a growing disconnect between the front office’s priorities and the expectations of Yankees fans.
“There is a satisfaction inside the Yankees that their fans don’t feel,” Francesa said. “When the Yankees win 95 games and get to the World Series and lose, there is not chaos or, you know, abject failure in the halls of the Yankee offices.
There’s not. They’re making money.”
It’s a pointed observation - and one that hits at the heart of the current frustration in the Bronx. The Yankees are still a well-oiled machine when it comes to the business side of baseball.
The brand is global. The merchandise sells.
The stadium is a destination. And the franchise’s valuation?
Sky high.
“Despite what they tell you, their franchise is worth a complete fortune,” Francesa continued. “If you hear these other franchises being worth seven and eight, the Yankees are worth 10. That’s billion.”
But while the front office may be satisfied with consistent postseason appearances and a healthy bottom line, the fans are chasing something else entirely: rings. Championships.
Legacies. And the Yankees, for all their regular-season success, haven’t delivered one since 2009.
The pattern has become all too familiar: a strong regular season, a playoff berth, and then a disappointing exit at the hands of a more complete or more clutch opponent. It’s a cycle that keeps fans engaged - hopeful enough to stay invested - but ultimately leaves them empty-handed when it matters most.
As Francesa put it, “baseball has the most predictable regular season, but the most random playoffs.” It’s a truth that’s become especially relevant for teams like the Yankees, who can dominate from April to September but struggle to find that extra gear in October.
And for those hoping for a shake-up at the top - a change in leadership, a new vision, a more aggressive approach - Francesa offered a reality check.
“And Boone and Cashman are going nowhere,” he said. “If you haven’t figured that out yet, they’re not going anywhere.
They’re happy with this existence. They would like to win a championship every now and then.
But Hal is willingly gonna react if he sees empty seats, empty luxury boxes, or people not buying signage on the building. Unless that happens, he’s not going to get upset.”
That’s the crux of the frustration. The Yankees are still good.
They’re still relevant. But for a franchise that once treated anything short of a title as failure, “good” doesn’t feel like enough.
Until the organization feels the pressure where it hurts - in the wallet - the current formula isn’t likely to change. And that leaves Yankees fans in a strange spot: rooting for wins, but wondering if a few losses in the financial column might be what it takes to bring the fire back to the front office.