If running the greatest franchise in MLB history doesn’t work out, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner can always move to Los Angeles and explore a comedy career.
Few would have guessed that Steinbrenner, who turns 59 in December, is actually a funny guy. How else do you explain Wednesday’s bizarre press conference, where he repeatedly made excuses and contradicted himself when discussing the Yankees’ 2026 season? From blaming the position players to taking jabs at captain Aaron Judge, Hal resembled his often outspoken father … at least, until he offered further thoughts on the team’s ALDS exit.
“I am often asked, ‘Was the entire season a failure?’” Steinbrenner said. “Winning 93 games is not a failure. Playing in the Division Series is not a failure. It became a failure because we did not do well. I don’t believe I’ve ever called a season that we didn’t win a world championship successful.”
So, wait. Hold on. Steinbrenner doesn’t believe the Yankees did well, but he also doesn’t view playing in the Division Series as a failure. And yet he won’t call the 2026 season “successful” despite the ALDS loss?
What?
New York Yankees fans shouldn’t care about the 2027 season after Hal Steinbrenner’s press conference
Things got even stranger when reporters asked Steinbrenner about the looming lockout and his thoughts on the proposed salary cap. Spotrac ranked the Yankees’ $308.3 million payroll third-highest leaguewide; they had eight players making at least $10 million in base salary, and pending free agent closer David Bednar could join that group in the coming weeks.
Steinbrenner, who has publicly supported a salary cap, refused to “start labor conversations” before immediately addressing the cap.
“I helped craft the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table, and I support those proposals in their entirety,” Steinbrenner said. “That should answer your question.”
If you’re confused about why Steinbrenner supports a salary cap, keep in mind he’s a modern-day MLB owner. He’ll make his money either way via the YES Network and the Yankees’ brand, and owners typically don’t stray from the pack on finance-related topics, whether it’s labor or television deals.
And while the Yankees’ brand and reputation still have a global impact, it doesn’t mean as much back home. Steinbrenner and management, specifically longtime president Randy Levine, priced out and alienated their fans long ago. Look no further than the sponsor patches on their uniforms or replacing the old-fashioned scoreboard with advertisements. They even scrapped the decades-old facial hair policy last year to avoid scaring players away.
Steinbrenner opting to bring Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone back wasn’t surprising, but his admission about taking a week to evaluate Boone’s future certainly caught our attention. As we recently argued with the Astros and Joe Espada, what is the value in waiting that long before deciding? Why not take 48 hours and then announce that Boone is returning or that they’re moving in another direction?
“The inability to score on a consistent basis throughout the course of the entire season, not on the shoulders of Aaron Boone,” Steinbrenner said.
We don’t get it, but maybe we’re not meant to understand. If Steinbrenner is willing to maintain the status quo, then so be it. Plenty of Yankees fans have accepted that the 2027 season likely won’t start on time, and we’re among those who doubt we’ll see any games before Memorial Day.
But hey, at least the Yankees can claim they have 27 titles and are worth billions of dollars. That’s all that matters, right?
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