The All-Star break is over, and the Yankees are staring down a crucial second half of the season. After a rollercoaster first few months filled with inconsistency and flashes of brilliance, it’s time to lock in because the excuses expire now. Here’s what needs to happen for the Yankees to finish strong and make a real postseason push:

1. Consistent Lineups Please – One of the biggest frustrations of the first half? The lineup roulette. While rest days and matchups matter, rolling out a different batting order every other day makes it hard for players to settle into a rhythm. The Yankees need to find a core group and stick with it. Let chemistry build. Enough with the over-managing. And for the love of everything that is holy, play Jasson Domínguez and bat him first every day.

2. Volpe Has to Snap Out of It – Anthony Volpe hit .214 in the first half with 10 home runs, 49 RBI, and a .671 OPS. That’s just not good enough. He’s been a black hole at the plate for most of the season, and if he’s going to be the everyday shortstop, the production has to be there. The Yankees don’t need him to be an All Star. They need him to be serviceable. Hitting .250 the rest of the way should be the minimum expectation. Anything less and the lineup suffers badly.

3. Luis Gil Needs to Take the Next Step – Luis Gil spent the first half recovering from injury, but now he’s back and the Yankees need him to step up in a big way. He was awesome last year as a rookie, flashing electric stuff and showing he can dominate at this level. Now it’s about taking that next step. The Yankees need to be able to trust him in October. Not just to eat innings but to take the ball in a big spot in the ALDS and beyond. He doesn’t have to be perfect, but he has to be reliable.

4. Embrace The Martian – Jasson Domínguez had a solid first half, hitting .266 with 8 home runs, 34 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and a .760 OPS. He’s shown flashes of the dynamic, all-around player the Yankees believe he can be. The Martian has a chance to fully establish himself as a game-changing presence in the second half. There’s a real opportunity for him to become an everyday force in the lineup and a tone-setter at the top. If he keeps trending up, he could go from fan favorite to cornerstone real quick.

5. Weaver and Williams Need to Be the Dynamic Duo – Luke Weaver and Devin Williams have to be the bullpen backbone the Yankees lean on in the second half. Weaver has quietly been excellent, posting a 2.91 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP in 34 innings. He’s thrown strikes, missed bats, and earned high-leverage trust. Williams has clearly had a shakier first half by his standards, but the stuff is still elite. If he can settle in and return to form, the Yankees suddenly have a late-inning combo that can shorten games in October. These two need to be the shutdown crew: reliable, fearless, and ready for the spotlight.

The second half is all about tightening up and finally playing to the level this roster is capable of. There’s no time left for excuses or slow starts. The talent is there. Now it’s about execution. And at the center of it all, Aaron Judge and Max Fried need to carry the load. Judge sets the tone every night with his bat and presence, and Fried has to anchor the rotation with ace-level consistency. If those two lead the way, the rest of the roster steps up, and Aaron Boone can get out of his own way, this team still has the potential to make a run. It’s go time.