The Yankees’ biggest decision for the Wild Card Series comes down to one name: Aaron Judge.
New York opens against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, and Judge’s status is still up in the air because of a calf strain. The Yankees obviously want their three-time AL MVP in the lineup, and Judge’s recent comments suggest he wants in, too.
That possibility changes everything for New York. With Judge healthy enough to play, the Yankees look like a far more dangerous team in the AL race to reach the World Series. Without him, the offense suddenly looks a lot shakier.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield laid out just how wide the gap has been this season. "Judge was hampered for many of his 66 games this season, playing with a rib fracture or coming back from it without a rehab assignment, and the Yankees still went 41-25 when he played," Schoenfield wrote.
"They went 52-43 without him. The difference?
They recorded 5.1 runs per game and a .764 OPS with him in the lineup. Without him, those numbers sunk to 4.2 runs and a .685 OPS.
The drop-off is significant," Schoenfield added.
What Judge can actually do if the training staff clears him is still unclear. Playing right field would carry some risk, but it would also be the only way to get Judge, Ben Rice, and Luis Garcia Jr. in the same lineup.
If that doesn’t happen, Aaron Boone will almost certainly use Judge as the designated hitter.
However the Yankees handle it, the decision is a huge one. Judge is the kind of player who can flip a series with one swing, and New York will be careful with his rehab before making the call.
In Other News...
Red Sox Just Got Extra Motivation Before Yankees Wild Card Series
The Red Sox are heading into Yankee Stadium for a three-game wild-card series with a familiar kind of October edge, and the path ahead is simple enough: win the series, move on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. Even before the first pitch, though, the matchup has taken on a little extra bite thanks to how New York appears to be lining up its rotation.
Reports say the Yankees plan to start Max Fried in Game 1 and Cam Schlittler in Game 2, a setup that points to a balancing act between the wild-card round and the ALDS that could follow. For Boston, it is the kind of detail that only sharpens the stakes, because any hint that the opponent is thinking beyond the immediate series can be taken as added fuel in a setting where every pitch tends to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Sox Coach Just Created An Awkward Rays Subplot
Pete Fatses next stop has taken an awkward turn for Red Sox fans watching the division. A few months after Boston let go of its former hitting coach, the Rays brought him in as a hitting consultant, adding a familiar name to a rival staff at a moment when both clubs are trying to sharpen their offensive identities. Fatses connection to New England runs deep, and his time with the Red Sox began in 2019, so the move carries more than the usual layer of East Division familiarity.
Tampa Bay made no effort to hide its interest in what Fatse might bring. Rays executive Erik Neander publicly praised his passion and the potential he has to help the club, a notable show of confidence for someone who was just recently on the other side of one of baseballs sharper internal decisions. For Boston, it is the kind of subplot that lingers because it ties a former staffer directly to a rival and leaves open the inevitable question of what the Rays think they can unlock next. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face One Big Roster Call Before Yankees Series
With one regular season game left before they open a wild-card series against the Yankees, the Red Sox are down to the kind of roster decisions that can shape a short October. Romy Gonzalez has put himself back in the conversation with strong recent work in Triple-A, and his profile is at least intriguing enough to merit a look as Boston starts sorting out the final pieces of its playoff group.
Gonzalez also brings a matchup angle that matters in a series this tight, since he has had success against likely Game 1 starter Max Fried. That is the sort of offensive upside Boston could use on a bench built for opportunistic swings, which is why his candidacy comes up now as the Red Sox weigh whether he deserves a spot over Andruw Monasterio. [Read more 🡒]