If the Yankees end up back on top and Ben Rice is the one carrying the October load, the chatter will come fast and loud. The idea alone is enough to hand the trolls something to cling to: New York winning a World Series without Aaron Judge, while Rice posts the kind of postseason numbers Judge has never been able to match.
That would give fresh life to the old clip of Judge misplaying a fly ball in the World Series, the one people still drag out whenever they want to needle him. Even if the Yankees are standing alone at the end, some folks would still use it as ammunition.
But the bigger truth is harder to argue with. Since Judge arrived in 2017, the Yankees’ best shots at a title have come because he kept dragging them into the fight.
In 2022, without his chase after Maris, they would have missed the playoffs. The next year, when he ran into the Dodger Stadium wall, the Yankees’ postseason hopes went down with him and landed him on the IL.
In 2024, Juan Soto gave him support, and for stretches it still felt like the division could slip away. Judge and Soto powered the Yankees through a summer slump and all the way to the World Series. The 2025 club was more balanced and owned one of the best offenses in baseball, but Judge’s MVP-level work still helped push them through before the Yankees eventually fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
This season, with Judge healthy, the Yankees might win the division - or at least make it closer than it has been. So if the team were to finally win it all without him, the irony would be obvious. After years of Judge carrying the Yankees, his teammates would be the ones delivering him his first World Series ring.
None of that changes his place in the game. Judge remains a three-time MVP and one of the greatest right-handed hitters in baseball history.
Albert Pujols, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Judge belong on that right-handed Mount Rushmore. He’s going to the Hall of Fame, and if he gets the loudest ovation every time the Yankees are introduced, that’s exactly how it should be.
The comparison is simple enough: Bruce Wayne is still Batman, even when he’s out of action and Dick Grayson has to step in. In this case, Rice is the Robin.
And if the Yankees do win, that’s the only thing that really matters. A championship is a championship. The Atlanta Braves won without Ronald Acuña Jr., and nobody should use that to diminish what Acuña means to them or what that title meant.
The only reason this would turn into a debate is because it’s New York, where every star comes with a spotlight and a target. Tyrese Haliburton is a good example of that - a strong player whose fame is tied in part to what he did against the Knicks.
Still, if the Yankees finish the job, all the noise gets buried. They’d have won their first championship since 2009, and that would be the story.
In Other News...
Ben Rice Suddenly Carries A Yankees Problem He Still Hasn't Solved
The Yankees opened their American League Division Series with a night that offered little room for optimism, and Ben Rice was right in the middle of it. Tampa Bays Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 1-0 Rays win, while New York was held to one hit, the fewest in the clubs postseason history, and Gerrit Cole took the loss in a game that quickly turned into a grind.
Rice, who has been an important part of the Yankees offense, could not find any traction against Rasmussen, finishing 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. For a lineup that already looked out of sync, his struggles underscored just how tough the matchup was, and how much pressure now sits on New Yorks bats to answer before this series gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Lineup Just Faced A Game 1 Problem That Changes Everything
The Yankees opened the ALDS facing exactly the kind of problem October can turn into a series-defining headache. Tampa Bay took Game 1 behind Drew Rasmussen, who worked eight dominant innings, scattered one hit and struck out 10, while Jonathan Arandas home run supplied the only run the Rays needed. Bryan Baker closed it out, leaving New York with an immediate uphill climb in a series where every early inning matters.
For the Yankees, the concern is less about one loss than the way the game was lost. Rasmussen controlled the lineup from start to finish, and the Rays paired that kind of pitching with just enough offense to put New York in chase mode right away. In a short series, a night like this can change the feel of everything, especially when the opponent has already shown it can win with one swing and a lockdown bullpen finish. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Have A Matt Blake Decision Fans Should Be Watching
Matt Blakes future is one of the quieter Yankees storylines worth watching as the season winds down. The pitching coach has been in the role since 2020, and the club has already exercised its option for 2026, a sign the organization wants to keep the current structure in place after years of stability on the mound.
The bigger question is what comes after that, because the Yankees are reportedly looking to retain Blake beyond next season as well. With this years staff producing strong results and both the rotation and bullpen ranking among the best in the league, Blake has built the kind of track record that usually leads to a longer stay, even if the final call still has to get sorted out. [Read more 🡒]