The Yankees just rolled through the Red Sox without Aaron Judge, but that kind of October burst doesn’t erase what the captain means to this lineup. When this team is at its best, Judge is in it - plain and simple.
That’s why, if he’s healthy enough to go against Tampa Bay in the division series, New York should have him on the roster. The case starts with the obvious: the Yankees’ offense put up 18 runs in two games against Boston, and even with that kind of firepower, Judge changes the entire shape of a postseason lineup.
Picture what a pitcher has to deal with if Judge is back in the mix with Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger around him. That’s a far tougher lane to navigate. It also forces more careful pitching decisions, especially after Bellinger showed in Game 2 that if runners get on in front of him, he can punish a mistake.
Judge’s 2024 postseason wasn’t pretty, but he still reminded everyone what kind of threat he is. One of the defining swings from that run was the home run he gave up to Emmanuel Clase.
The Yankees lost that game, but the moment mattered because it showed Judge can alter a game even when he isn’t at his best. Clase was one of the game’s elite closers, and Judge still drove a triple-digit pitch into the seats.
There’s also the matter of what the Yankees got from the rest of the roster in the Wild Card Series. Aaron Boone mixed and matched, but not every spot delivered.
Amed Rosario and Heliot Ramos, in particular, didn’t offer much, and Ramos is basically the stand-in for Judge against lefties. Southpaw Payton Tolle handled him easily in Game 1.
That’s the difference here: Judge might not be guaranteed to hit better than Ramos in a given matchup, but a bench bat is not a three-time MVP. Opposing pitchers treat that spot differently when Judge is standing there.
The concern, of course, is the calf strain. Playing through it could make things worse.
But if the doctors clear him, Judge belongs in right field, and that move opens the door for the Yankees to keep Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr. in the same lineup by using the DH spot. That’s the version of the Yankees that makes the most sense.
The 2026 season has already been full of “What if?” questions for New York - what if the roster had stayed healthy, what if the rotation hadn’t spent so much time on the IL, what if Judge had been able to stay on the field. None of that can be fixed now.
But if Judge is healthy enough to face the Rays, the Yankees have a chance to answer at least one of those questions. And if they beat Tampa with him in the lineup, that would say plenty.
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 🡒]