The Yankees have gone from a team people labeled a “sleeping giant” to one that looks fully awake and dangerous.
That shift has come quickly. Since Aaron Judge returned from the injured list on Sept. 8, the Yankees are 6-1. The latest win was Monday night’s 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins, when Judge launched a three-run homer for his first long ball since coming back.
The timing matters, too. A Toronto Blue Jays loss on Monday helped the Yankees clinch their 61st postseason appearance. Now they’re pushing toward the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, with a four-game series at Yankee Stadium coming up next week.
They enter that stretch 3 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay, and the division race is still alive despite everything that’s hit this roster.
That’s the part Joe Girardi kept circling back to on the YES Network broadcast. The former Yankees manager, who led the club to its last World Series title in 2009, didn’t sugarcoat what he’s seeing.
“This team is dangerous,” Girardi said. “It’s very, very dangerous.”
Girardi pointed out how much the Yankees have had to withstand just to stay in this position. Gerrit Cole didn’t make his first start until late May after Tommy John surgery.
Carlos Rodon returned earlier that month after surgery to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. Max Fried has spent two separate stints on the IL because of elbow issues.
And that’s before even getting to the lineup absences. Judge missed much of the summer.
Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t played most of the year. Cody Bellinger missed 25 games.
The offense also went through a rough stretch for about a month and a half.
Still, the Yankees kept moving.
“I think it’s remarkable what their record has been,” Girardi said. “And it’s not just without Aaron Judge [for 3 months]. They’ve had guys in and out of the rotation the whole year.
“Stanton hasn’t played most of the year, Bellinger went on the IL for a while. They went through a terrible time offensively for about a month and a half. It’s remarkable the record they have with what they went through.”
Girardi also praised Aaron Boone, who has now reached the playoffs in 8 of his 9 seasons as manager.
“I think Aaron has done a fantastic job,” Girardi said. “And do they have a chance to catch the Rays? Maybe but the Rays haven’t dealt with nearly as many injuries as the Yankees have.”
The bullpen has been another major reason the Yankees are still standing this tall. It leads MLB with a 3.13 ERA, and Girardi gave that group its due as well.
“The bullpen has found a way to get it done, it’s been very good all year,” Girardi said.
Then he added one more line, this one aimed at Boone’s current knee injury: “What’s he got to show for it? A bad knee.”
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The question now is whether the Yankees can trust the rest of his game when the games get bigger. Lombard has been inconsistent defensively, with multiple errors and even a six-game stretch in August where he misfired every night, but Aaron Boone has stayed publicly confident in his long-term potential. For a team heading into October, that leaves one familiar Yankees dilemma hanging in the air: how much runway do they give a rookie whose talent is obvious, even if the mistakes have not gone away? [Read more 🡒]
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The appeal is obvious: when healthy, the Yankees can lean on a pitching staff and offense that executives believe can match up with anyone. Aaron Judge remains the headliner, and Cam Schlittler is among the names tied to the clubs upside, but the bigger question is whether New York can finally get enough of its key pieces on the field when October arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Rafael Devers Idea Fans Can't Ignore
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For the Yankees, the appeal goes beyond star power. There is a path to making the roster work with some positional shuffling, and the contract situation matters just as much as the production, especially with payroll always part of the equation in New York. The timing could also push the conversation forward quickly, since any major move before a projected lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement would give a front office less room to wait and see. [Read more 🡒]