The Yankees’ October path may be missing its biggest name, and that puts a lot more pressure on the rest of the lineup to carry the load.
Aaron Judge is dealing with a calf strain that could keep him out for the first few rounds of the postseason. Even if he does make it back, there’s no guarantee he’ll be anywhere close to full strength.
For a Yankees offense that already felt his absence during the summer, that’s a major problem. So now the burden shifts to a group of role players, trade additions and veterans who have to produce when the lights get brightest.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of the biggest wild cards in the mix. In a contract season, he never came close to the 50-50 type of year he had in mind and wound up posting his worst statistical season since 2021.
He finished with a .711 OPS, a number that tells the story of an underwhelming year even if he was a bit better after the break. Still, Chisholm brought value with his defense and his legs.
His 41 stolen bases tied Pete Crow-Armstrong for third most in baseball, and if he can rediscover his power, that would help the Yankees make up for some of Judge’s missing thunder.
The player most likely to slide directly into Judge’s spot in right field is Heliot Ramos, who came over from the San Francisco Giants at midseason. The Yankees made that move with a very specific purpose in mind: replacing the production Judge and Giancarlo Stanton provided against left-handed pitching.
Ramos has built a reputation as a lefty masher, but his first stretch in New York was rough. In August, when he saw a heavy dose of right-handed pitching while Judge was out, he managed just a .577 OPS.
He steadied himself in September with an .813 OPS, which at least gives the Yankees something more comfortable heading into October. His glove is a question, but the bat is what matters here, especially in a lineup that leans left.
Spencer Jones has become one of the more interesting developments in a season full of Yankees injuries. At 6-foot-7, with speed and huge power, he brings a profile that naturally invites the Aaron Judge comparison, even if the strikeout rate comes with it.
Jones actually handled lefties better than righties, posting a 1.107 OPS against southpaws while doing below-average work against right-handers. That kind of boom-or-bust approach can be a tough sell in October, but he’s already shown enough at the major-league level to suggest he can handle the stage.
The Yankees’ other big deadline move was Luis Garcia Jr., and his second half played out almost in reverse from Ramos. Garcia Jr. came out hot in August with an .842 OPS, then faded badly in September and finished that month at .593 OPS.
New York is expected to shield him from lefties and use him against right-handers, even though the roster is loaded with left-handed bats. His 30 home runs are the second-most on the team, so there’s still real punch in that bat if he can find it at the right time.
Paul Goldschmidt already showed what he can do when Judge first went down in June, putting up an .885 OPS in that month to help keep the offense alive. The rest of his season was more uneven, especially in July, but he settled into a platoon role in the second half.
That setup should continue with Garcia Jr., and Goldschmidt will be asked to handle lefties after posting a .967 OPS against left-handed pitching this season. Between him and Ramos, the Yankees are hoping to cover some of the production they lose against southpaws.
Then there’s Trent Grisham, who has been sidelined since early September with an injury of his own. His absence only adds to the uncertainty in the outfield, though he does appear to be close to returning for the playoffs.
Grisham’s overall numbers dipped from last year’s career season, but he still gave the Yankees a stabilizing presence. Where he really stood out was in big moments, with a .928 OPS in high-leverage situations according to Fangraphs.
Whether he’s healthy enough to matter in October is still unclear, but if he is, he could be one more bat that helps soften the blow of losing Judge.
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