This was supposed to be the year the Yankees would win the franchise’s first World Series since 2009. A roster that included all-time greats Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez, Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, and Series MVP Hideki Matsui, one of the best players Japan has ever produced.
Yet, as the Yankees look towards Tuesday, when they open the playoffs at home against what is virtually certain to be the Boston Red Sox, their longtime nemesis, in a best-of-three wildcard series, the prospects of them navigating an always perilous path to the World Series were reduced when Yankees manager Aaron Boone said this past Tuesday that the reigning American League MVP likely won’t play in the series due to a right calf strain.
“We’re planning on him not being a part of that,” Boone revealed to reporters.
Judge, who has only appeared in 66 games this season, primarily recovering from a right rib stress fracture, which caused him to sit out 84 games from May 31 to Sept. 8, is now on the 10-day injured list, placed there last Friday. The 34-year-old Judge, arguably the best player in the sport over the last decade, isn’t expected back for the divisional round if the Yankees get by the Red Sox.
Last weekend, Boone informed the media the team didn’t have a firm estimate as to when Judge, a three-time AL MVP, three-time AL home run leader, two-time MLB RBI king and last season’s MLB batting champion, would return to the lineup.
“I mean, I have no idea, we’re in the early stages,” expressed Boone, now in his ninth season as the Yankees manager. “We’ll just obviously treat it and see what transpires.”
The Yankees watched Tampa Bay clinch the AL East title on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium when they won the second game of a double-header on Tuesday 6-1. The Yankees shut out the Rays in the opener. Tampa Bay 96-61 going into the third game of the four-game series last night with the finale scheduled for 7:05 tonight. The Yankees were second in the division at 90-67 and the 84-73 Red Sox third.
With Judge unavailable, the Yankees offense will have to be multifaceted — both power and small ball will be required to make a deep postseason run. Designated hitter Ben Rice, who as of Wednesday had 39 home runs and 95 RBIs, both team highs, was the only Yankee with more than 20 homers and 80 runs batted in, so timely power will have to come from sources such as second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (19 home runs), first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (18), and left fielder Cody Bellinger (17).
But it is pitching that must advance the Yankees, led by leading AL Cy Young Award candidate Cam Schlittler, who is 14-6 with a 1.94 ERA and 234 strikeouts. Schlittler is scheduled to start tonight before taking the mound next week in the wildcard series.
But the prevailing question is: Can the Yankees win without Judge?
