Aaron Judge Returns Tonight And Will Need To Be Every Part Of His MVP Self To Get This Yankees Team To The Postseason
Steph Chambers. Getty Images.
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Over the next week and a half the Yankees will engage in the part of their schedule that will determine what this team is made of. Baltimore, Tampa, and Houston wait for them as New York attempts to shake their struggles. Having Aaron Judge back in the fold certainly helps their chances.
It's been a little less than two months since the reigning MVP ran through an actual wall in Dodger Stadium that resulted in a tear in his toe.
While he's not 100% and won't be until next year, he's good enough to get back in there to try and help the team. It's hard to know what version of him to expect, but his presence alone with help everyone around him.
Now are the Yankees able to be saved even with Judge returning? That remains to be seen. Guys like DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton need to consistently start playing the way we've known them to. Are they capable of returning to form? Another thing that remains to be seen.
What we do know is that this team was 15-8 during a 23 game stretch with Judge before he went down with the injury. He posted a .325/.457/.855 line in that span with 13 homers and 26 RBI. God tier shit.
You almost forget how good he was because of how bleak the last two months have been. He's a game-changer in every sense of the word. He's capable of carrying this team and lifting the level of everyone in the lineup. He'll need to get started fast as he gets thrown right into the fire with this road series in Baltimore beginning tonight.
Judge's return was paramount for this team having any chance the rest of the way. With that being said they still desperately need a LF. For three years they've needed one while idiot Cashman has ignored every warning sign. Will the Cubs sell given their hot streak? That could take Cody Bellinger off the board. After that you're looking at Carlson on the Cardinals or Grichuk on the Rockies. Not ideal trade targets, but at least they can hold their own out there. Sadly even acquiring a LF isn't enough. The lineup needs so much and the bullpen probably needs an arm or two with how worn down it is. Cashman has to get this team some added life, but I unfortunately don't trust him to make the right moves.
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While that last paragraph was a downer I'm excited to be excited for a Yankees game tonight. It's been a while since that's been the case. That's the Aaron Judge effect. They're 2.5 games out of the final WC spot with two months to go. Find a way into October and see what happens with this team fully healthy. It's not a great look of optimism given what they should be doing, but it's the best I got.
P.s. I'm guessing Cashman will do everything he can to trade Peraza at the deadline. They just don't have realistic plans for him staying up here which sucks. Just send him elsewhere for everyone's sake.