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The New York Yankees have hit a rut after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox. But it does not undo what was an excellent spring for the Bombers. It was announced Tuesday that Aaron Boone and Joe Torre would be coaches for the American League All-Star team. Who should join them from The Bronx? Aaron Judge, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon should all be Yankees All-Star Game representatives.
Aaron Judge is having a historic season
A lot of attention has been paid to Judge's poor series at Fenway Park, and rightfully so. His nine strikeouts in 12 at-bats were a microcosm of everything wrong with the Bombers in that series. But it does not take away from what has been a historically great start to the year. He leads all of baseball in bWAR, hits, homers, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS, total bases, and intentional walks. Oh, and he leads the American League in RBIs. There is no doubt that Aaron Judge should be at the 2025 All-Star Game.
If Judge heads to Atlanta with the All-Stars, it would be his seventh All-Star appearance in ten seasons. The only seasons where he did not make it were 2016, when he was in the minors at the break, 2019, when he played only 33 games before the break due to injury, and 2020, when there was no All-Star Game. While he continues his incredible stretch, pencil Judge in as the starting right fielder in the American League.
Max Fried returns to Atlanta wearing Yankees colors
When the Yankees lost Juan Soto, they made some significant investments in their team. The biggest splash of that group was Max Fried, who came over after eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He has been nothing short of spectacular with the Bombers, holding a 1.89 ERA and 9-2 record through 15 starts. It is a no-brainer that Fried should be an All-Star in his first season with the Yankees. It would bring him back to Truist Park while donning a Yankees cap.
Fried was sensational with the Braves, finishing in the top five of Cy Young voting twice. He was also key on their 2021 World Series run, making five starts with a 4.23 ERA in that postseason. If he does start for the American League, which is a real possibility, he should get a rousing ovation from the Atlanta crowd.
Carlos Rodon has earned an All-Star nod
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Before signing Fried, the Yankees tried to make Carlos Rodon their lefty ace alongside Gerrit Cole. But his 2023 was an injury-riddled disaster, and 2024 featured some highs and lows. But 2025 has been excellent for Rodon so far, with a 3.01 ERA in 15 starts and an 8-5 record. Compare that to a 3.96 ERA last year, and the improvements are obvious.
Rodon has made two All-Star appearances in his career. In 2021 with the White Sox, he had a 2.31 ERA at the break and finished the year with a 2.37 mark. In 2022, he was on the NL All-Star team with a 2.70 ERA at the break. He finished that year with a 2.88 mark. While the Yankees can't make any guarantees about Rodon's future performance, his past form after making a Midsummer Classic appearance should be good news.
Close calls across the Yankees' lineup
The Yankees could have more than three All-Stars this year because of their strong offensive production. Paul Goldschmidt got off to a blazing start and had the pole position to be the AL's starting first baseman. But a recent cold spell points to Spencer Torkelson potentially getting the nod. Goldschmidt is hitting .173 in his last 15 games.
Trent Grisham and Ben Rice have played their way out of All-Star Game roles, but still have some time to turn it around. Luke Weaver could be named to the team, but an injury cut his sample size short of other relievers. And Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe have not had the offensive seasons to compete at their positions.
As always, the Yankees will have All-Star Game representatives this year. Who are you voting for in the fan vote?
