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The New York Yankees were not content after reaching the World Series last season. A weak American League and blunder-riddled performance versus the Los Angeles Dodgers overshadowed their first pennant victory in 15 years. They have gone to great lengths to assemble a roster that could finish the job in 2025, adding multiple MVPs, a Cy Young runner-up, a two-time National League Reliever of the Year and two former NL co-leaders in saves. But apparently, there is no amount of credentials and talent that can compensate for Aaron Judge's absence.
This team was struggling to maintain momentum when the superstar outfielder was in the lineup, but it entered desperate territory while he was recovering a from a right elbow flexor strain. He returned to the Yankees as a designated hitter for Tuesday night's game against the Texas Rangers, eager to help them earn a desperately needed road win. Nathan Eovaldi had other plans, though.
The two-time World Series champion dominated his former team, allowing just one hit in eight scoreless innings to position the Rangers for a massive 2-0 win.
New York displayed tenacity two nights in a row, pushing through adversity for much of the game before Devin Williams imploded in a critical spot once again. The fans will put this series loss, which could become a sweep on Wednesday, on the the two-time All-Star's right arm. However, the Yankees as a whole are reeling, and someone needs to give them a harsh reality check.
The captain did not outright rip the squad or express vehement frustration like many probably wanted, but he did bluntly touch on the difficult situation New York finds itself in with less than two months left in the regular season.
“We've got some work to do,” Aaron Judge told reporters, per YES Network, after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his first game since July 25. “A lot of things to clean up, but the boys in here are fired up to change all that and get things right because we've got a great ballclub in here. Just a lot of mistakes all around, some mental mistakes, some physical mistakes. We got to fix them, and we got to fix them now.”
Aaron Judge reflects on his return to the Yankees' lineup in their 2-0 loss to Texas.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/ck3bOGPFr1
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 6, 2025
Can Aaron Judge bring the Yankees back to safety?
There are plenty of exasperated fans who will demand more emotional intensity from the two-time MVP. Others will condemn him for smiling at different points of this media session. But he is not the type to breathe fire in the clubhouse. The 33-year-old has shown his organization and fan base how much he cares during his historic decade-plus tenure in The Bronx.
People are in no mood to reflect on his greatness at this moment, however. They want Judge to change the atmosphere in Yankee Stadium by any means necessary.
The four-time Silver Slugger and seven-time All-Star will try to do what he often does: lead by example. If Judge resumes his offensive supremacy, the team's chances for success will obviously increase. He is batting a career-high .339 with 37 home runs, a .446 on-base percentage, .705 slugging percentage and 1.151 OPS. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh may wrestle away the MVP crown from him because of what he does behind the plate, but Judge is unquestionably the best hitter in baseball.
Unless he continues to embody that form for the rest of the campaign, the Yankees (60-54) may not survive. They now own a frighteningly thin half-game lead over the Rangers for the final AL Wild Card slot. If New York loses the series finale and officially falls out of the playoff picture, a brutal stretch will become an undeniable catastrophe.
Undergoing an identity change in August is extremely difficult to pull off (yes, we all know about the 2024 Detroit Tigers). The Yankees have ongoing issues that must be addressed. But Aaron Judge can act as a powerful remedy, one that is potentially strong enough to mask their blemishes for the time being.
