The New York Yankees are trying to keep hope alive. Part of that will be continuing to rely on the heroics of Aaron Judge.
Not just at the plate but in the outfield. As Judge continues to make his transition back to the outfield, there are signs of progress, per Gary Phillips of NYDN Sports.
On Thursday, the Judge made some throws out in right field. In the process, he made throws to home plate as well as hitting to the cutoff man effectively.
Meanwhile, the Yankees are standing at 77-62 and are trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by 3.5 games. At the same time, they are in a virtual tie with the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card standings.
As for Judge, he's batting .323 with 152 hits, 43 home runs, and 97 RBIs. The transition from DH to the outfield is a recovery from a recent elbow injury Judge sustained.
As a result, the Yankees have had Judge primarily hit. During this stretch, Giancarlo Stanton has been doing double duty at the plate and in the outfield.
While Judge is known for his evident prowess at the plate, he has demonstrated himself to be an effective outfielder. In right field, Judge was awarded the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
However, he has had his struggles in centerfield with low rankings in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.
The Yankees have the pieces in place.
With Judge making his way back to the outfield, the Yankees are still in a prime position to go far. Judge, Stanton, and Cody Bellinger are a solid offensive core in both average hitting and power.
Young talent such as Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez is emerging with promise. Recently, the Yankees bolstered their bullpen with some crucial additions such as David Bednar, Jake Bird, and Camilo Doval.
Added depth to the offense and defense made with Austin Slater, Amed Rosario, and Ryan McMahon. If their young bullpen can get it together, if their offense remains in tack, and if their starting rotation (minus Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt) holds strong, the Yankees could do well from this point on.
