New York Yankees, the 27-time World Series champions, played for years without a captain. Derek Jeter, the last person holding the office, left in 2014 and created a void of leadership until 2022. In 2022, Aaron Judge scripted history through remarkable offensive numbers and succeeded Jeter as the newest captain of the storied franchise.
However, Aaron Judge’s tenure as the captain of the New York Yankees started on a horrific note. In the very first season, his team is set on a path to miss out on the postseason. Moreover, an injured Judge is able to do too little to help. Under such circumstances, questions are being raised as to whether or not Aaron Judge is fit enough to lead such a storied franchise.
Aaron Judge Deserves Much More Time To Prove His Leadership Skills
The New York Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, has had a roller-coaster season this year. Multiple injuries kept him out for more than two months. Moreover, in his absence, the Yanks fell to the lowest of the low offensively. To salvage the damage, the outfielder compromised his health and returned half-healed. He has been playing through some level of pain in his injured toe since returning late in July. Despite that, the slugger is leading the Yanks’ offensive charts. As of this writing, Judge is hitting .282 with 22 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 1.039 OPS. It’s safe to say that a half-heathy Judge is far better than any active veteran member of the Bombers’ roster.
However, the reality is that despite all these tiring efforts and sacrifices, Aaron Judge is unable to keep the Yankees afloat in the playoff race. He has been met with intense challenges in his very first season as the captain. Naturally, that raises doubts about the Judge’s competency. That being said, Judge has too little part to play in the team’s downfall this season. The only thing he has failed to do is to keep his health in check, which was out of his control in both cases. Hence, the captain should not be judged for his leadership skills on the basis of this season. He has so much to prove and so much to offer. Judge still has eight years left on his contract, wherein he is capable of bringing the championship ring back home to New York.
Yankees Captain Blasts Team Following Brutal Loss To Braves
It’s a new week, and unfortunately, the New York Yankees are still the same. The team lost yet another series after losing two straight games to the mighty Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, the captain is not happy. After a 5-0 loss on Tuesday, Aaron Judge addressed the media and looked highly pissed as he slammed his teammates for showing a lack of intent.
Aaron Judge said that the Yankees are not showing up where they desperately need to. It’s the last few crucial stretches of the season, and the team is still figuring things out. It’s a shame that it came down to this. Well, Judge’s frustration is understandable. The man has compromised his health just for the sake of a playoff berth, but his mates are undoubtedly letting him down.