Yankees
via Imago

The New York Yankees’ offensive performance since the absence of Aaron Judge has reached alarming levels. Judge, a key component of the team’s lineup, brings a combination of power and run production that has been sorely missed. Without his presence, the Yankees have struggled to generate consistent offense, leading to their unfortunate downfall.

Aaron Judge‘s absence has created a noticeable void in the heart of the Yankees’ batting order. His absence apparently forced the team to rely on other hitters to step up. However, the veteran lineup has collectively failed to generate desired offensive productions. Moreover, after the recent crushing loss against the Red Sox, the Yankee’s offensive numbers have dropped to a season-low.

   

Yankees’ Batting Average & OPS Drops To An All-Time Low

Yankees
DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton

The New York Yankees faced a humiliating defeat against the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. The Bombers managed to hit only 8 runs across three games against 25 runs from the Red Sox. Certainly, the offense has been the main contributor to the loss. However, the problem ranges far beyond this one series. Aaron Judge, the Yankees captain, has been missing in action since June 4. From June 4 to June 18, the team played a total of 11 games and lost 8 of them solely because of offensive struggles. Not only that, ahead of the series final against the Red Sox, MLB insider Bryan Hoch further updated with alarming statistics which could rattle the fans.

As per Bryan Hoch, since Aaron Judge’s absence, the Yankees’ batting average has dropped to .205, which is the worst in MLB this season. Moreover, the team’s OPS is .625 as of Jun 18 and is only the second worst in the whole league. To be fair, the Yankees’ offensive struggles go beyond the absence of Aaron Judge. Other key players who are expected to be major contributors, such as Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Anthony Rizzo, have also experienced dips in their performance. The lack of consistency and production from these players has had a significant impact on the team’s overall offensive output. With Judge likely to miss a couple of more weeks, the offense must pull up before it’s too late.

Will The Bombers Continue To Fall Until Aaron Judge’s Comeback? Manager Responds

Aaron Boone
Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t use his closer in last night’s ALDS Game 3 loss to the Guardians. David Dermer/AP

So far, the only thing that can rescue New York Yankees from these grave offensive slumps is the captain himself. Aaron Judge is the only person who could uplift the team from these kinds of situations. However, the slugger’s toe is still healing, which makes it unlikely for him to return before the All-Star break. But will the Bombers continue to struggle like this until then? Well, Aaron Boone believes otherwise.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that the team would receive a beating every other day in Aaron Judge’s absence. That being said, the offensive lineup that he is putting in is capable enough to do offensive damage. Hence, Boone feels it’s just a matter of time before the potent batters begin to explode on the plate. Let’s hope the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and DJ LeMahieu regain form soon before it’s too late.