Insider Suggests Yankees Take This Strategy With Aaron Judge to Help Title Chances

A prominent insider made an eye-turning claim about the Yankees' usage of Aaron Judge.

Sep 13, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) looks back from the dug out during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is the odds-on favorite to win the AL MVP award and is arguably the best hitter in the world right now.

The Yankees' World Series hopes would surely be diminished if Judge was playing less, right?

Jon Heyman doesn't think so.

In a September 16 article from the New York Post, Heyman made the case for giving Judge occasional rest for the remainder of the regular season.

"The game’s best hitter and probable AL MVP looks like he’s getting yet another wind now with two home runs to win that weird Red Sox series. But he’s played in every game since June 20, mostly in center, which can wear anyone down," Heyman wrote.

"The explanation for Judge’s early-September slump (no home runs for 16 straight games) has to be exhaustion. And that’s also very likely behind his occasional October struggles. (His very human .772 postseason OPS is well below his 1.007 career mark, and the last six series have not even been that good.)"

Judge currently has a .797 OPS in September. He hasn't had a month-long OPS lower than 1.106 this season since April.

"The Yankees’ best chance to win is if their best player is at his best," Heyman added. "I get their interest in winning the AL East to avoid the wild card round, but they do have a three-game lead now, and other options."

New York's 87-63 record is three games ahead of the 84-66 Baltimore Orioles in the AL East division right now, with 12 regular season games left to play for both teams. Baltimore comes to New York for a three-game series from September 24-26.

"The Yankees have three other decent center fielders on their roster, so the defensive drop-off is negligible when Judge is the DH. There is obviously a lineup deficit when Stanton has to be on the bench. But having Judge at his most-rested best for October has to be the priority," Heyman concluded.

He makes a fair point. Then again, Heyman isn't the one who'd have to be answering questions about why a healthy Judge isn't in the Yankees' starting lineup when they're trying to win the AL East.