On June 4, the New York Yankees announced that their captain, Aaron Judge, would miss 4–6 weeks due to a stress fracture in the first rib on his right side. It’s the exact news Judge and his squad did not want to hear, and, of course, neither did the pinstripe faithful.
While this setback is far from ideal, Yankee fans worrying that Judge’s absence will cause them to plummet in the AL East should take a breath. Even without the three-time MVP, they could still very well maintain their spot in the division.
New York is currently sitting at a 43–27 record, leading their division by 1.5 games over Tampa Bay. They were the first team in the entire AL to reach 40 victories. It would be both ignorant and plain wrong to say Judge hasn’t been a big contributor to these wins — he has. His 17 home runs were top five in the league before his injury, and his 38 RBIs were good for top 10.
But for perhaps the first time in Judge’s career, he has not been the Yankees’ best offensive player two-plus months into the season. This year, that accolade belongs to Ben Rice.
Ben Rice Will Help Sustain Yankees’ Offense
Worried fans may point to 2023, when the Yankees went 19–23 without Judge and ended up missing the postseason. While his absence proved to be detrimental, that 2023 roster did not have the luxury of first baseman Rice.
Rice, who showed flashes of stardom last season, has seemingly put it all together. The 27-year-old is currently slashing .293/.387/.611. His slugging percentage is good for second in all of the majors, and his OPS (.998) is also third-best in the MLB. If that isn’t enough, he has mashed 19 home runs (eighth in MLB) and driven in 47 RBIs. Previous Yankees teams have relied heavily on Judge for offense, but this year’s squad is not one of them.
All of this is not to say that Rice can fully replace the AL single-season home run record-holder—nobody can. However, it does show that New York has offensive firepower to significantly minimize the pain Judge’s absence will cause.
Additionally, veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger is on pace for perhaps his best season yet in pinstripes. He is currently sporting a line of .265/.361/.462, with an OPS of .824. He’s also smacked 10 home runs and driven in 45 RBIs.
Yankees’ Pitching Will Minimize Runs
As important as it is to put runs on the board, it is equally important to keep them off. Luckily for the Yankees, their pitching staff has excelled at that this season. The pitching staff boasts a 3.32 ERA, which leads the AL and is second in the majors overall.
Starter Cam Schlittler is having a Cy Young-caliber year, putting together video game-esque stat lines. He is currently vaunting a 1.82 ERA (tied-second in MLB) and a 0.91 WHIP (fourth in MLB). But even when Schlittler isn’t taking the mound, opponents still have to go through Will Warren, who has a 3.47 ERA. This, combined with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon back on the mound—and Max Fried returning from the IL as soon as the end of the month—makes for a very formidable rotation.
Ultimately, is the Yankee’s path to winning the AL East harder without Judge? Yes, no question about it. However, even with him sidelined for however long it turns out to be, the Yankees will still be fielding a very talented, competitive team.
If anything, the Bronx Bombers will now be even more motivated to win for their captain.
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