The New York Yankees have spent much of the 2026 campaign attempting to hang on long enough in the American League playoff picture so that the team can get healthy for a postseason run. But with Aaron Judge missing more than half the season now, the lineup is holding on for dear life.
The Yanks are still grinding out wins, as they did on Tuesday night when they picked up a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. The pitching staff has done a great job of picking up the lineup, but at some point this team is going to need to score runs more consistently, which is something manager Aaron Boone admitted even in the wake of a late comeback win.
Aaron Boone Dishes on Yankees’ Offensive Woes
Over the past few years, Judge has become perhaps the most important offensive player in the league. Without his production, the Yankees’ offense has faltered, and that has largely remained true this season. While Ben Rice has done his best to pick up the slack, it certainly hasn’t helped that guys like Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton have also experienced extended stints on the injured list.
With Judge only playing in 59 games before landing on the injured list with a rib injury, New York has been stuck in fight-or-flight mode all season long. Playing in the weaker American League has certainly helped, as the Yankees are still sitting in the top wild-card spot currently, but this team needs to get its act together if it wants to go on a deep playoff run.
Getting Judge back would obviously take care of this issue, but it remains to be seen when, or if, he will be able to return this season. Boone has been pressing every button he can in an effort to get his lineup going, and while he’s usually quite optimistic about his group, he was surprisingly gloomy after N.Y.’s latest win.
“Been a struggle — several weeks now where it’s been difficult for us scoring runs, an area we’ve got to be better, and we know that,” Boone said when speaking to reporters. “The good thing is that we’ve had to play in a lot of really close games day in and day out, and (we’ve) done a good job against a lot of good teams winning those games.”
Yankees Fighting to Stay Alive Long Enough for Aaron Judge to Get Healthy
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Even if Judge doesn’t return this year, the Yankees should still be able to find their way into the postseason. Their hopes of making a title run, though, probably depend on his ability to get back on the field. The pitching staff can only do so much, and without Judge, the lineup hasn’t shown enough to make anyone believe they will be able to carry their weight in a five- or seven-game series.
That could technically still change, but at this point, teams have typically shown you what they are, or aren’t, capable of. Boone is going to continue experimenting with this group in an effort to find a winning combination, but the team’s success will likely continue to hinge on the performance of the pitching staff. After beating Seattle on Tuesday, New York will go for the series victory when it returns to action on Wednesday night.
Aaron Boone Gets Brutally Honest on Yankees’ Offensive Struggles Without Aaron Judge