The New York Yankees are coming off a Wild Card Series victory over the Boston Red Sox, which wrapped up Wednesday night.
Now, New York will begin a best-of-five series on Saturday evening in the ALDS against the No. 1-seeded Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
They’ve now had multiple days to evaluate their 26-man roster and make any potential changes, and on Saturday morning, fans got some clarity on who’s available and who isn’t.
Aaron Judge Will NOT Be on ALDS Roster
Obviously, the most notable name that people were waiting for a decision on was superstar Aaron Judge, who is dealing with a calf strain and missed the Wild Card roster.
Despite ramping up his batting practice, Judge still hasn’t run the bases, and the Yankees ultimately left him off the ALDS roster, according to Jack Curry of YES Network.
Aaron Judge will NOT be on the ALDS roster vs Rays.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) October 3, 2026
Yankees Make Giancarlo Stanton Decision
Stanton made the Wild Card roster but didn’t appear in a single game, meaning he still hasn’t played since April after returning from multiple calf injuries.
However, New York still believes Stanton is in a good enough spot to make the roster and will once again include him among the 26 players available against Tampa Bay.
Via New York Post’s Jon Heyman: “Giancarlo Stanton made the Yankees roster vs. Rays, Aaron Judge did not make it.”
Stanton’s Potential Role in ALDS
It’s unlikely we’ll see a significant change in Stanton’s role during the ALDS. He still hasn’t played competitive baseball in several months.
That means he’ll probably serve primarily as a pinch-hitter, and it would be surprising to see him play in the outfield unless the Yankees use him in a very limited capacity, especially given how well their offense produced against Boston.
The Rays are certainly a different animal, but Stanton hasn’t faced another team’s pitcher in a real game since April. That lack of recent game action doesn’t bode well for him making a major impact for New York.
New York Yankees Make Giancarlo Stanton Decision Ahead of ALDS vs. Rays