Free Agents<\/p>\n
The 2025 season saw the Yankees win 94 games, defeat the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, and lose to the AL East champion Blue Jays in the ALDS.\u00a0 2026 was almost a case of deja vu, as this year\u2019s Bronx Bombers won 93 games, again topped Boston in the ALWCS, and then lost to the AL East champion Rays in the ALDS.<\/p>\n
The chief difference between the two seasons was Aaron Judge was limited to only 66 games this year.\u00a0 After suffering a stress fracture in his right ribcage on April 26, Judge initially seemed fine playing through the pain, but he had only a .528 OPS over his last 51 plate appearances before he was finally placed on the 10-day injured list on June 2.\u00a0 Judge didn\u2019t return until September 8, and he then delivered only a .513 OPS in 24 PA over seven games before sustaining a right calf strain.\u00a0 This final injury sidelined Judge for the rest of the regular season and the entire postseason.<\/p>\n
Even with these two cold stretches, Judge still hit .241\/.360\/.511 with 18 homers over 285 total PA, and his 140 wRC+ ranked 13th in baseball among players with at least 250 trips to the plate.\u00a0 The glass half-full view is simple \u2014 if Judge had been healthy, maybe that alone might\u2019ve been enough to get the Yankees though a watered-down American League and at least back to the World Series.<\/p>\n
The more pessimistic view of the 2026 campaign is also straight-forward.\u00a0 Judge\u2019s absence exposed the faults in the team\u2019s lineup, as New York\u2019s offense vanished almost the moment Judge hit the IL.\u00a0 The Yankees\u2019 116 team wRC+ ranked second in the league through May 31, but from June 1 until season\u2019s end, only five teams produced less than New York\u2019s 93 wRC+.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792837221_322_landing-logo.png\"\/){kind=logo}
\n Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription<\/p>\n
\n Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
\n Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
\n Remove ads and support our writers.
\n Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
<\/p>\n