Whether you’re from New York, New Jersey, or spent your summer at a Manhattan finance internship, today is the day for New York sports fans (and Knicks bandwagoners) to rejoice once more. After the longest 99 days in Yankee history, number 99 is back. The New York captain and outfielder Aaron Judge makes his dramatic return to play tonight when the Yankees take on the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium at 7:05 EST.
Along with Dodger’s Shohei Ohtani, Judge is the most recognizable name in Major League Baseball today. He set the record for most home runs in a single season in American League history in a memorable season in 2022. On top of that, he is a three-time MVP, won Rookie of the Year in 2017, and is an eight-time All-Star. In 2025, he became just the third player in MLB history to record 50 or more home runs in a season while winning a batting title. Judge continues to make history every time he takes the field, and the Yankees have missed him greatly over the last few months.
Judge has been sidelined since May 31 with a right rib stress fracture. Prior to his injury, his slash line boasted a .248 batting average, .375 on-base percentage, and .533 slugging percentage. Judge also posted a .908 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and 17 home runs. This season, the Yankees have gone 45-39 without Judge, and while they are first place in the American League Wild Card standings, they are still four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East rankings.
Beyond Judge, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who injured his right calf back on April 24, finally seemed poised for a return to the field last week before straining his left calf while preparing for his return. Other players have had much briefer stints on the injured list this season: outfielder Cody Bellinger spent a month sidelined with a left hamstring sprain, and standout rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr., missed four games with knee soreness. Just this past weekend, on Sept. 5, the Yankees placed outfielder Trent Grisham on the injured list with a strained right hamstring; he could be out for the rest of the season.
Fortunately, Bellinger came back swinging for the fences in late August, and Lombard returned on Sept. 5 and notched an RBI in a 5-1 win against the San Diego Padres. Spencer Jones, who slotted in at center field to replace Trent Grisham, hit 7 home runs with a .818 OPS and 24 RBIs since July 27.
To fill Judge’s absence, the Yankees front office bolstered the roster with acquisitions at the trade deadline: they brought over outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants and first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals, who was first in the National League in slugging percentage (.560). Garcia Jr. bats lefty, a major plus given Yankee Stadium’s short right field, and Ramos has strong power to right-center field. On top of it all, a phenomenal pitching staff, led by Cam Schlittler, helped keep the Yankees’ heads above water. Schlittler, a Cy Young award contender this season, has the lowest team ERA in baseball at 3.23.
The last time Judge went down with a significant injury was 2023 when he missed 56 games, during which time the Yankees went 25-31 and ultimately missed the playoffs. The 2026 team has not only stayed above .500 during Judge’s recovery, but also gained firm control of the wild card spot while remaining in serious contention for the division. This Yankee team is different: they did not fall apart without Judge, which should give many fans optimism that his return will propel this team to the next level. Front office moves and pitching success have been enough to stay competitive, but cannot compensate for Judge’s pure offensive prowess come the postseason.
Without Judge, the Yankees offense ranked in the bottom five teams in baseball for almost all significant offensive statistical categories, including runs scored, OPS, and wRC+, a stat used to determine the value of a hitter relative to all hitters in the league. That is far from a winning recipe, especially in October when the best teams send out their best pitchers night after night, and every run means that much more.
Starting pitcher Max Fried, who has a 2.73 ERA and 87 opponent strikeouts in his seventeen starts this season, sees Judge’s return as a crucial part to forging ahead to the playoffs. In an interview with The New York Post, Fried said, “To have [Judge] back in the lineup is obviously a huge boost. We’re definitely a better team when he’s in the lineup.”
Judge’s mere name on the lineup card means more than getting a .908 OPS bat back: he has the potential to completely turn this offense around. Star first baseman Ben Rice has slowed since mid-July, and Judge’s formidable presence reframes pitchers’ game plans against the Yankees offense. If Rice, who has hit .222 with an OPS below .700 since the All-Star break, hits before Judge in the lineup, opposing pitchers will feel the pressure to give him pitches to hit in fear of walking a batter in front of such a dangerous slugger.
Judge’s presence has always unlocked hitters’ potential. Juan Soto is the prime example: he had a career year once he came into the same lineup as Judge in 2024, posting a career high in home runs to that point. Beyond Rice, expect hitters like Spencer Jones, George Lombard, Luis Garcia Jr., and Heliot Ramos who have never played with Judge to significantly benefit from being able to hit in the same lineup as him. Beyond the impact he brings simply by standing in the batters box, he has played 65 postseason games in which he has hit 17 home runs, batted in 41 baserunners, and scored 42 runs. Judge will add some much needed production and experience to the lineup in a deep playoff run.
The Yankees have 19 games remaining, including four against the division-leader Rays at Yankee Stadium, between now and Sept. 27. After the three-game series against the Rockies, Judge will take on the New York Mets in a blockbuster Subway Series this weekend. This season might be the best chance for the Yankees to finally bring home their 28th World Series win, with a labor lockout looming for 2027 and stars like Judge and Gerrit Cole starting to age out of their primes.
There is immense pressure on the team heading down the stretch. The return of Aaron Judge, who ESPN analyst Jeff Passan described as the “most prolific hitter of the 2020s” could be just what the doctor ordered for the Bronx Bombers.
