The Yankees, as Dependent on Aaron Judge as Ever, Hope for Health and a Return to Winning Ways
A new import, Juan Soto, could take some of the pressure off the Ruthian slugger.
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who two years ago hit more home runs in a season than any player in the history of the American League, trotted out to center field, tapping gloves with a team staffer before turning to shag a fly ball that nestled in his glove as he neared the warning track.
The setting wasn’t Yankee Stadium at the Bronx, but the club’s minor league complex at Tampa. Instead of a pinstripe uniform, Mr. Judge, who stands six feet and seven inches, wore dark athletic shorts and a dark pullover, by turns caught a ball and then scooped up a grounder. Simple acts, but meaningful ones.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters his team is “hell-bent on being a champion,” this season. The leadership of Mr. Judge, who led by example when it came to preparing for the 2024 major league season, could help. Mr. Boone, no stranger to criticism in recent years, praised his players for following Mr. Judge’s lead in getting physically ready for the 162-game grind.
“By Aaron living here in the winter and helping create and foster that culture, the last couple of years, I’ve seen the needle move for us to where people are wanting to be here,” Mr. Boone said, adding that “I feel like a lot of people and people coming off injury situations or difficult seasons, guys you looked at and felt like ‘let’s have a great offseason,’ that box has been checked for a bunch of guys.”
Being healthy and staying healthy is the central theme of the Yankees’ spring training, which officially begins Tuesday with the first full-squad workout at Steinbrenner Field. There is a sense of urgency following a disappointing 2023 season that saw the Yankees dip to 82-80 and fail to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Mr. Judge, a five-time All-Star, the 2022 American League Most Valuable Player, and team captain, missed 56 games with a hip strain and a torn toe ligament. Without his offensive prowess and subpar performances by, among others, Oswaldo Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton, Harrison Baber, the Yankees offense slumped to 29th in the major leagues in batting average at .227 and 25th in average runs scored at 4.2.
The in-season firing of hitting Coach Dillon Lawson, the first in general manager Brian Cashman’s 25-year tenure, didn’t help. Meanwhile, significant injuries to pitchers Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, and Lou Trivino, who missed the entire year with Tommy John surgery, ravaged the staff.
Mr. Boone said finishing fourth in the AL East and not making the playoffs served as fuel for motivation during the winter, pushing players to do all they could not to prevent going through another disappointing year.
“To go through what we went through as a club, nobody wants that ever again,” Mr. Boone said. “It obviously left a sour taste. It’s like sand getting kicked in your face. I do feel like we have a group that is always really focused and diligent on preparing and getting ready to go out and have a great season. I do think there’s another level of edge and focus to not wanting to have that happen again.”
The Yankees, like every team, are already dinged up. They open spring training with pitchers Mr. Trivino (elbow), Scott Effross (elbow/back), and shortstop Jasson Dominguez (elbow) out until the summer recovering from surgeries, while catcher Jose Trevino could miss the first two weeks of Grapefruit League games with a calf injury. Otherwise, the Yankees are healthy — for now. Mr. Boone thinks that the Yankees have added more depth to handle the loss of a few key players.
“I do feel like we’re better positioned and better equipped for a guy going down here or a guy going down there,” Mr. Boone said. “I do like our depth right now. I do like our balance right now.”
Mr. Boone expects the Yankees to field one of the most potent offenses in the majors behind a healthy Mr. Judge and the incandescent slugger Juan Soto, who signed a record-setting arbitration contract of $31 million for 2024. Mr. Soto, just 25, has 91 home runs over the last three years and has a keen eye at the plate, leading the major leagues in walks over that time period. Mr. Judge has hit 138 home runs during that stretch, with 304 RBI.
“I think we have a chance to be a great offense,” Mr. Boone said. “That’s all it is right now is a chance. Last year was a struggle for us offensively for different reasons. We had some big guys go down and you take out key pieces it’s a struggle.”
A rotation that craves stability is anchored by AL Cy Young winner Garrit Cole, who was 15-4 last year with a 2.63 ERA and 222 strikeouts.
Deciding on a leadoff hitter is a priority, with the versatile DJ LeMahieu to be given every opportunity to win the job. His bat fell off last year, though. The former Red Sox Alex Verdugo will also get a strong look.
“We’re trying to lay a foundation to put ourselves in a position to be great,” Mr. Boone said, adding, “You don’t want to have that feeling of missing out on the playoffs and having a year that’s not up to the standards of this organization.”
The Yankees will kick off their spring slate on February 24 against the Detroit Tigers at Lakeland, Florida. The season opener is March 28 at the hated Houston Astros.
