Aaron Judge returned to the Yankees lineup Tuesday night for the first time since late May, and his manager, Aaron Boone, straight up called him “the best hitter in the world.” And honestly, Boone wasn’t even exaggerating. When Judge is healthy, the dude’s a freak of nature, and no one in baseball since the start of the 2021 season can touch his wRC+ or OPS. Nobody’s even within 25 points in either category. This guy has missed major parts of multiple seasons, including over half of this one, yet he still leads the majors in home runs over the last five-plus seasons. That’s a span that included peak Shohei Ohtani and a usually healthy Kyle Schwarber. Let that sink in for a second.
The Judge Effect Is Real, And It’s Massive
His return from a stress fracture in his ribs is gonna make a massive difference for the Yankees, no question. The team was cruising, 12 games over .500 before Judge got hurt. Then, during the two and a half months he was out, they got slammed with some seriously stunning offensive inefficiency. They went from leading the American League in OPS before his injury to ranking 27th in baseball for the three months after. Talk about a slump! With him in the lineup, they were averaging five runs. Without him? Closer to four. It’s hard to quantify, as Boone himself said, but taking “the best hitter in the world” out of your lineup is obviously a huge blow.
“Hanging In There” Is One Way To Put It
Despite that offensive struggle, the Yankees actually managed to stay seven games over .500 without him, and they’re currently three games back in the American League East in early September. Boone claimed they “hung in there,” but here’s the kicker: only two other American League teams have “hung in there” enough to be seven games over .500 *all season*. So while Judge was sidelined for 84 games, they were doing something right. They even beat the Rockies 5-3 on Tuesday, largely without Judge doing much damage yet. His presence is clearly about more than just his own bat, as Boone mentioned, it nets better opportunities and at-bats for everyone else around him.
The Return of a Superhero
Judge was limited in his return, only getting three at-bats and playing six innings on Tuesday. They’re going to build him up to a full nine innings over the next few days, but even that limited comeback was pure spectacle. Cameras were swarming the dugout entrance during batting practice, and the few fans who were there mustered a small cheer. Boone, leaning on a bat nearby, couldn’t quite hide a smile as Judge marched past the cameras. The guy just *plays* the superhero role, and the Yankees respect him too much to mess with that legend. Boone summed it up: “The buzz is there. I think it’s real. His presence is very real.” With the Yankees in the hunt and their best hitter back and getting ready for full action, you know the league is about to feel that presence.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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