Aaron Judge vs. Aaron Boone—that was not in the cards for any New York Yankee fan or baseball fan in 2025. Because everyone knows how tight the clubhouse really is. Plus, Judge is someone who never speaks out, even against his teammates or other players, so his coming out to speak against something he didn’t appreciate about the manager’s statement made a whirlwind.

It all started with Boone saying, “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year. We’re trying to get through to where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself.” Coming from Boone, most fans believed this was it for the captain this season- that he would remain a DH. But surprisingly, Judge came out to disagree with Boone’s statements.

The judge said, “I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw for the past two weeks, so I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to [100 percent].” Now, this is wrong in many ways. How has the manager of the team not seen his captain throw for 2 weeks?! Secondly, how is the dirty laundry out of the bag? And this entire incident has the Yankee world in splits—some are pro-Boone and some are not.

Insider Sal Licata flat-out put Aaron Judge under the bus. “Big bad Aaron Judge has a lot to say, but he can’t get in the outfield yet…are you just mad you can’t get back out there? So you take it out on the manager who bends over backwards to protect his ballclub.” Now, it is no hidden fact that Boone goes above and beyond to protect and safeguard his players. Sometimes, or most times, at his pawn cost. Take the Anthony Volpe situation right now. He is playing terribly the entire season, but Boone has his back. In fact, after an apparent “reset,” Volpe is back.

But if one side is tilted towards Aaron Boone, the other side is not so much. Client Frazier, for example, who only just started his own podcast, highlights how Boone and Cashman essentially rub each other’s backs. “When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation. I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying, ‘He’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him. I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy.” Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit.

So clearly, there is a sentiment of more pro-Boone or not. The fans, too, are not thrilled, given that Boone’s been here a hot minute, the payroll is decked, and the roster is full of superstars, yet each year rings are not their reality. Every season, the managerial miscues and the last-moment changes all lead up to a wreck. Calls for removing Boone from the seat are becoming louder as the day passes. And if the New York Yankees miss October games, then Hal Steinbrenner might have to do something about it.​​

Aaron Boone is finally making the right but tough calls?

While the situation at the clubhouse might not be all rosy, the New York Yankees at least have something to celebrate about– on the mound, things are looking good. They managed to get their third straight win on Tuesday, and for once, it didn’t look like it was luck by chance. It seemed like the byproduct of roster moves, which is finally showing some results. It started after the ugly series against Boston. Volpe, who rarely sits, was given two days off to reset. And behind the plate, Ben Rice split his time almost equally with Austin Wells. It is a move that seems to have given both catchers fresher legs and better matchups.

Even Jasson Dominguez, whom the Yankees insisted would be a switch-hitter, was told to focus on what works for him. Then there is the entire Paul Goldschmidt decision. Now, early on in the season, he looked good, hitting over .400 at one point from the leadoff spot. But since then, things have gone only downhill. Going into Tuesday, he was for sure crushing lefties with a 1.159 OPS, but against the righties, it was a rough .615 OPS. That’s why you haven’t seen him hit the highest or sixth verse since July 31.

But for a player of his resume, someone who has been a feared bat for over a decade—that’s a big adjustment. But it does tell you where the Yankee front office’s heads are at right now. For now, the rep doesn’t matter; only production does. And with the Yankees just clinging to the wild card spot, Boone is seemingly making tough calls now. Something the fans have been wanting for a while.