“The best leader, cares about this organization and the fans and the people of New York.”  That’s how Cody Bellinger described Aaron Judge. Despite being New York’s favorite son, his heroics, yet again, proved insufficient in dragging the Yankees to a World Series crown. The team feels a deeper sense of disappointment for letting Judge down this time as well. And yet, for Judge, the hardest part came after the final out.

“You don’t like seeing somebody celebrate on your field.” He said after the game as the Blue Jays celebrated their 5-2 series-clinching ALDS win. “We didn’t do our job; we didn’t finish the goal,” he admitted.

The Yankees led the majors in scoring during the regular season. The same core produced only six hits off multiple Blue Jays relievers in front of a frustrated crowd of 47,823.

It has been 16 years since the Yankees last stood atop the baseball world. Given the experience and lessons they’ve picked up along the way, Aaron Judge said, “We’ll go to work. The boys in here are hungry. In a lot of experience here in the postseason, we’re gonna finish it out… So it’s just, I guess, good fuel going in in the offseason. I will definitely we’ll do some work on it. We’ll do some work on it and get it right.”

It would be a shame if the Yankees don’t win a single World Series in Judge’s era. Hitting .331, he’s recorded 53 home runs and 114 RBIs. Only Aaron Judge, Mickey Mantle (1956), and Jimmie Foxx (1938) are the ones who’ve won a batting title and hit 50 or more home runs in the same season. Now let’s see what’s up next for the Yankees.

Key questions to be addressed by Aaron Judge and Co. this off-season

The New York Yankees’ offseason has come earlier than they would have wanted. They lasted only a week into October baseball, and definitely for the team, there will be anger, disappointment, and a lot to think about before they get going with the next season.

Long before Aaron Judge and Co. lost the ALDS matchup, the calls for Aaron Boone’s firing were already loud. He has two more years remaining on his contract. By the time it ends, he’ll have spent 10 years as Yankees manager. He will join the company of Joe Torre and Girardi, both of whom had spent 10 years on the job before Cashman made a change.

In December 2020, Cashman said he hoped to have “10 more years with Boone.” Now it seems he manifested it. After the elimination, when Boone was asked if he had any reason to think he won’t be back next year as manager of the Yankees, he said, “No, I’m under contract so no, I don’t expect anything.”

Since Boone is not going anywhere, the next biggest offseason question for the Yankees is how aggressively they’ll try to upgrade their roster. Boone has never missed a chance to express his confidence in the current core. However, with Cody Bellinger not expected to settle for any team-friendly deals, the front office needs to do some thinking.

He was a major part of the Yankees’ limited success this season. Belli has posted the highest fWAR (4.9) since his 2019 MVP season. In fact, he can also play all three outfield positions.

The rumors linking Kyle Tucker to the Yankees are also growing stronger. But that move will likely take place only if Bellinger moves. Tucker commands a contract worth $200 million, which is more than what Bellinger is earning. So, the Yankees front office will try to make Bellinger stay. It remains to be seen what moves the Yankees make now.