It was around May that the New York Yankees looked like the team meant for October. They were sitting on top of the AL East, Aaron Judge was on his way to another MVP season, and the Bronx had that energy that “this could be the year” for them. But wait, baseball has a way to humble people quickly, and for the Yankees, the road has gotten pretty shaky.

First, the division lead has slipped away. Secondly, the rotation is anything but consistent, and thirdly, Captain Judge, the rock of the team, injured his right flexor and is now off his usual spot in the right field. When the team is already facing issues, this setback only pulls back the confidence.

Now with Judge off his role, Giancarlo has stepped into the role. And to be honest, not everyone expected much of him. However, he has fit well into the position and handled it without any hiccups. Still, everyone knows that this lineup is best when both Judge and Stanton are healthy and in sync. That’s when the most damage can be done.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers admitted that he is extremely concerned about the Yankees’ current situation, saying, “The Yankees feel so one-dimensional that it comes down to this for them: If the middle of their lineup can stay on the field, they might be OK. But if Judge or Giancarlo Stanton miss many more games, things could get even worse. The Yankees also need Max Fried & Co. to find their groove again. New York ranks 26th in ERA since the break.” And Tuesday’s game was a reminder of how the duo can be great together.

In a 9-1 win over the Minnesota Twins, Stanton went 4 for 5, and his 447-foot blast was a head-turner. It was also his first four-hit game since August 2023. Judge, meanwhile, serving as the designated return, also managed a homer and three walks since July 23. When they both homer in the same game, the Yankees are 47-7 all-time in the postseason. In fact, last season, Giancarlo Stanton was lethal, hitting seven homers in 14 games.

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is simply itching to get back to the outfield. He even apparently told Stanton, “Don’t get comfortable out there.” Well, the Bronx will be waiting for its MVP to make his return. Until then, Stanton’s .300 average and eight homers over his past 18 games are keeping the Yankees in the fight for the postseason, at least. For now, the team should go with what Carlos Rodon is saying: “It’s definitely go-time.” And with 42 games left, the Yankees know that there is no more chance for even slight errors. As for Rodon, he is definitely taking go-time seriously himself.

New York Yankees’ Carlos Rodón stuns the Bronx

For a minute there, it looked like Carlos Rodon might not even survive the first inning against the Minnesota Twins. He loaded the bases right off the bat, and even Aaron Boone admitted that he was nervous, thinking, “Is he going to get out of the first inning?” And he did and then some, as Rodon limited the damage to just one run. And Austin Martin’s leadoff single turned out to be the only Twins hit all night. From then on, the pitcher went into complete attack mode and let the defense work. The result was seventeen straight Minnesota Twins retired and seven full innings for him.

This was exactly the kind of follow-up that the New York Yankees wanted, mostly after that strong outing by Will Warren just a night before. The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, have on record lost nine straight to New York ever since 2023. Plus, they didn’t help themselves by starting Travis Adams, who has a 6.86 ERA. But they traded away their top relievers and didn’t have a choice. However, the Yankees didn’t take them lightly simply because they had won four of five coming into the series.

For now, this series has been kind of like a rest for the New York Yankees. For sometime, things have been haywire, but now the starters are finally responding, and Judge looks like he is finding his pace again. And the captain might be back for his role sooner than expected. Volpe has also steadied himself defensively, and Stanton is living up to his lethal postseason player charm.

Do you think the Yankees can bounce back to the top? Let us know.