The New York Yankees entered June looking like one of the strongest teams in the American League. Two months later, the numbers tell a different story. The club has managed to stay in the playoff picture, but the impact of Aaron Judge’s absence has gone beyond the duration of his IL stint. While the Yankees fans continue to wait for the captain’s quick recovery, their manager Aaron Boone seems to have run out of patience.

“We gotta score a frickin’ point…. I’m not gonna play the speculative game every single day now. What’s gonna happen Monday will happen or not happen. We have to score better. Period. And not look over our shoulders for anyone,” Aaron Boone said, per Talkin’ Yanks on X.

With the trade deadline on August 3 fast approaching, Buster Olney of ESPN noted that while New York is considering moves for a catcher, a right-handed bat, and perhaps an outfielder, the club’s biggest emphasis is on improving its bullpen. That’s why it is no surprise that the Yankees have been linked to Mason Miller, and interestingly, they have had eyes on him for about a year now. Now factor in San Diego’s recent slide, and that surely gives them leverage.

Another name that’s been very closely associated with them is Tarik Skubal, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly after him as well. But in Boone’s own words, before they move ahead, they need to sort out their on-field performance.

The Pinstripes’ hardest blow came in their most recent series against the Chicago White Sox. They won the first two games but ended up suffering two back-to-back defeats. Additionally, the way they dropped the third game after leading 4-0 attracted a huge backlash from the loyalists, urging the front office to make some immediate changes to improve the scenario. 

Many players like Ali Sanchez and Anthony Volpe, among others, have also been criticized for poor defensive plays and mental errors. Even Aaron Boone has faced criticism for his management. 

To top that, they have to sit through such a slide in the absence of their captain.

Judge played his last game against the Athletics on May 31, when the team won 13-8. At the time, New York was second in the AL East with a 36-23 record. Although they are still in the same position, they have lost exactly half the games in his absence. The worst part? According to StatMuse, the Yankees had a .243 batting average when Aaron Judge was there. But since then, they have managed just a .222 AVG. Their current batting average puts them 27th in the league. 

With one of the lowest run productions in MLB since Judge’s injury, the Yankees don’t look like one of the strongest teams in the AL anymore. 

The eight-time MLB All-Star was batting at .248 with a .907 OPS before a rib injury sidelined him. Judge suffered a stress fracture of the first rib on the right side in May. On July 15, he had a re-imaging, and it showed improvement. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the Yankee to start any baseball activity. 

The 34-year-old said that he feels “10 times better,” but he could only participate in lower-body and neck exercises. Anything regarding his upper body was still off the table, and New York shifted him from a 10-day to a 60-day injured list. 

While he has been away from the batter’s box, the Yankees have gone through some tough stretches. Just before the All-Star break, they suffered a 6-11 record, including a seven-game losing streak. Although they created some momentum, ending the first half with a four-game winning streak, they started the second half by dropping the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman, however, refused to put it all on Judge’s absence. He earlier said that the slump was on the entire team. 

The Yankees are currently 5.5 games ahead in the Wild Card race with a 61-48 record. Yet the recent numbers don’t offer a lot of hope for their success come October.