The New York Yankees have finally received some encouraging updates on Aaron Judge. The captain hinted at returning this season after spending over two months on the injured list, but the conversation has already shifted from his recovery timeline to a much bigger issue with the roster. And an analyst just delivered a reality check for the Yankees as they continue to struggle in Judge’s absence, along with six other players.

“To have one player have that kind of impact on the collective whole tells me that this team is not as formidable as I once thought… It’s the Yankees, man,” Stephen A. Smith voiced his discontent on First Take on Thursday.

The 58-year-old acknowledged how great a player Judge is. He described the 8x MLB All-Star as “a stud,” but he admitted that the Pinstripes’ overreliance on the player is his biggest concern.

The Yankees entered June as one of the toughest teams in the American League, but after about 10 weeks, they have one of the worst batting averages in MLB. Smith even pointed out that the entire slide was triggered by Judge hitting the IL. 

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The 34-year-old suffered a stress fracture in his right first rib, and New York placed him on a 10-day IL on May 31. The Yankees were 36-23 at that point. Smith highlighted that they have since managed a .500 record, going 28-28. They are currently second in the AL East. However, they had a batting average of .243 and an on-base percentage of .334 on May 31. Since June, those numbers went down to .219 and .283 in Aaron Judge’s absence, putting them at the bottom of the league, as per Smith. 

“When Aaron Judge was healthy, they were giving you 5.2 runs a game. Since he’s been out, they’re giving you 3.9 runs a game,” Smith added.

They have also gone from .436 to .386 SLG as they waited for Judge’s return. 

That’s why the analyst said that, “One player should not have that kind of collateral impact.” The New York Yankees are the most successful team in MLB history, with 27 World Series championships. In fact, Smith pointed out that they cannot afford such issues when they are supposed to chase teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Notably, the Dodgers are on their way to matching the Yankees’ three-peat triumph from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, the fans expect the Bronx Bombers to foil their plans, but the current situation doesn’t offer much hope to the loyalists. 

New York currently has a 64-51 record, and they are 7.0 games ahead in the Wild Card race. However, they have just dropped another series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. Defeating the back-to-back champions when the Yankees themselves have the third-lowest AVG in the league isn’t going to be a cakewalk.

However, the fans are still hopeful as the doctors have cleared Aaron Judge for outdoor running. He admitted that this was the first step toward starting baseball activities, and he remains 100% on returning this season to help end the Yankees’ 17-season World Series drought.