The Yankees, once leading the AL East, now find themselves in second place, four games behind the Blue Jays. Their red-hot start to the season faded dramatically after the recent series against Toronto, with both their offense and pitching faltering at critical moments. This downturn has led to fierce criticism of manager Aaron Boone, who, despite leading the team to the World Series last year, is now under scrutiny. Well, in the Bronx, making it to the World Series is not enough anyway; winning it all is the expectation.

Following the Blue Jays’ sweep and the Yankees’ loss in the Subway Series to the Mets, calls to fire Boone are on the rise, prompting a Yankees broadcaster to clap back at the doubters. Michael Kay has now had a go at those demanding a change in the Yankees’ managerial position.

While speaking on ESPN New York, Kay stated, “….he gets the team to the World Series, but he is a terrible manager. He is a guy…he’s awful. And then when I defend him, I am a Yankee boy. Get your stuff together, people. Like the World Series never happened, or they didn’t win. Okay, you’re a spoiled brat then. If going to the World Series is not a nice enough season, then you are a spoiled brat.”

Now, Michael Kay might call it a ‘spoiled brat’ mindset, but that’s the standard the Yankees have set over the years. Reaching the World Series is a big deal for most teams, but maybe not for the Yankees. The fans feel Boone’s leadership style is currently not aligning with the Yanks’ storied tradition of winning. But it can’t always be the manager who is at fault. The onus is on the players as well.

“You went to the World Series last year, and now you’ve had a bad three-week stretch, and you want the manager and GM fired. And you want to reload? And you’re going to be able to handle that? You can’t handle losing in the World Series,” Kay added.

The Yankees fanbase is still reeling from their 2024 World Series loss, and the team’s recent slump has only intensified their frustration. However, Boone’s men are still in a position to recover and reach the postseason, which is why Kay is rallying behind the manager. And even though the Blue Jays are currently topping the AL East, Kay is not sold on them being the real deal.

Michael Kay doesn’t rate the Blue Jays highly

The Blue Jays might have swept the Yanks, but Kay pointed to their underwhelming run differential as a red flag, suggesting their first-half success might not hold up. Sure, the Yankees have more talent on paper and are still the favorites to take the AL East. But that doesn’t mean everything the Blue Jays have done so far is just smoke.

“The Blue Jays are not a first-place team, I’m sorry,” Kay said in the middle of the Blue Jays series. Well, in the current scenario, where the Blue Jays are topping the AL East, four games ahead of the Yankees, a strong rebuttal to Kay’s comment was expected, and it came. Following the Blue Jays’ four-game sweep, Jamie Campbell, the host of Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet, took a subtle jab at Kay.

On the postgame show, without directly naming him, Campbell referenced “a certain Yankee broadcaster” in response to Kay’s prior comment that Toronto didn’t appear to be a first-place team. “I can think of a certain Yankee broadcaster, in fact, who is gonna have to go on his show tomorrow and admit that the Blue Jays are a first-place team because the standings prove it,” he stated.

No doubt the Yankees’ recent unprecedented slump must have frustrated Kay as well, but he is not directly blaming the manager Boone for it. However, it remains to be seen if his support for Boone is ultimately justified in the coming months.