The New York Yankees suffered a major blow this week as superstar outfielder Aaron Judge is expected to miss four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his right rib.

Judge was initially sidelined with what the Yankees believed was a bone bruise near his rib cage, after experiencing discomfort that radiated into his shoulder while swinging. Further testing revealed a legitimate stress fracture in the right rib, and Judge will be out for about seven weeks before being reevaluated. The Yankees expect him to return at some point this season, but no firm timeline has been set.

The diagnosis came after several days of uncertainty surrounding the three-time American League MVP. Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the injury as unusual because Judge always felt pain in his shoulder, despite the issue being near his rib cage.

Judge’s value to the Yankees is clear—he’s paid like a superstar, and New York is currently battling for position in the American League East. He has remained one of the league’s most productive hitters this season, with 17 home runs and one of the strongest offensive profiles in baseball.

Some reports suggest the injury may have originated during a spectacular catch against the Los Angeles Angels on May 3, when Judge crashed into the wall, making a highlight-reel grab. The exact moment remains uncertain, but it aligns with the decline in performance over the following weeks.

Judge’s leadership and production will be very difficult to replace. Since becoming team captain, he has served as the face of the franchise and is one of the most respected players in baseball.

For now, the Yankees must navigate one of their most important stretches of the year without Judge, their biggest star, hoping the MVP slugger can return later this summer.

Aaron Judge won the 2025 American League MVP on Thursday, adding another accolade to his MLB career.

The New York Yankees outfielder edged catcher Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners in the vote, who also had a stellar season in the Pacific Northwest with 60 home runs. Judge becomes the 13th player to win three or more MVPs after winning his third in the last four seasons.

“It’s a lot of responsibility playing in New York, but that’s what I love,” Judge said to MLB Network. “When I was a free agent, I came back to New York. I wanted to play in the city, play for these fans, play with these high expectations.”

The 33-year-old hit 53 home runs in 2025, which was the third time in his last four season he recorded over 50 homers. Judge also recorded over 100 RBI’s for the fourth time in his career.

“I know I say this often meeting with our media throughout the season, but I don’t ever want to become desensitized by the consistency and the enormity of his accomplishments,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in a statement. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to use words to capture how good he is. He’s just playing at a higher level, and has been for quite some time.

“It has been an absolute privilege to watch Aaron’s ascension. He’s already fashioned a career that matches up with the all-time greats. I see it every single day – and I think it’s critical to acknowledge the work that Aaron puts in to maintain this inconceivable level of excellence as a player.”

Judge’s performances led the Yankees to a 94-68 record, only missing out on the AL East crown to the Toronto Blue Jays. The team also lost in the ALDS to the Canadian ball club.

2025 marked Judge’s 10th straight season at Yankee Stadium, where he continues to write his name in baseball history.

Another day, another record broken for Aaron Judge.

The New York Yankees captain tied Joe DiMaggio’s 361 career home runs for the franchise after hitting two over the fence in Thursday’s 9-3 win against the Detroit Tigers.

Judge surpassed another Hall of Famer on the list, Yogi Berra, on Tuesday after recording one home run at the start of the series. Only three players have hit more homers than Judge in Yankees history: Lou Gehrig (493), Mickey Mantle (536) and Babe Ruth (659).

“Just two legends, greats of the game, great all-time Yankees,” Judge said after the game. “It’s pretty cool being on a list with them, but I think it’s even cooler getting a win.”

The Yankees lost the first two games against the Tigers by a combined score of 23-3. However, that changed on Thursday after the hosts racked up nine runs in the opening four innings, cruising to a 9-3 victory.

President Donald Trump was also in attendance at Yankee Stadium as the team paid tribute on the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

“It’s a tough day for everyone,” Judge said. “We all know where we were during that time. Getting us all together and showing we’re unified and we’re strong, reflecting the strength that this city showed and the country showed during something like this. We’re lucky to come out here and play.”

Yankees ahead coach Aaron Boone also praised his captain after the win, recognizing the magnitude of the achievement.

“Joe DiMaggio, Joe DiMaggio, it feels like that’s been there forever,” the coach said. “Joe DiMaggio in a lot of ways transcended baseball. So to be next to him on the list and as he’s going to be waiving as he’s going by, it’s impressive and a bit of privilege having a front-row seat to that.”

The Yankees will travel to their fierce rivals the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series starting Friday.

The New York Yankees have lost nine of their last 12 games behind a sputtering offense, including a stretch in which the team went 30 consecutive innings without a run.

Aaron Judge, who ranks first in the MLB in batting average and second in home runs, has dropped his batting average from .390 to .364 during the team’s cold streak.

“I feel quite certain we’re a really good offense. We haven’t gotten some hits. … We’re going to break through and get hot here eventually,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the team’s 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The Yankees led 3-0 going into the seventh inning, before a double from Christian Encarnacion-Strand brought in three runs.

The game went into 11 innings before a single from Gavin Lux brought in two runs, sealing the win for the Reds.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected from the game between innings following a heated exchange with the umpire on a poor strike call. He finished the game 2-4 with a run scored.

“I got a toss for saying, ‘Why are you looking at me?’ I don’t think that’s a good reason to toss anybody,” Chisholm said.

The Yankees aim to avoid being swept by the Reds on Wednesday and get their season back on track.

The Yankees are 45-34 and sit at the top of the AL East, but hold just a one-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We just have to capitalize,” Judge said. “We have to switch it up a little bit, maybe find a way to get that runner over a little earlier. You know, things will be a little different.”

Following the New York Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, there were reports that a players-only meeting took place.

The game marked a third consecutive shutout defeat, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone denied the meeting ever took place.

“Our guys talk all the time and get together in different formats,” Boone said. When asked if it was a players-only meeting, Boone said, “No. No.”

The Yankees broke their streak on Wednesday of 30 consecutive innings without a run off a Jazz Chisholm home run, but New York still lost, expanding the losing streak to six games.

The Yankees finished the game with just three hits, as superstar Aaron Judge continued his cold streak, going 0-4.

The Yankees end their series against the Angels on Thursday, looking to avoid a four-game sweep.

Their lead in the AL East has shrunk, with just a 1.5 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees need to find some way to break out of their slump.

“I think you guys asked us the same questions last June when we were going through it,” Judge said. “Guys have been there. You always gotta show up and not mope about it. If you mope, you pout, it’s going to lead into the next game.”

Well into the MLB season, the New York Mets are sitting pretty at the top of the NL East standings. That spot has been spurred by a lot of outstanding performances – first baseman Pete Alonso is batting .365 right now with 21 RBI, tied for second in the league – but one hitter who’s been conspicuously absent from the score sheets is the Mets’ prime offseason acquisition, superstar Juan Soto.

Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets in December, has chipped in just two hits in the team’s past five games. He has seven RBI and 12 strikeouts, with one of those coming as he represented the game-winning run on Opening Day.

Soto was candid about the transition from last season’s stint with the Yankees to this year when he talked to the New York Post. “I had the best hitter in baseball batting behind me,” he said. “I was getting attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, fewer intentional walks, and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”

That “best hitter,” Aaron Judge, has more than justified that characterization this season. He leads all players with a .409 batting average and 1.322 OPS, and he’s tied with Alonso with 21 RBI. Even as Alonso has also been fearsome to pitch against this season, there’s no denying that pitchers have indeed changed their tactics based on the batters around Soto.

According to Statcast, just 43.2% of pitches Soto has seen this year have been in the strike zone. If the trend holds, that would be the lowest mark of his career, down from 46.4% last year with the Yankees.

This change in pitching has certainly contributed to Soto’s overall hitting contributions this season. He’s being walked consistently – giving him an on-base percentage of .367 this season despite his hitting woes. Regardless of his current struggles, though, barely a tenth of the season has gone by. There’s no reason to believe Soto won’t become the offensive weapon he’s shown in the past.

As a bonus, Soto also has a vote of confidence from Judge.

“He’s got probably one of the best hitters in the game right now with what Alonso is doing,” Judge said. “It’s been fun to watch. He’s hitting close to .400, driving the ball all over the field and driving guys in. They’re gonna be just fine. I’ve watched him in the league for so many years and getting a chance to see him up close — he can look at what I did last April for an example.

“He just needs to keep being himself. He’s going to be just fine.”

“I’m really happy to know where I’m going to be for the next 15 years.”

So said the biggest offseason story in MLB as he arrived at spring training this week. Since his signing to the New York Mets in December, Juan Soto has continually expressed his confidence in the team and his belief that it was the best place for him to win a World Series.

When asked about Soto’s crosstown move and comments during his introductory press conference, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge expressed little surprise.

“I wasn’t too surprised by it. I think that’s where he wanted to be. I think that’s where is best for him and his family,” Judge said. “He got a pretty nice deal over there. I mean, you can’t say no to that. But I’m happy for you.”

The Yankees reached the World Series with Soto and Judge in 2024, eventually falling short in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Judge had a spectacular regular season, he hit a brutal .184 with 14 strikeouts during the postseason and dropped a fly ball that allowed the Dodgers to sneak back into the series winner.

“Definitely coming in hungry, if not hungrier than in years past,” he told reporters. The Yankees have also been bolstered by other big-name free-agent signings – Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams, among others.

The Mets, though, have probably had the second-splashiest offseason in the league (presumptively behind the Dodgers), adding Soto and Clay Holmes, as well as making multiple significant re-signings. Owner Steve Cohen hasn’t been shy about courting acquisitions – or opening his pocketbook – in creating a culture of winning.

When asked about Soto’s belief that the rival Mets were the best place for him to win a World Series, though, Judge cut the thread short quickly.

“That’s his opinion,” he said. “He can say what he wants. I definitely disagree with him.”

Both teams made their respective league championships in 2024. Now, as the ramp-up to the 2025 season begins, we’ll prepare to see whose confidence is proven right.

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with one swing of the bat on Tuesday, as he hit his first home run of the fall classic in the first inning to give the New York Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Then, it all came crashing down.

The captain committed the first of two errors in the top of the fifth inning as New York squandered a 5-0 lead to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Judge dropped a line drive to center off the bottom of his glove as Enrique Hernandez sprinted into second. Another mistake from Anthony Volpe extended the inning, and a two-run double from Teoscar Hernandez tied the game at five.

The Yankees would lose 7-6 and the W.S. in five games to the Dodgers. Judge finished with a .222 batting average, up over 100 points from his first three games, where he hit .083 with just one home run and three RBIs with seven strikeouts. He came into the playoffs with his post-season resume in question and left with more pressure to perform after a disastrous October. “I think falling short in the World Series will stay with me until I die,” he said last night as he could not hold back his pain.

His stat line is even more confusing and disappointing due to his regular season play. Judge was a better overall hitter than when he broke the AL home run record two years ago, batting .322, leading the league in RBIs and finishing fifth in hits.

He may have difficulty replicating those numbers next year without Juan Soto batting in front of him. The soon-to-be free agent did not commit to his future last night and said that all 30 teams have an opportunity to sign him. Some MLB analysts believe he could sign a $600 million contract or rival Shohei Ohtani‘s deal last off-season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win the World Series Wednesday night. The Yankees blew a five-run lead at home and could only watch on as Los Angeles celebrated its eight title victory in front of sellout Yankee Stadium crowd.

“I think falling short in the World Series will stick with me until I die, probably,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge told reporters after the game. “I think just like every other loss, you know, those things don’t go away. They’re battle scars along the way. And, you know, hopefully when my career is over, we got a lot a battle scars but a lot of victories along the way too.”

After avoiding a sweep in an 11-4 blowout win Tuesday, the Yankees seemed intent on continuing their impossible march early in Game 5. Judge, Jazz Chisholm and Giancarlo Stanton all homered in the first two frames to put the Bombers ahead 5-0. Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty exited with just one out in the second, forcing Los Angeles to turn to its bullpen for another lengthy assignment. 

On the other side, fans in the Bronx were finally electrified. They had a Game 4 win under their belts. New York ace Gerrit Cole was cruising with run support, starting Game 5 with four flawless innings. Judge, dead silent for the entire series, was finally starting to hit like an MVP. With a few more quiet Los Angeles frames, the Yankees’ impossible dream of a reverse sweep could have been worth a whisper. Then the fifth inning came and went with all the grace of a six-car pileup on the Grand Concourse.

Judge kicked off the circus routine by dropping an easy line drive to center field, putting runners on first and second. On the very next play, shortstop Anthony Volpe tried to get the lead runner out on a ground ball but spiked the throw to third, loading the bases with no outs. Cole, battling through the poor play behind him, managed to strike out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani for two gutsy outs. A soft grounder down the first base line from Mookie Betts should have ended the inning.

But after coming all the way back from two fielding errors behind him, Cole suffered his own lapse. He failed to cover first base, allowing Betts to reach first, drive in a run and prolong the inning. The Dodgers didn’t need any favors from there; Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez connected for back-to-back two-RBI knocks and Los Angeles tied the game with five unearned runs.

The Yankees retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning and Cole carried on in heroic fashion, throwing 108 pitching in 6.2 innings without allowing an earned run. In a battle of the bullpens from there, however, New York folded almost immediately, loading the bases in the sixth and seventh innings and allowing two runs on sacrifice flies in the latter frame. With a 7-6 lead, the Dodgers closed out the game to earn their eighth World Title.

Freeman earned World Series MVP honors in overwhelming fashion, as the first baseman overcame an injury to hit four home runs and earn 12 RBIs across five games against New York. In a World Series billed as a star-studded matchup between the sport’s most famous franchises, Freeman was the only star to live up to those sky-high expectations.

“It seems like we hit every speed bump possible over the course of this year,” Freeman said after the game. “And to overcome what we did as a group of guys, it’s special. This is what we start out to do every single spring training is to win a championship. I think it’s the hardest thing to do in sports because you just never know what’s going to happen.”

Juan Soto, Judge’s slugging counterpart all season, was far from the Yankees’ biggest problem in the postseason, but the team’s collective failure is sure to make his impending free agency a nightmare. After Game 5, Soto told reporters that he will hear offers from all 30 MLB teams, and reports suggest that he will likely take the best offer. A meeting with Mets owner Steve Cohen in Queens is on the horizon and could potentially take a massive chunk out of the Yankees’ lineup in 2025.

Judge is sure to take the vast majority of the blame for the Yankees’ postseason failure; after batting .322 with 58 home runs in the regular season, the presumptive A.L. MVP batted 4-for-18 in the World Series. Before Game 5, he batted 2-for-15, and even after finally coming alive at the plate, his final game this season will be remembered for his costly error in center field that kickstarted the Dodgers’ comeback.

Despite the obvious blame on Judge for the Yankees’ shortcomings, he was not the only MVP candidate to have a quiet World Series. Ohtani was supposed to be the titan on the other side of the matchup, but he actually performed worse than Judge, going 2-for-19 without an RBI. 

In the end, the 2024 World Series was only partially determined by clutch play from immense talents. For the most part, it was a far more fundamental battle, one in which Los Angeles systematically took advantage of the New York’s sloppy play on the way to an unexpected rout. 

The team didn’t need Ohtani to be sharp; Freeman motored the team to consistent leads, and the pitching staff held a hapless Yankees lineup in check for the most part. It may have made for less compelling viewing than the offensive shootout some expected, but the Dodgers proved to be the cleaner team and took full advantage of the Yankees’ collective no-show. It was a decisive, if abrupt, triumph.

Two pitches after going down with an apparent injury in the sixth inning, Yankees slugger Juan Soto returned to the batter’s box and blasted a go-ahead two-run home run, driving in New York’s first runs in 15 combined innings. It was a signature moment for Soto, as the Yanks went on to beat the Royals 4-3 in 11 innings and take a 1.5-game lead in the A.L. East.

Soto limped off during the at-bat in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his foot, eventually going down and struggling to get back on his feet. Instead of exiting, however, Soto stayed in, took the next pitch, and blasted a hanging curveball to give New York a 2-1 lead.

“It was a lot of pain, but at the end of the day I tried to focus on the at-bat,” Soto said, according to ESPN. “Sometimes when you hit yourself like that, you kind of go away a little bit from the at-bat so I tried to just focus, take my time and go in there and make good contact.”

Soto has lived up to his billing in 2024, and losing him weeks before the playoffs would have been devastating for the Yankees. Instead, he delivered again, and should be a force beside A.L. MVP favorite Aaron Judge as the team looks to win a long-awaited World Series title.

Through 142 games, Soto is batting .289 with 39 home runs and 100 RBIs, an overwhelmingly positive season in his first season in the Bronx. With a likely free agency battle on the horizon, he has positioned himself as one of the most valuable players in baseball. Even at the Yankees’ lowest points this season, he has been a beacon at the plate.

While Soto’s next contract is a topic of intense speculation, but there’s still plenty to do in the present. Despite bumbling their way through most of the summer, the Yankees have retaken the lead over the Orioles for the division. With 16 games to go, however, there’s still plenty of time to blow a 1.5-game lead. A healthy Soto will likely be necessary to avoid a Wild Card seeding.

While no one has the answers for Aaron Judge on the field right now, fans are trying to slow him down off of it.

The New York Yankees slugger had his plaque commemorating his 62nd home run two years ago stolen from Globe Life Park, the stadium where the Texas Rangers play. Even though Judge plays for a different team, the Rangers made a classy move to immortalize one of the record-breaking moments in baseball history.

Justin Shackil of the YES Network was the first to report the news as the Yankees took on the Rangers last week for a three-game series, and Shackil stated that there would not be a third plaque to replace the stolen one.

Judge broke Roger Marris’s AL regular-season record of 61 home runs in 2022, which stood for 61 years. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in a season, but due to steroid usage, most analysts believe 61 was the number to beat for most HRs in a single year. After hitting 62 bombs, Judge discussed the emotions of breaking that record.

“Roger Maris Jr,. him and his family, supporting and being along for the ride too, a lot of thanks and congratulations to them too. It’s a tough situation, your dad’s legacy and you want to uphold that. But getting a chance to meet that family, they are wonderful people. Getting a chance to have my name next to someone as great as Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, those guys, is incredible.”

Judge is looking for an encore in 2024. So far, the Bronx Bomber has 51 home runs with 22 games left in the regular season. While it sounds like a long shot, the slugger is batting .323 at the plate, and with the Yankees in a dead heat for the AL East title, Judge’s at-bats will be a deciding factor.

After winning the first game of the series with the Rangers, the Yankees dropped the next two for a series loss.

The New York Yankees have come to Aaron Judge’s defense after a Staten Island Little League coach accused him of ignoring his players. The children were sitting behind New York’s dugout during the Little League Classic, a game between the Yankees and Tigers in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

After the game, South Shore Little League coach Bob Laterza told the Staten Island Advance that several Yankees players visited with his team beforehand, but that Judge wasn’t one of them. He also complained that Judge did not acknowledge the kids during the game. The Staten Island team qualified for the Little League World Series earlier this summer, eventually falling to Florida in the consolation bracket Tuesday.

“How about turning around or [waving] to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero,” Laterza said. “They are the ones who pay your salary.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he would not dignify Laterza’s comments with a response, affirming Judge’s character. The team delivered an emphatic statement of its own earlier this week defending Judge.

“Win or lose, we intend to invite them to Yankee Stadium,” the team’s statement said. “However, it would have been much better if Staten Island’s Coach called us to understand the facts before bitterly reacting in such a public fashion. Reaching out to us would have been the prudent way to act and would have set a fine example for his young players.

“Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect. The coach could learn a lot from him.”

In the Little League Classic, the Yankees and Tigers both failed to deliver much offense for their eager audience. The Yankees took a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning before Clay Holmes allowed a game-tying run in yet another blown save. Detroit went on to win 3-2 in extra innings.

Judge, who was consistently mobbed by Little Leaguers throughout the event, had no comment for Laterza’s accusations.

“I’m not going to give him a response because it’s about the kids,” Judge said, according to the New York Times. “That’s what it’s all about.”

New York Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are living up to the Bronx Bombers moniker.

On Tuesday, Soto hit his first career three-home run game, driving all four Yankee runs in a win over the Chicago White Sox. Most impressively, each blast went to a different part of the park as he sprayed balls into the opposite field. His explosion prompted Judge to heap praise on his teammate.

“That’s who he is. That’s why he’s the greatest hitter in the game. You leave a pitch in the zone, he’ll do damage, but if you don’t throw to him, he’s gonna let the next guy up there do his thing.”

Soto disagreed with Judge and stated he believed the 6’7” behemoth to be the best in baseball.

“I’d call him the greatest hitter in the world. I mean, look at his numbers; he’s just unbelievable. He makes my job easier. He makes my plate appearances a little bit better. When you’re hitting in front of a guy like that, you know you’ll get a pitch, so he’s the greatest in the world.”

A day after Soto’s remarks, Judge became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 300 home runs with a two-run blast in the eighth inning of a blowout, series-clinching win over the White Sox.

The offensive outbursts from these two are the catalyst to the Yankees’ turnaround since the All-Star Break. The Pinstripes retook first place in the AL East on Friday and boast the second-best record in the American League since the pause. With trade deadline acquisition Jazz Chisholm Jr. heading to the 10-day IL for an elbow injury, the two superstars must continue to shoulder the load.

Soto will hit free agency at the end of the season, and Judge has made it publically clear that he wants the Dominican locked up in the Bronx for years to come.

Aaron Judge became the fastest player to reach 300 career home runs Wednesday, hitting a three-run blast off reliever Chad Kuhn in the top of the eighth inning. By achieving the feat in his 955th MLB game, he became the only player to reach the milestone within 1,000 games.

“It’s a great achievement,” Judge said after the game. “Like I said a couple days ago, I was hoping it would come in a win. It came in a big win for us. We were down for a little bit, couldn’t get much going, so I was just excited it was there in a big moment.”

Judge’s 3,431st career at-bat wasn’t necessarily a game-changer, as the Yankees were already in the midst of a massive rally. Down 2-1 going into the seventh inning, New York eventually scored nine unanswered runs against Chicago in two innings and cruised to a 10-2 win.

If anything, the White Sox were asking for it. With a runner on second and one out, Kuhn intentionally walked Juan Soto, who had homered four times in his last six at-bats, in order to pitch to Judge. Despite getting a 3-0 count, Judge admitted after the game that he felt disrespected and swung away to send the inside pitch screaming out of the ballpark.

“I was mad about the intentional walk. So that kind of fueled it,” Judge told YES Network. “Usually 3-0, I’ll take a pitch, see a pitch, pass it on to the next guy. But in that situation, if they want to pitch to you, you gotta come through.”

As a historical marker, however, the 361-foot shot to left field against the lowly White Sox puts Judge among the greatest hitters in the history of the sport.

In 1953, Ralph Kiner hit his 300th home run in his 1,087th game, making his mark as an all-time great before being forced into an early retirement. Before him, Babe Ruth reached 300 in the fewest at-bats, specifically his 3,831st in 1925. Judge shattered both records Wednesday, putting him on an unprecedented trajectory in his ninth MLB season.

At age 32, Judge is likely going to run out of time before he can challenge the likes of Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list. It’s abundantly clear that he’s still in his prime, however, and with his foreseeable future on the Yankees sealed, it’s impossible to know how much damage he will do by the time curtains close.

In the top of the ninth inning in a practically lost game, Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham sent every high school baseball coach in the country into a hysterical frenzy. The six-year veteran lazily tried to field a soft line drive, bobbled it and allowed Reds batter Spencer Steer to get to second base.

It was a fitting end to an 8-4 Yankees loss and a three-game series sweep for the Reds. Grisham, who is batting .157 in 83 at-bats this year, is, unfortunately, the least of this team’s problems at the moment. New York is now 54-35 and 2.5 games behind the Orioles in the A.L. East division.

The Yankees were in free fall a week ago, so it’s difficult to assess where they are now. The problems are exactly the same, making it unclear whether the team is still falling or if they’ve settled into a general malaise.

Juan Soto was typically brilliant against Cincinnati Thursday, hitting a two-run home run to get the Yankees within one in the fifth inning. Aaron Judge had a quiet day, going 0-for-4, but the slugger still leads MLB with an astounding 32 home runs before the All-Star Break.

As a small silver lining, rookie first baseman Ben Rice hit his first home run against Cincinnati, providing some much-needed pop in a largely anemic offense. That’s where the praise ends, however. The Yankees are categorically failing to live up to the immense record they’ve earned up to this point in the season.

Marcus Stroman is firmly one of many Yankees starters that have lost their touch this summer and allowed five runs in five innings against the Reds Thursday. He has allowed three or more runs in four straight starts and has only gone six innings or longer once since June 1.

To view this rough stretch in its totality, New York has lost 14 of its last 19 games, regressing in every area after a 49-22 start to the season. Gerrit Cole has returned but struggled, while the team lost consistent contributors like Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton to new injuries.

If not for a pedestrian couple of weeks for the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees would be well out of the divisional race at this point based on their performance. For now, their Wild Card spot is still secure, but even that is slowly slipping away as other teams like the Astros, Red Sox and Royals begin to rally.

Despite elite play from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the Yankees have completely stalled in June. After a torrid start to the season, the team’s skid continued Wednesday when the Mets capped off a Subway Series sweep with a dominant 12-2 victory.

There’s always silver linings. Judge hit his 30th home run of the season Wednesday, accounting for both of the Yankees’ runs in the 12-2 loss. The night before, he hit a grand slam to tighten the score to two, though the Mets held on to win 9-7. Soto also hit a home run in the Tuesday game and is currently batting .305.

“It’s baseball,” Judge said after the loss Wednesday. “We play 162 of these things. You are going to have, throughout the season, good times, bad times. But we just have to keep showing up, keep working and we will be where we want to be.”

Judge, the team’s superstar in the midst of another historic season, may be patient as the Yankees struggle. Beyond their top pair, however, the Yankees are failing on a categorical level, proving inept at the plate and extremely shaky on the mound. They are 3-8 in their last 11 games and only a game ahead of the Orioles in the A.L. East division.

Two losses to the Mets would have been tougher to take a month ago, before the Yanks’ crosstown rivals rallied around the power of McDonald’s mascot Grimace and exploded back into playoff contention. Still, with Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil on the mound for two nights at Citi Field, a pair of crushing defeats was not an acceptable result.

In two starts since returning from injury, Cole has contributed to two Yankees losses and earned a 9.00 ERA. Gil, the rising star who took the league by storm through early June, has allowed 12 earned runs in his last two starts, a 17-5 Orioles victory and 12-2 Mets victory. His ERA has ballooned from 2.03 to 3.15 since June 20.

Key contributors around Judge and Soto in the lineup are also coming up woefully short. Third baseman D.J. LeMahieu is batting .172 in June and has proven highly inconsistent in the field. Gleyber Torres, who is playing for his spot on the team in many ways, is batting .176 in the same span. Sluggers Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton are both out with injuries.

The only reason New York still has control of the A.L. East is because Baltimore has also lost momentum in recent weeks. The team will be looking at a Wild Card spot within a week if it can’t turn things around.

Juan Soto bet on himself.

On his third team in four seasons, the 25-year-old has rejected countless contract extensions and looks to cash in this off-season as he becomes a free agent.

However, the New York Yankees want to keep him in pinstripes for years to come.

Soto’s success sparked 22 wins in their previous 27 games for the Yankees as fans quickly forgot about missing out on the postseason last year. The Bronx Bombers have the best record in the majors at 42-19 and lead the AL East by 3.5 games. Soto and fellow slugger Aaron Judge are ripping the covers off the ball to start the year, combining for 38 home runs between them.

Soto’s latest bomb came with the Yankees trailing 5-4 in the ninth inning in the series finale against the San Francisco Giants. The RF hit a frozen rope to right center and 398 feet later, his team retook the lead and finished the sweep in the bottom half. Judge hit two home runs on Friday and one on Saturday, each totaling over 400 feet as the California native put on a show back in his home state.

The East Coast club went 7-2 on its western road swing, with series wins over the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. But their brutal stretch of games will continue with upcoming matchups against the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals.

However, nothing seems to phase this team right now. General manager Brian Cashman has pushed the right buttons during the off-season by deciding to re-tool, not rebuild and bringing back manager Aaron Boone. They are top five in every major hitting category, including batting average, home runs, and RBIs, while their pitching dominates without ace Gerrit Cole. The Yankees have the lowest earned run average in the majors, and their bullpen leads the league in saves. Cole is expected to ramp up his rehab in June as the Yankees look to make their season a summer to remember.

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the team’s success this season could be attributed to new technology in the clubhouse. While most of the league suffers through another uptick in injuries, New York has remained durable and currently leads the A.L. East division.

“Our injuries have been below average as opposed to way above average, which we’ve had at least two of the last five years,” Steinbrenner said at the Major League Baseball owners’ meetings. 

Steinbrenner admitted to not fully understanding the innovations but claimed that personnel have received them well.

“It makes a difference,” Steinbrenner went on to say. “We did a lot in the clubhouse, a lot of new technology: red light therapy, infrared saunas, hyperbaric chambers … Stuff that’s right over my head. But these players, they really, really like it. Maybe in some way, shape, or form, all that new technology is helping with the injury situation.”

The Yankees owner is heaping praise on his staff at a difficult time for some teams, as many star players have already headed to the injured list early in the season. Pitchers have suffered the most as the league desperately searches for ways to promote better arm endurance. But the Angels’ Mike Trout and Phillies’ Trea Turner are two of many key position players who have also had to miss time.

New York is not entirely unscathed by injuries, as the team has had to compete without ace pitcher Gerrit Cole and third baseman D.J. LeMahieu all season. The team also lost young talent Jasson Dominguez to an elbow injury. However, all of these injuries occurred before the season, and the team has carried on well despite them.

With a 35-17 record, the Yanks currently hold a 3.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the division, setting up a tense A.L. East battle as summer approaches. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have combined forces to become a monstrous duo in the middle of the lineup, propelling the team back into World Series contention after a poor 2023 season.

The New York Yankees finalized a trade with the San Diego Padres to acquire star outfielder Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. New York gave up five players in the deal, including two promising prospects.

While the long-term impact of the deal will not be known for some time, the immediate effect is clear. Many Yankees fans who have been clamoring for Soto for years will now see the 25-year-old don pinstripes alongside 2022 MVP Aaron Judge. The blockbuster deal had a massive impact on betting lines, as New York is now the third choice to win the 2024 World Series.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Soto before the trade went through, identifying him as an exceptionally precocious player.

“He’s as good an offensive player as there is,” Boone told reporters. “He is a machine offensively — on base, power, and has accomplished a ton already at a young age.”

Since joining the league in 2018, five months before his 20th birthday, Soto has been named an All-Star three times and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019. The Padres acquired Soto in a massive trade with the Washington Nationals in 2022 and advanced to the NLCS that same year. The team struggled in 2023, however, and missed the playoffs.

Though Soto is on the Yankees and excitement is building for now, it will not be long before his status comes into question again. With just a year remaining on his contract, New York can either utilize him as a short-term rental in an attempt to win a championship or extend him in a lucrative deal. Otherwise, Soto will enter free agency for the first time in his MLB career in 2024.

The Yankees do not often turn to short-term acquisitions and have proven comfortable spending to keep players for extended periods. Just last offseason, New York resigned Judge to a nine-year, $360 million contract. The team has previously spared no expense to recruit stars like Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton.

Soto, obviously, has the final say, but if the price is right next year, MLB’s perennial rising star may be in the Bronx for good.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole was awarded the 2023 A.L. Cy Young Award Wednesday. It is the six-time All-Star’s first Cy Young and marks a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable Yankees season.

“I’m very proud of this season,” Cole said. “I’m very proud of some of the other seasons where I made a pretty strong run at this award as well. There was a lot of momentum going into this.”

In 33 starts in 2023, Cole earned a 15-4 record with a 2.63 ERA and 222 strikeouts. It was not the best season of his career from a statistical standpoint, nor did Cole lead his team to the postseason as he did for the Houston Astros. But while the Yankees struggled to consistently produce all season, Cole delivered as the ace, holding up his end of the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed with the team in 2020.

While Cole dominated on the mound, the Yankees’ struggles beyond him were expansive. Without 2022 A.L. MVP Aaron Judge for part of the season, the team’s offense stalled going into the summer and never fully recovered. New York finished the season scoring the 25th least runs.

Meanwhile, pitching besides Cole was an issue as well.

2022 All-Star Nestor Cortes only made 12 starts in a season hampered by injury. Several weeks after throwing a perfect game, Domingo German was forced to leave the team after an altercation with manager Aaron Boone. Carlos Rodon, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal last offseason, was largely ineffective and only made 14 starts.

With nearly everything going wrong, the Yankees did not buy or sell at the trade deadline and limped to an 82-80 record, missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. The team is reportedly targeting several free agents this offseason, possibly even two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Cole and Judge will be starring for the team to build around, though things will have to improve swiftly for the team to re-enter serious contention for a championship.