JUDGE WINS THE MVP!

Aaron Judge has once again proven he’s in a league of his own. The Yankees’ superstar was named the unanimous winner of the 2024 American League Most Valuable Player award, an honor no one can argue he earned with a season that bordered on legendary. This marks Judge’s second MVP win, the first coming in 2022 when he rewrote history by breaking the AL single-season home run record.

At 32 years old, Judge delivered a performance that defined dominance. His .322 batting average, 58 home runs, and 144 RBIs weren’t just league-leading—they were jaw-dropping. Every at-bat felt like an event, and his ability to rise to the moment powered the Yankees to 94 wins, the most in the American League this season. The numbers only begin to tell the story. Judge also led all of MLB in on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701), and OPS+ (223), a mark that puts him alongside the likes of Barry Bonds and Ted Williams for one of the greatest offensive seasons in modern history.

If the advanced stats are your thing, Judge’s 10.8 WAR says it all. He wasn’t just valuable; he was indispensable, pacing the Yankees in every meaningful way. And let’s not overlook his 133 walks or the AL-best 392 total bases, a feat few have matched in the game’s long history.

The MVP race wasn’t particularly close, but credit where it’s due—Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. claimed second place with a strong season, earning all 30 second-place votes. Juan Soto, Judge’s outfield partner in the Bronx, rounded out the top three, giving the Yankees another reason to celebrate. The combination of Judge and Soto provided a spark to a lineup that made fans dream of October glory.

Though Judge’s postseason numbers weren’t as gaudy as his regular season stats—he hit .184 with three home runs in 14 playoff games—it’s important to remember that MVP voting is based on regular-season performance. And Judge’s regular season wasn’t just MVP-worthy; it was historic.

Winning multiple MVP awards cements Judge’s place among baseball’s elite. Only 34 players in MLB history have achieved that distinction, and Judge’s name belongs alongside theirs. His consistent brilliance and towering presence at the plate make him one of the most feared and respected players in the game today.

This season was another chapter in a career that feels destined for Cooperstown. Judge’s leadership and excellence continue to set the standard not just for the Yankees but for baseball as a whole. It’s a reminder that when Aaron Judge steps onto the field, greatness is never far behind.

FOUR THINGS THE YANKEES NEED TO DO TO ADVANCE

Welcome to that article that is always the most obvious, but you read it anyway. These are the 4 things that are concerning and are needed for the Yankees to advance to the ALCS.

Clarke Schmidt needs to be on

Clarke Schmidt is ready to shine Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALDS, with the Yankees and Royals all tied up after splitting in The Bronx. Schmidt’s been a beast this season, mixing in a nasty cutter, a wicked sweeper, a deadly sinker, and a knucklecurve that has hitters swinging at air. After missing three months with a lat strain, he came back better than ever, posting a solid 2.85 ERA over 16 starts. Schmidt has said he had been grinding through rehab with this exact moment in mind. Now, it’s October, playoff baseball is here, and Clarke is fired up for his chance to dominate. Let's home Schmidt can deliver!

Aaron Judge needs to break out

The other night when we needed him, Judge stepped up and struck out on just four pitches, leaving the crowd feeling deflated after Torres and Soto reached. This unfortunate outcome added to Judge's alarming postseason strikeout rate of 34.3%, the highest in MLB history among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances.

Despite this, Judge did manage to finish the night with a walk and an infield single, ending up 1-for-3. However, he now sits at just 1-for-7 in this postseason, raising concerns among us fans.  Judge has said, "If I'm not hitting 1.000, I'm not feeling good," and that concerns me a bit.

But if the Yankees look to advance, they need Judge desperately. Fans are really hoping he finds his rhythm soon. Maybe tonight.

Volpe needs to do his job

After another rollercoaster regular season, Anthony Volpe is finally starting to show some promise at the plate in the first two games against Kansas City. Sure, he made a costly throwing error in Game 1 that led to a couple of runs—pretty frustrating, honestly—but he’s otherwise held it down at shortstop. At the plate, Volpe has made some solid contact, like that 100-mph shot to the warning track and another well-hit ball to right in Game 1. He did work a bases-loaded walk and followed it with a hard-hit single to left on Monday, along with another walk and a rocket to shortstop.

Volpe’s been hitting the ball with some serious pop, cranking three balls over 100 mph in the series, including two over 105 mph on Monday. But while the Yankees are excited about his potential, it’s hard not to feel a little impatient—this kid has talent, but those long slumps? They’re starting to wear thin. Some scouts may question if Volpe will ever fully live up to the hype, but the Yankees are holding out hope that he’ll break through. What he does in the rest of this series might finally start to clear things up.

Continue to keep Bobby Witt Jr. quiet

It might not last forever, but it’s sure sweet while it’s happening! The Yankees have put Bobby Witt Jr. on ice. Heading into Wednesday’s Game 3 at Kauffman Stadium, the rising star shortstop is 0-for-10 with four strikeouts, and the Yankees’ pitchers are in total control. They’ve kept Witt from finding anything to hit, and even when they’ve slipped up, they've dodged the bullet. This is especially satisfying since Witt normally gives the Yankees trouble, boasting an .864 OPS in 17 career games against them and an .887 OPS this season. But right now? The Yankees have him locked down—and they're loving every second!

The New York Post had a scout quoted as saying: “The Yankees have been a lot more disciplined in how they deal with Witt, but they’ve gotten away with a couple of mistakes and that won’t last forever.’’

Next game's tonight. Let's go Yanks!

MORE OF THE SAME WHEN IT COMES TO THE YANKEES IN THE PLAYOFFS

The Yankees in the Boone era can't walk and chew gum in a short series at the same time. It's the story of our lives.  Last night, with ample opportunity to go ahead 2-0 against the Royals they pittered out.  It doesn't matter that Bob Costas was the biggest anti-Yankee bitch I've ever heard in my lifetime... I mean that added to it. But it was the fact that Aaron Boone was managing the pitching like it was Game 7 of the World Series and yet we had bodies on the bench that might have been able to spark some kind of rally.  The fact that he's misguided, a non-leader and not worthy to be sitting in the manager seat is baffling to me all these years.

The Royals are going home. Going to Kansas City is not a good thing for New York, especially in an existing hitting slump.  Not the mention our pitching hasn't exactly been lights out.  Pitching wins ballgames, this is true, but only if we hit.  Sure, I sound like Yogi there, but the truth is this Yankee team is not in sync at all and it's awful.

MLB writes: 

"...the Royals are officially bringing postseason baseball back to Kauffman Stadium, a goal of theirs from the start of 2024 after hearing what the ‘14-15 runs were like and seeing how the sports city has embraced an NFL dynasty right across the parking lot at the Truman Sports Complex with the Chiefs -- who, by the way, are undefeated after beating the Saints on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

A “Let’s go Royals” chant broke out there. The Royals had the end of the Chiefs’ game playing in the clubhouse postgame...

“It’s going to be electric,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “... Going back home is going to be a lot of fun. Get the boys right, getting hot at the right time."

Synergy works and the Royals ARE getting hot. The Yankees? They are not.  Aaron Judge can't figure it out. Juan Soto looked flat.  Sure, it's important to have everyone contribute at the right time, and that is something that essentially makes good teams, team contributions, but if we've seen anything from the Yankees this season it's that day in and day out, it was often Juan and Aaron, and tiny contributions from the rest of our hitters. 

I have written about this all year long; the Yankees are not built for this. Our pitching was NEVER sorted out last winter and should have been... we're seeing it now.  Our hitting is sporadic... we are seeing that again and our defense... is NOT what we were told we were getting.  I have seen the sloppiest shortstop in Anthony Volpe the last 2 games. He is not the shortstop we need.

So, what now? Well, we go to Kansas City as a mouse in a lion's den.  It will be loud, it will be hard and we just have to try and win and not be complacent.  Complacency kills teams.  We walk around often with our chest puffed out talking about how we are 27 world championship winners a lot. But what does it matter?  Touting it means nothing unless we can keep going.  It's like your town winning "best family town", although that was a decade ago and the town looks pretty run down these days.  You can harp on your reward in the moment... but it's what comes next?  What are the Yankees going to do next to add to those rewards?    

We will see, but my feeling is it ain't happening with amateur Aaron Boone.  We need something better. That's the bottom line.