Yankees manager Aaron Boone heaps praise on Aaron Judge as offense soars with return of 2022 AL MVP
It is hard to quantify what Aaron Judge means to this New York Yankees lineup. Not only is Judge the team's star player on the field, his contibution off the field is invaluable to an organization that has been in search of a leader.
The 2022 American League MVP returned to the lineup on Tuesday in a 10-5 win over the Oakland Athletics. The sentiment amongst the 33,569 spectators at Yankee stadium when Judge took the field was a combination of joy and relief.
The Yankees have been poor without their captain and fans will hope that the return of the superstar can jumpstart an ailing season.
Per a recent New York Post article by Dan Martin, Yankees manager Aaron Boone summarized his thoughts on Judge's return:
"He’s one of the game’s great players. And he’s our leader"
Aaron Judge hasn't played since leaving the game against the Texas Rangers on April 27 with a hip injury. Although he went on to state that he "wasn't too concerned" at the the time, Boone and the Yankees were unable to provide a return date for the slugger.
.@TheJudge44 is back!
The Yankees have activated Aaron Judge from the 10-day IL. https://t.co/KhNP3STU7Q
".@TheJudge44 is back! The Yankees have activated Aaron Judge from the 10-day IL." - MLB
This wasn't Judge's best game by any means but his presence could be felt. The powerful righty finished 0-3 on the night, but contributed with a run and two RBIs.
Last season, Judge had arguably the greatest offensive season in the history of MLB. Overall, he led the league in homers, RBIs, runs, OBP, slugging and OPS on the way to his first every MVP award. He went on to break the single-season home run record that had ben held by Roger Maris since 1961.
The Yankees will hope the return of Aaron Judge can change the club's trajectory after a sluggish start to 2023
The fact that Judge's return coincided with the Yankees scoring 10 runs is likely no coincidence. His presence seems to have provided the whole offense with a lift. Without Judge, the lineup averaged just 3.5 runs per game and failed to score more than seven in any of those games. They finished 4-6 over that stretch.
"To get one of the game's great players back in your lineup and our leader and all that he brings, excited to get him back"
- Aaron Boone on the return of Aaron Judge tonight https://t.co/PUS06t80up
"'To get one of the game's great players back in your lineup and our leader and all that he brings, excited to get him back' - Aaron Boone on the return of Aaron Judge tonight" - Yankees Videos
The Yankees have reason to be optimistic going forward. Harrison Bader has been phenomenal since returning from injury. Aaron Hicks recently recorded his first home run of the season. Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson are close to returning to the lineup.
After Wednesday's finale versus the A's, the club faces a difficult six-game stretch where they play the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays. Aaron Judge will have to be at his best if the club has any chance of making up ground on their division rivals.