Aaron Judge watched from the back of the room as the New York Yankees completed a two-game wild-card sweep of the Boston Red Sox, smiling while remaining out of the lineup, according to ESPN. The series ended in lopsided fashion as the Yankees scored 18 runs across the two games.
Judge’s availability for the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays remains undecided and is not expected to be resolved until shortly before the series begins Saturday, sources told ESPN. Some within the organization want him in the lineup, while others prefer to protect him from further injury. There is also a possibility he could serve as the designated hitter, potentially taking at-bats from Luis Garcia Jr., according to ESPN. Judge said, “I’m trying to be ready as fast as I can, but we’ll get there when we get there,” per ESPN.
New York’s offense had struggled for more than half the season while Judge recovered from a broken rib, producing 4.22 runs per game and ranking 26th in Major League Baseball during that stretch, according to ESPN. The wild-card round suggested a different look: the Yankees amassed 26 hits, four home runs, four stolen bases and posted the lowest strikeout rate of any team in the wild-card round, according to ESPN.
The Yankees’ starting pitching, a strength all season, maintained its form in the series and figures to be a central factor against the Rays. Tampa Bay finished the regular season with the second-best ERA in the American League and led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, stolen bases and strikeout rate, according to ESPN.
The Rays’ lineup features Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero at the top, with Liam Hicks, Victor Mesa Jr. and Ryan Vilade providing supporting production and Chandler Simpson creating disruption on the bases, according to ESPN. Judge noted the Rays “have a lot of guys up and down the lineup” and predicted the series would be a grind, per ESPN.
Tampa Bay will send right-hander Drew Rasmussen to the mound in Game 1; he limited hitters to a .199/.245/.298 line over 172 innings, producing an opponent OPS lower than Yankees ace Cam Schlittler, according to ESPN. Whether Freddy Peralta or Nick Martinez starts Game 2, New York will face a deep and capable pitching staff in the division series, according to ESPN.
