With the New York Yankees effectively out of postseason contention, the team has shifted its focus to younger talent, bringing up youngsters like Jasson Dominguez for the season’s final weeks. And that group is impressing the biggest star on the team, Aaron Judge.
From 2013-2016, Yankees made the playoffs only once, losing in the American League Wild Card Game in 2015. Mariano Rivera retired after the 2013 season and Derek Jeter did the same after 2014. And in the later stages of the 2013-2016 era, the Yankees began bringing up a group of young players. Judge was the leader but it included the likes of Gary Sánchez, Miguel Andújar and Luis Severino, with Gleyber Torres coming up in 2018.
Players like Sánchez and Andújar are now elsewhere and there have been some obstacles for all of the “Baby Bombers,” including Judge. But New York qualified for the playoffs every year from 2017-2022, winning two American League East titles and notching a pair of 100-plus win seasons. So, while that core has yet to bring a championship to the Bronx, they’ve enjoyed a lot of success.
Despite that, Judge compares New York’s current young crop favorably to that group.
“Man, I think they’re better. We had some good guys coming up there in ‘16 and ‘17,” Judge said, per Randy Miller, NJ.com. “This group, they’re impressive with their demeanor. The way they carry themselves on the field, I feel like they’ve been here all year.”
Aaron Judge says current crop of Yankees rookies were better than his Baby Bomber class:
“Man, I think they’re better. We had some good guys coming up there in ‘16 and ‘17. This group, they’re impressive with their demeanor. The way they carry themselves on the field, I feel… pic.twitter.com/EPbI9hkt9a
— Joe Randazzo 📚📕📖 (@LibrarianJoe_) September 3, 2023
This will definitely be welcome to Yankees fans.
Not only has New York underachieved in 2023, but it’s underachieved with an old core. That not only gives a negative outlook on the current season but makes it hard to feel too optimistic about what the future may hold. If nothing else, this will give the team and its fans more reason to be excited about 2024 and beyond.
