The New York Yankees opened the postseason with a statement 9-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox, yet a blunt assessment from former National League MVP Joey Votto cast a long shadow over any celebration of World Series hopes.
Votto, appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, offered a stark verdict on captain Aaron Judge’s latest injury.
“If he can’t play now, he’s clearly not going to be useful throughout the entirety of the playoffs if they do happen to go deep into the playoffs,” Votto said.
The Yankees left Judge off their Wild Card Series roster Tuesday, confirming the three-time American League MVP will miss at least the first round while recovering from a strained right calf.
That decision arrived after Judge missed most of the regular season with a rib stress fracture, returned in early September, and then suffered the calf strain on Sept. 16 after just seven games back.
New York finished 93-68, second in the AL East behind the Tampa Bay Rays, and earned the No. 4 seed. The club went 52-43 in games Judge missed this season compared with 41-25 when he played.
Those numbers underscore the gap. Judge slashed .241 with 18 home runs in only 66 games. His absence removes the lineup’s most feared presence at a moment when October pitching only gets sharper.
The Yankees still possess elite starting pitching. Cam Schlittler, the likely AL Cy Young winner with a 1.95 ERA, dominated Game 1. Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón give the staff depth few teams can match.
Ben Rice provided power with 41 home runs. Cody Bellinger and others have produced. Giancarlo Stanton, himself returning from a long calf absence, made the roster.
Yet Votto’s warning lands with particular force. A calf strain that keeps a player off a short Wild Card roster rarely heals on a schedule that allows full effectiveness through multiple series.
If the Yankees advance past Boston, they would face the 98-win Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series. Tampa Bay led the AL in several key categories and presents a matchup that exposed New York last season.
World Series odds reflected the concern even before Votto spoke. Prediction markets listed the Yankees around 10 percent, well behind the Dodgers and trailing the Brewers and Rays.
An MLB executive recently told ESPN the Yankees have “no chance” of a World Series run without Judge. Another suggested the pitching staff could carry them, though the bullpen has shown late-season wear.
The Yankees have not won a championship since 2009. Judge has three MVP’s in four years and still no ring. Each passing October without him at full strength raises the stakes.
Manager Aaron Boone has said the team played well without Judge for much of the year. That regular season resilience now faces the unforgiving test of October baseball.
Votto’s assessment leaves little room for optimism that a limited or late-returning Judge would change the equation if New York somehow goes deep.
The brutal reality for Yankees fans is that their best player may be unavailable for the stretch that defines seasons in the Bronx.
