The Yankees and manager Aaron Boone have raved about the team’s depth throughout spring training, both in the lineup and the rotation, but the Yanks’ 2021 success will still depend on the health of their biggest stars.
“I think one of the reasons we think we have a chance to be a really good team is because of some of our great players and our star players that we’re obviously counting on heavily,” Boone said on a Zoom call with reporters Saturday. “But we also know over the course of the year, there will be times when guys are missing, maybe it’s just because they’re not in the lineup for a day, but no matter who we run out there, we never want to change our mission or our focus, and that to win and play at a really high level. But of course our success is tied to some of our big boys really thriving.”
One of those big boys, perhaps most important to the Yankees, is Aaron Judge, who missed nearly half of last season with a calf strain, extended time in 2019 with a strained oblique and extended time in 2018 with a fractured wrist. When on the field, Judge has been one of the most valuable players in the league since his Rookie of the Year season in 2017, but that breakout campaign remains his only fully healthy season. So far this spring, Boone loved Judge’s outlook to try and change that narrative in 2021.
“I’m really excited about where AJ is at,” Boone said. “Especially with the last couple of springs where last year he stated down with the rib and shoulder issue, and the year before he was rehabbing an injury coming onto spring training. This year, he went into the offseason healthy, and I think he had a really good offseason in terms of putting himself in a really good position physically coming in.”
Judge hasn’t had his typical power stroke so far this spring, still without a home run in 28 at-bats while holding a .644 OPS, but despite having just two extra-base hits so far, Boone is much more focused on Judge’s ability to stay on the field and be ready for Opening Day, something that has been in question each of the past two seasons.
“I think he played in the first game of spring, has played regularly, and we’ve built him up to playing eight innings [on Friday],” Judge said. “His process of targeting that Opening Day to hopefully be as sharp and ready as can be, I think his work has been excellent to slowly get him locked in.”
Judge’s health will be a major focus of the 2021 season, and Boone is choosing to focus on that aspect rather than any results. Most important to the Yanks, Judge is feeling good physically with Opening Day less than two weeks away.
“I think he’s moving really well in the field,” Boone said. “He’s had a lot of opportunities to run the bases and go first to third, and those are nice things to have happen in spring training. So with 10 or 11 days to go...I’m really excited about where he is and the spring he’s had.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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