Aaron Judge has publicly, multiple times, endorsed Aaron Boone as the Yankees manager, but Evan believes the captain snuck in a critique of his skipper when talking with the YES Network on the final day of the season.
“I go back to the beginning of the year, the Rays in our division ran off 12-13 straight,” Judge said. “We were winning series, but we weren’t finishing off teams we should be sweeping and beating. Just couldn’t get that final game against them. I think it’s really the urgency out of spring training to start off hot, especially when you play in the AL East, you gotta bring it every single day and start on that first series.”
For Evan, this should fall, at least partially, on the manager, who has long been criticized for prioritizing rest early in the season, when the wins count just as much as they do in August and September.
“Aaron Judge has publicly said he wants Aaron Boone back as manager,” Evan said. “But when I hear lack of urgency, isn’t a lot of that the manager, and the lineups, the bullpen usage, and even the messaging you’re sending your players? That’s what I take from it.
“I have heard that critique from Yankee fans for half a decade, really since Boone took over, that they don’t treat April, May, June and even July with any sense or urgency. There is almost this arrogance of ‘We’re gonna win our 95 games, we need to keep our bullpen fresh.’
“When you’re giving guys off days, that’s a factor. When you don’t have your best lineup out there, because ‘Hey, it’s the final game of a three-game set in Toronto, it’s the middle of May, it’s a long season.’ Fans have said this a lot: ‘Why are we putting our punt lineup out there?’ I don’t like that phrase, but I’ve heard it a lot.”
Boone is reportedly returning in 2024, the final season of his contract. By all accounts, Judge is happy with that outcome, but Evan believes he subtly made it known that he wants that strategy from Boone to change.
“This is the first time I heard it from a player, and not just any player,” Evan said. “I heard it from the captain.”
