MLB1 hour ago2 minute read

Yankees Swept Out of Playoffs: Aaron Judge Wants Team to Go All In

After the Yankees were swept by the Rays, a sidelined Aaron Judge watched another season end and called on the front office to go all in this winter.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Another October Disappointment

The Tampa Bay Rays swept the New York Yankees out of the playoffs with a 4-3 win in the American League Division Series. This latest defeat extends the Yankees championship drought to 17 seasons.

Star outfielder Aaron Judge had to watch the celebration from the home dugout. He was kept out of the series due to a strained right calf. Judge, who turned 34 in April, has now played 10 full major league seasons without a World Series appearance.

"Just hating every single moment of it," Judge said about watching another opponent celebrate on his home field. He added that he is thinking about missed opportunities and things that can be improved.

Rays Expose New York's Flaws

The Rays advanced despite having less than a third of the Yankees payroll. They also had to play their home games at the Yankees spring training complex after Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field.

New York struggled with errors and lineup changes throughout the series. In Game 2, the Yankees made four defensive errors. For Game 3, manager Aaron Boone benched Jazz Chisholm Jr. in favor of Anthony Volpe. Chisholm, who went 0 for 8 in the series, was later booed by fans when he entered as a pinch hitter.

Volpe nearly tied Game 3 with a home run, but it was ruled a double due to spectator interference. The game and the series ended when Trent Grisham struck out against Rays closer Bryan Baker.

Boone's Future and Judge's Message

This was Boone's eighth playoff appearance in nine years as manager, but he still has no championship. Under his leadership, the Yankees have seven wins and zero losses against teams with worse regular season records, but just one win and eight losses against teams with equal or better records. Boone has one year left on his contract and wants to return.

Judge wants the front office to be aggressive this offseason. He stated that the team needs to go all in and acquire whatever personnel they need to build a championship roster.

What it means for the next game

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (MLB, Fri, 09 Oct): New York Yankees win 53%, Tampa Bay Rays win 47%; projected score New York Yankees 4, Tampa Bay Rays 4. Our safest pick: Yankees +1.5.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (MLB, Sun, 11 Oct): Tampa Bay Rays win 46%, New York Yankees win 54%; projected score Tampa Bay Rays 4, New York Yankees 4. Our safest pick: Rays +2.5.