Cleveland Guardians v New York Yankees / New York Yankees/GettyImages

Aaron Boone trusts his players. Aaron Boone loves his players. That’s a good thing to have. But perhaps it’s to a fault for the New York Yankees. Yes, there’s something to be said about players being under immense scrutiny due to the New York media, but there’s also something to be said about some of that scrutiny stemming from stale practices or a one-size-fits-all approach from Boone and the front office.

We could be looking at exactly that right now. Aaron Judge has been almost irrelevant during the Yankees’ postseason run. Fans from home can see something is clearly off with the soon-to-be AL MVP. And it’s a tough situation because this is the best hitter in the sport.

But with the Yankees now down 0-2 in the World Series thanks to no-shows from Judge in the first two games in LA, questions regarding the slugger’s place in the lineup have come across Boone’s desk.

They’re warranted, too. Judge cannot keep holding the Yankees back, smack dab in the middle of the lineup. We know he’s one of the most talented players ever, but time is of the essence right now. The Yankees are running out of it. They cannot be worried about feelings being hurt or any outside misperception.

So, with Boone doubling down on Judge being “the Yankees’ guy” and refusing to waver on his spot in the lineup, the manager better be right with New York facing the penultimate do-or-die Game 3 to avoid going down 0-3.

Aaron Boone better hope his Aaron Judge comments save Yankees in Game 3

Boone isn’t wrong here. Judge is the Yankees’ captain. Every at-bat in the World Series is pressure packed. There’s a reason to stand behind the team MVP. But that’s a bold double-down when there’s been almost no evidence to suggest Judge will “get it going,” which has been a famous Yankees mantra that has kept them from achieving greatness from 2020-2024.

On Monday, Judge will be opposed by Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, whose postseason track record is almost as good as it gets for a starting pitcher. Though he hasn’t been his usual ace self from 2022-2024 due to injuries, Buehler owns a 3.25 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 17 October starts with 107 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings. That’s the pitcher version of the anti-Aaron Judge: the Yankees slugger is hitting .199 with 85 strikeouts in 55 postseason games. He’s had some moments, but many of them have been for naught.

Navigating a club to a World Series is not easy. But Boone already made missteps with his aggressive Game 1 decisions as he refuses to be aggressive elsewhere. His unwillingness to make drastic lineup changes at this juncture despite this offense showing signs of stalling in the ALDS and ALCS could be viewed as another factor working against New York.

Judge being “your guy” is great and all, but what’s the harm in moving him to No. 2 or No. 5 in the lineup? Everybody knows how important he is. It doesn’t change anything with his standing as captain or his stature as the franchise player. It just gives the Yankees a slightly better chance to come through in situations Judge has not for almost a month now with few opportunities left.