How Aaron Judge injury is Yankees' biggest disappointment of 2026

The New York Yankees were a different team without Aaron Judge. 

While the three-time MVP was on the injured list for 100 days with a fractured rib, New York's offense was one of the worst in baseball. 

Judge is back in the lineup and gearing up for the postseason. He hit a three-run home run in last night's victory against the Minnesota Twins, his first homer since returning from the IL last week. 

Judge's absence was a major letdown for the Yankees, their fans, and Major League Baseball in general, ESPN's Bradford Doolittle wrote. 

"The Yankees are still returning to the playoffs, and Judge will be there to help their quest for the World Series, but his run of historic campaigns is over," Doolittle wrote. "Judge can clearly bounce back with an epic 2027, but this is his age-34 season, and we can't take that for granted. Baseball needs all the full-blown Aaron Judge seasons it can get." 

Before this season, Judge averaged 144 games played and 50 home runs per season over the last five years. 

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His excellence, especially in today's modern game, is astounding. That's why a healthy Judge is extremely important for the Yankees. 

Not only does he impact winning, but the energy around New York's clubhouse is different when he's in the lineup. 

Who knows how many more phenomenal offseason seasons Judge has in him. He turns 35 in April and will likely make the transition to a full-time DH sometime down the road. 

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