New York Yankees fans haven't loved manager Aaron Boone's positive talking points after crushing losses. Now, they're hearing them from star Aaron Judge.
With each passing day, the New York Yankees see their playoff odds grow more bleak. The team has struggled since after the All-Star break and hasn't won a series since July 23 when they swept the Kansas City Royals. After having already lost the series to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, the Yanks once again put up a lackluster effort, falling 2-0 to extend their losing streak to five games.
For some fans, avoiding the postgame press conference of manager Aaron Boone is best practice, given his propensity to speak positively after putrid games and repeat the same talking points. One of said talking points is, "It's right in front of us," which garners a collective groan and eye roll from those Yankees fans listening.
Well, those fans were in for quite a shock, especially for those wanting to hear from some of the players, especially the star and captain, Aaron Judge.
While speaking with reporters, Judge expressed his belief that they are "a couple of streaks away from being right where we want to be." Then, Judge uttered the words Boone has said ad nauseam throughout his tenure as manager, "It's right in front of us."
Yankees fans freak out after Aaron Judge repeats Aaron Boone's talking point
It's one thing for Yankees fans to hear it from Boone. But to hear it from Judge, the team captain, was just too much for some on social media. Let's take a look at some of the best reactions.
A postseason berth is right in front of the Yankees, but the thing is, it's pretty far away. They are 6.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL Wild Card spot. Those 6.5 games might as well be 6.5 miles, based on how they have played thus far. Even if they were to play well, the Yankees are going to need a lot of help to sneak into the postseason, as The Athletic's Chris Kirschner points out.
Boone brought up after the game that there is still a quarter of the season left, which is factual. The manager also brought up examples of teams that went on late runs that made it to the World Series like the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies, 2021 Atlanta Braves, and the 2019 Washington Nationals.
In the latest loss to the Braves on Wednesday, Judge went 1-for-4 at the plate with three strikeouts.
While the Yankees are preaching positivity and their motto of "It's right in front of us," they have shown nothing that will help them close the gap in the final stretch of the season. Sure, they do have some gimme series against the Nationals and Detroit Tigers, but this is the team that also lost winnable series to teams like the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox.
Then, the Yankees have to face teams in postseason contention like the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Blue Jays. It's not an easy road for the Yankees.
Simply put, if the losses keep piling up, a postseason berth will be far in front of the Yankees.
