A Yankee Vibe Gone Sour… Can It Once Again Turn Sweet?

There was a point in late May where it felt like the 2025 Yankees were going to run away with the American League East. 

They held a 8 plus lead in the division. Aaron Judge was in the middle of yet another MVP season. Max Fried was a Top 3 CY Young Contender and the lineup seemed to be answering every question following the departure of Juan Soto. 

Fast forward to the end of July and the good vibes surrounding the Yankees in late May have completely vanished. 

The Yankees lead in the AL East has disappeared and because of the team’s hideous play within the division, they now find themselves chasing the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Sure, at the moment the Yankees are the top Wild Card team in the American League, but they are also only 2 games away from being out of a playoff spot altogether. 

The road to just qualifying for the postseason became far more challenging. 

On Saturday, the Yankees announced that Aaron Judge would be placed on the 10 day Injured List with a flexor strain in his elbow. 

The news of a flexor strain actually is a positive for Judge considering most of Yankees twitter imagined the worst case scenario of season ending Tommy John surgery. 

However, the Yankees are nowhere close to being out of the woods with their MVP. 

One, there is no guarantee the elbow won’t flare up again. Two, the Yankees will now have a major lineup conundrum if Judge has to return as the team’s DH. 

If Judge is your DH, what about the role of slugger Giancarlo Stanton. 

It’s nowhere close to an ideal situation. 

Now, when it comes to the Yankees handling the trade deadline, the choice remains simple. 

You still add to the 2025 team. The American League is wide open. The baseball playoffs have become more of a crap shoot than ever. 

You don’t punt any year that Aaron Judge is on your baseball team. 

The Yankees have already added Ryan McMahon and Ahmed Rosario to help at 3rd base, but if the pitching can be properly addressed, the team should be in the postseason tournament. 

Do I love the team? Of course not. 

Are they flawed, big time. 

Do you give up on 2025, not yet, despite a very crummy vibe at the moment… We’re about to find out…