5 most important Yankees for the home stretch of the regular season
Aaron Judge of the Yankees looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 4. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Yankees departed for the West Coast on Aug. 30 on a roll, having taken three of four games from the Red Sox and feeling good about their chances to catch the Rays in the AL East.
A 16-1 victory over Boston in the finale of the four-game series gave the Yankees 10 wins in their previous 14 games, solidifying their standing as the league’s top wild card team and had them within shouting distance (4 1/2 games) of the Rays, against whom the Yankees have a four-game series at the Stadium Sept. 22-24.
The Yankees, while avoiding an outright flop, nonetheless did not have a trip resulting in the thought that their chances of catching the Rays are particularly high. They went 3-3 against the Angels and Padres, that .500 record leaving them four games back of the Rays and just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox for the AL’s No. 1 wild card spot. They would have homefield advantage for what increasingly looks like an assured matchup against their rival in the opening round (and that lead really amounts to 3½ games as the Yankees took the season series over Boston 7-6).
Still, with the four-game set against Tampa Bay – Sept. 22 is a doubleheader – looming, the division title isn’t mathematically out of reach and, with 19 games to go, there remains plenty on the table for the Yankees. With that in mind, here are five of the most important Yankees as the regular season hits the home stretch:
Aaron Judge
This is an obvious one, of course, and the three-time AL MVP, who hasn’t played since May 31 because of a fractured rib, could return as soon as Tuesday when the Yankees play the Rockies. Judge is slated to take live batting practice Monday at the Stadium and, with that being his first time facing live pitching during his rehab, the captain likely will want to do that multiple times before coming back. Still, his return is all but certain to occur at some point during this homestand (and, ultimately, Judge will decide how many looks at live pitching he needs). Over the years whenever he’s been asked about Judge’s impact, manager Aaron Boone typically smiles and starts his answer with: “Well, he’s Aaron Judge.” That about covers it.
Luis Garcia Jr.
The combination of Judge’s rib taking time to heal and the continued setbacks with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton and his calf made acquiring a bat the top priority of general manager Brian Cashman before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The 26-year-old Garcia arrived in The Bronx from the Nationals with the reputation of elite bat-to-ball skills and has shown it, hitting .288 with five homers and an .811 OPS in 29 games with the Yankees. Those numbers could get even better with Judge returning, and a healthy Judge suddenly gives the Yankees three potent middle-of-the order bats in Ben Rice, Judge and Garcia.
Spencer Jones
The 25-year-old, among the more hyped Yankees prospects of the last 15 years, began this season in the minors, his ability to get even sporadic time in the big leagues very much in question. As the regular season draws to a close, Jones finds himself in the position of being able to put a hammerlock on the starting job in center for, at the very least, the start of the 2027 season. Jones already had been playing well in what is his third stint in the majors in 2026 and, after the hamstring injury to Trent Grisham that could cost him the rest of the regular season, is now the starting centerfielder until further notice. The lefty-swinging Jones, who spent much of his minor league career striking out 35-40% of the time, has improved in that area and is holding his own against left-handed pitching as well.
Cam Schlittler
The 25-year-old righty, at 12-6 with a 2.04 ERA in 29 starts, enters the season’s final three weeks as the AL favorite to win the Cy Young and, respective career resumes aside, should get the ball over Gerrit Cole for the first game of whatever playoff series the Yankees find themselves in. One thing to watch: Schlittler, who threw 73 innings in 14 starts last season after his promotion to the big leagues, is at 171 2/3 innings (which ranks him second in the AL), that total blowing away his previous single-season career high of 120 2/3 innings he threw between Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2024.
Brent Headrick
Though the reliever entered spring training with little fanfare — both from the media and the fanbase — the Yankees were quietly confident they had something in the lefthander, who was mostly effective in limited action in 2025, posting a 3.13 ERA in 17 games. After a standout spring, Headrick has arguably been the bullpen’s MVP, appearing unhittable at times in posting a 1.89 ERA. A cautionary note: Headrick has a team-high 72 appearances (Tim Hill and the injured Fernando Cruz are next with 61), so it would behoove the Yankees for October to limit the 28-year-old’s appearances down the stretch when they can.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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