Losing Aaron Judge right before the playoffs is about as bad as it gets. It still doesn't mean the New York Yankees should be afraid of the Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees will enter the AL Wild Card Series without Judge after the three-time MVP suffered a moderate right calf strain. Aaron Boone confirmed Tuesday that New York is planning for its captain to be unavailable when the postseason begins.
That's a brutal loss ahead of what should be the biggest Wild Card matchup in baseball. Yankees-Red Sox. October. Yankee Stadium. What more could you want?
Either way, New York can still win this series without him, and the reason starts with a rotation capable of completely suffocating Boston's offense.
Cam Schlittler has developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and enters the final week with a 1.95 ERA. He is going to win the AL Cy Young Award. The right-hander has delivered 20 quality starts in 2026, racking up a 14-6 record in 190.2 innings. Schlittler has also seen his WAR rise to an unbelievable 7.0 for a team with a ton of star talent. That tells you a lot about how dominant he is.
We all remember what he did to Boston last year in the postseason.
Reminder that Cam Schlittler did this to the Red Sox in the playoffs.
We are one month away from this.
â Baseball (@mlbelites_) February 17, 2026
Max Fried is healthy again and just tossed seven innings of one-run baseball against Minnesota last week. Gerrit Cole brings more postseason experience than anyone else in the rotation. Then there's Carlos Rodón, who could become an extremely dangerous weapon out of the bullpen.
That's exactly how the Yankees can survive without Judge.
They don't need to score seven runs per game against Boston. If Schlittler, Fried, or Cole can dominate for six or seven innings, New York's offense might only need to manufacture three or four runs.
And let's stop pretending this lineup becomes helpless without No. 99. Ben Rice has blasted 39 home runs and has become one of baseball's premier power hitters. Cody Bellinger remains a dangerous middle-of-the-order bat. Jazz Chisholm Jr. can change games with his power and speed, while Luis GarcÃÂa Jr. has provided another important weapon since arriving in New York. Paul Goldschmidt brings veteran postseason experience.
Article Continues BelowThen come the youngsters.
Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. are preparing for their first taste of postseason baseball. Jones has enormous power, while Lombard has provided a spark since reaching the majors. Somebody unexpected becomes an October hero every year. Why not one of them?
Boston certainly isn't going to roll over. The Red Sox recovered from their miserable start and have played some of the best baseball in the American League during the second half. A massive winning streak put them in this position. This series should feel like two heavyweight fighters entering the 12th round.
But the Yankees have one massive advantage: starting pitching.
Judge's absence undoubtedly lowers New York's ceiling. There isn't another player on the roster capable of replacing one of the greatest hitters on the planet. Fortunately, they don't need someone to replace him. They need their pitching staff to make his absence survivable.
If the Yankees smash Boston and end this series in two games, it probably won't be because their offense suddenly erupts without Judge. It'll be because Boston spends two nights trying to figure out how to score against one of baseball's deepest rotations.
Two dominant starts. Two wins.
And suddenly Judge gets additional time to recover while the Yankees move one step closer to the World Series.