Getty Image / Harry How
The New York Yankees are just one loss away from an embarrassing World Series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Aaron Boone is looking for anything to try to spark the team towards getting to a Game 5.
Many Yankee fans have been wanting changes to the line for a few games now, as the offense has sputtered. Aaron Boone did indeed change the lineup, but not how many fans wanted him to.
The biggest storyline during this World Series on the Yankees side has to be the struggles of Aaron Judge. Widely considered the best hitter in baseball, he’s been terrible for the Bronx Bombers.
The playoff struggles are nothing new for Aaron Judge, who is now hitting below .200 for his career in the playoffs. It’s been a rough playoffs for Judge since the beginning. He’s a miserable 6/43 with just three extra base hits, two of them home runs, in the playoffs this year. In this series, he’s 1-12 with a single, a walk, and seven strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton has been tearing the cover off the ball all postseason. Only Babe Ruth has hit home runs at a higher rate than Stanton in career postseason history. Stanton is hitting nearly .300 with a slugging percentage up over .700 and has socked six homers this postseason. It’s not like he’s cooled off in the World Series, as he’s slashing .308/.308/.615.
The Yankees will face a bullpen game tonight from the Dodgers, so it makes some sense to make sure the lineup alternates righties and lefties as much as possible. Aaron Boone did that, but he did that by moving Giancarlo Stanton down in the lineup and keeping Aaron Judge in the third spot in the batting order.
Game 4 on deck. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/Eil17AnMze
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 29, 2024
Make it make sense, Aaron Boone! Stanton has been the team’s best hitter and needs to be at the plate as much as possible. Yankees fans are not happy.
If I wasn't so sure the season will end on a Verdugo ground out to second, I would say it will end with Stanton on deck after being needlessly moved down to fifth. Congrats on doing exactly what the Dodgers wanted you to do. May this be Boone's final lineup as Yankees manager. https://t.co/lzLRKQLssF
— River Ave. Blues (@RiverAveBlues) October 29, 2024
Out of all the lineup changes Boone could’ve made, never in a million years did I think moving Stanton DOWN would be the one he pulls the trigger on. I’ve always known Boone was a total moron, but this decision is absolutely baffling even for his standards https://t.co/yzy9HwL65r
— Gill (@RJGill20) October 29, 2024
How do you DROP Stanton to the fifth spot but leave Judge 3rd!? You good, Boone? https://t.co/glj0Eu5oTa
— Steve Buchanan (@SBuchanan24) October 29, 2024
Aaron Boone is on pace to be less popular than he was before the Yankees won their first Pennant in fifteen years. That’s hard to do.