Days After Brutal Playoff Exit, Captain Aaron Judge Issues Bold Call For Yankees Teammates Amid Collective Season Failure

The New York Yankees are at a crossroads. Having finished a terrible 2023 season, drastic changes are in order. Hal Steinbrenner has belatedly employed a different set of eyes with a third-party analytics company. As usual, he hopes may be looking at numbers will help. If it doesn’t, Aaron Judge has some ideas.

The captain has ended his first year in the new role, which was less than successful. Judge is as hard on himself as can be, improving individual performance. But it will still take some time to learn to be a leader wielding authority and whip his club into shape. His recent comments to an MLB insider show how ready the slugger is for that responsibility.

Aaron Judge Demands a “Level of Urgency” in Improvement

A few days ago, the Yankees captain had an unusually honest talk with NJ Advance Media, where he announced his intentions to bring change to the organization. While Judge didn’t expand on what exactly he was thinking, fans can likely expect some serious measures. In a conversation with Bryan Hoch, he reiterated his belief that just getting to the majors was not the end point of an athlete’s career.

“Just because you get to the big leagues and you get to New York, you’ve still got to improve,” the slugger said. “You’ve still got to make adjustments. That’s what I think these extra four weeks will help guys figure out, and get them on the right path.” The Bronx may be one of the hardest places to play because of the passionate fanbase as they don’t accept anything less than extraordinary brilliance.

For the first time since 2016, the Yankees have an extra four weeks to prepare for the next season since their October is free. In this period, Judge wants his teammates to focus on bettering their game while the front office makes its own improvements. The slugger is also in talks with the owner, offering suggestions.

Judge Has Ideas For Hal Steinbrenner

While many have supported the analytics audit move, others have criticized the lack of old-school baseball by the Pinstripes. This week will see the management come together for a meeting in Tampa Bay, where the team’s future will be discussed. Judge, for his part, has been in conversation with Steinbrenner and approves the numbers approach.

“I think it’s just about how we use [analytics] and how we value them is an aspect that we just maybe need to look at again,” the outfielder told Hoch. “I think it’s just looking at the right numbers. I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones. We need to value some other ones that people might see as having no value.”

READ MORE – As Aaron Judge Declares The Season A ‘Big Failure’, Massive Flaws In New York Yankees Organization Come To Light After Playoff Elimination

Let’s see if the winter brings the much-needed changes in the Bronx Bombers organization. Fans will wait eagerly, even if many are afraid to hope.

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