The Tampa Bay Rays swept the New York Yankees in three games to advance from the AL Division Series. Yankees captain Aaron Judge, meanwhile, missed all five of the team’s postseason games after being sidelined with a calf injury. Yet after the team’s elimination, the captain held the front office responsible. However, his remarks backfired as an analyst demanded more accountability from Judge.

“It’s about time somebody held Aaron Judge accountable,” said Sal Licata on @Honda SportsNite, per SNY Yankees.
“I mean, this is the second straight year that Judge threw his manager under the bus. He did it at the end of last year, and obviously this year in the postseason for a ridiculous reason….And then he goes after the organization.”

The Yankees survived a major part of the regular season without Aaron Judge. The captain fractured his first right rib and missed 84 games since early June. Following his return in September, Judge again landed on the IL due to a Grade 2 calf strain.

The latter injury kept Judge off the postseason roster. The decision did not sit well with him. He butted heads with skipper Aaron Boone, publicly expressing his desire to play in the postseason. But Boone picked a healthy roster over him, sidelining Judge.

It was not a problem in the AL Wild Card Series, as the Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox. However, it was an entirely different ballgame against the Tampa Bay Rays. In Game 1, the Yankees struggled offensively and were shut out 1-0. In Game 2, Freddy Peralta dominated the Yankees lineup as New York lost 5-2. Game 3 was riddled with defensive miscues, and Anthony Volpe’s potential game-changing homer was nullified due to fan interference.

As the Yankees dismantled both defensively and offensively, Judge could only watch from the dugout. However, he could have hit a home run or two if he had been healthy and in the lineup. Judge’s health matters because during the brief 7-game return he made in September, Judge hit only .174. With Grade 2 calf strains taking 4-to-6 weeks to heal, Boone’s decision was not unfounded. Judge may not have liked it like last year, but the manager was not in the wrong.

After the Yankees exited the postseason, Aaron Judge then turned his attention to the front office. Despite having the 3rd highest payroll in MLB, the Yankees’ captain wanted the front office to go “all-in” in the offseason. “We’re the Yankees,” Judge reportedly said. “I feel like they should go all in and do what they need to do and find. If we’ve got holes, if it’s finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you’ve got to go out there and get it.”

Apart from disagreeing with Boone’s decision not to play him, Judge has not lost his faith in the manager. However, recent reports claim that the Yankees brass are not pleased with Judge’s observation.

Insider Jon Heyman wrote, “Sources say one or two Yankees [bigwigs] were slightly to somewhat annoyed that captain/three-time MVP Judge suggested the $320M Yankees could spend more after they were swept by the Rays in the division series. Yankees higher-ups will get over it because Judge has a great rapport with them. But they were said to be taken aback.” While Aaron Judge was concerned about the front office’s approach in the offseason, some analysts have questioned his ability to stay healthy during the regular season.

“I think health continues to haunt this team. I really do,” Joe Girardi reportedly observed. In 2026, the Yankees were missing two key players in the lineup due to injuries: Giancarlo Stanton and Judge. Calf strains hampered Stanton throughout the season. After missing most of the regular season, Stanton appeared in 2 games against the Rays and failed to make an impact.

Whereas the Yankees’ captain remained out of the lineup the entire postseason. At 34, Judge’s good years at the plate might be limited, and Licata wants the Yankees’ captain to take responsibility for the team.