Boone's Extension Will Waste Judge's Career

It’s my opinion of course, but it’s a solid take. 

Listen, it’s almost too easy to rip on Aaron “No Championships” Boone right now. The guy has turned managing the Yankees into a masterclass on how to waste elite talent. Extending his contract? That’s like renewing the lease on a sinking ship. The more I think about it, the sadder it gets—especially for players like Aaron Judge, who’s built like a Greek god with a bat but might never see a World Series under Captain Mediocrity’s leadership. Maybe he should have gone to the Giants.

Maybe you think I’m being dramatic. But take a look at poor Mike Trout over with the Angels. Sure, the Angels aren’t exactly swimming in talent like the Yankees, but Trout is a generational player, stuck on a team that treats October baseball like it’s a myth. Year after year, he’s left competing for participation trophies instead of championships. It’s tragic.

And here’s where it gets scary—Judge could be heading down that same road. He doesn’t have time to wait around while Boone plays his favorite game: “What’s the Worst Decision I Could Make Today?” Boone’s regular-season record of 603-429 over seven seasons might look shiny, but what’s it worth? Are we here to beef up Boone’s résumé, or are we trying to win a World Series? Because I’m pretty sure the point of baseball isn’t to finish every season with a polite golf clap.

It’s wild to me that Judge keeps backing this guy. Is Judge too nice to tell the front office, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t be managed by a guy whose postseason strategy is ‘Close my eyes and hope for the best’”? As Call to the Pen perfectly put it: “The issue, of course, remains that his managerial playoff record stands at 22-23 with just the one World Series loss to show for the team’s six playoff appearances.” 

Boone in the playoffs is like a fish on a bicycle—completely out of place.

And yet, no one seems to be talking about this. No one but us at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Everyone else is acting like this is normal. Like it’s totally fine to watch guys like Judge, Volpe, and Cole give everything they’ve got while Boone stares at the dugout ceiling blowing bubbles, probably wondering if he left the oven on.

What are we doing here? Are we committed to being the team that always “gets close” but never seals the deal? Because if so, mission accomplished. This isn’t leadership—it’s complacency, and I’ve never seen anything like it. I genuinely feel bad for these players. Being “good” isn’t the point of Major League Baseball. Winning it all is. And under Boone, the only ring they’ll be seeing is the one at the door when the offseason hits early.