Yankees updated lineup after Aaron Judge returns

Aaron Judge is officially returning to the New York Yankees and their potential lineup for next season is already looking stacked.

After publicly flirting with the Giants in free agency and considering all his options, Aaron Judge has reportedly agreed to return to the New York Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million contract. The deal, coming on the heels of his record-breaking 62-home-run season, should help secure his legacy as one of the most productive and beloved Yankees of all time.

Judge’s return also locks in another enormous bat in what should be a stacked lineup. Last season, the NYY offense led MLB in home runs, and were top-five in runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Right now, they could the biggest pieces from last year’s lineup, along with young phenoms Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe potentially ready to take over in the infield.

What could the New York Yankees lineup look like around Aaron Judge next season?

1. Andrew Benintendi — LF
2. DJ LeMahieu — 3B
3. Aaron Judge — RF
4. Anthony Rizzo — 1B
5. Giancarlo Stanton — DH
6. Anthony Volpe — 2B
7. Harrison Bader — CF
8. Jose Trevino — C
9. Oswald Peraza — SS

This kind of dream lineup relies on the Yankees re-signing Andrew Benintendi and trading Gleyber Torres and Josh Donaldson for some pitching help. It’s a slightly different look than last year, with the two highly touted young players (Volpe and Peraza) stepping into big roles. But even if they can’t unload both Donaldson and Torres, the Yankees lineup is deep with all sorts of possible permutations.

A lot can change between now and the beginning of next season as the Yankees continue to explore upgrades all over the roster. But for now, knowing Aaron Judge should be in the middle of their lineup for roughly the next decade makes the future look very rosy indeed.