This past weekend saw the New York Yankees get swept by the Boston Red Sox, a brutal turn of events that quickly shifted fan discourse from trolling Juan Soto’s Mets tenure to dissecting the glaring holes in the Yankees’ own starting lineup.
Outscored 8-4 across the three-game series, the Yankees' offense looked unequivocally flat — scoring runs too late, botching routine base-running situations and looking more like a Little League World Series team than the supposed juggernaut of the American League. To add insult to injury, Boston dealt Rafael Devers just hours after the final out on Sunday, giving Yankees fans one final taste of their longtime tormentor.
Sure, the pitching wasn’t flawless. The bats went quiet. But blaming the whole team doesn’t do justice to the individuals who underperformed — especially when it mattered most. Let’s look at the three Yankees most responsible for the embarrassment in Boston.
3. Ben Rice
Ben Rice’s dip in form has been one of the more frustrating developments in the Yankees lineup. Once a promising presence, his average plummeted from .250 on June 1st to .227 by Sunday afternoon. Slotted in as the temporary DH with Giancarlo Stanton still rehabbing, Rice went 1-for-11 across the series — his only hit coming in the third inning of Sunday’s finale.
But it was his lack of discipline on the basepaths that sealed his spot on this list. After reaching second base in the third inning of Sunday’s game, Rice was thrown out trying to steal third, killing a potential rally with runners on and Jazz Chisholm at the plate. That kind of mental lapse in a 1-0 ballgame is unacceptable, especially for a player trying to prove his staying power.
With Stanton nearing a return, manager Aaron Boone may opt to reshuffle Rice's role, possibly transitioning him to first base over Paul Goldschmidt. But until Rice shows more at the plate — and better instincts on the bases — that idea feels far-fetched.
2. Aaron Boone
It’s tough to single out another player here, so Boone earns the No. 2 spot for his questionable managing across the series. Despite having arguably his three best pitchers on the mound, it was his in-game decisions — or lack thereof — that helped Boston complete the sweep.
Here’s a rundown of some key miscues:
Benching Austin Wells on Sunday after a solid 1-for-4 performance Saturday in which he drove in a late-inning run and nearly hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth.
In Friday’s extra-inning loss, he sent Anthony Volpe, the ghost runner, to third — only for him to get thrown out, deflating the inning and erasing a prime scoring chance.
In that same game, Boone was ejected after arguing a foul ball call on a DJ LeMahieu hit that looked fair. The Yankees lost that game shortly after.
Boone’s been steady for much of the regular season, but in high-leverage situations, he failed to make game-winning adjustments. After the series, he deflected blame, credited the Red Sox and pivoted focus to the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels — all while leaving fans without real answers.
1. Aaron Judge
It feels strange to criticize Aaron Judge, especially in a season where he’s been nothing short of an MVP candidate. But this was not his weekend.
Judge opened the series on a high note, cranking a solo home run over the Green Monster in the ninth inning Friday to tie the game 1-1. It should’ve been a momentum shift — instead, it was the only hit he’d record.
Across the three games, Judge went 1-for-12 with nine strikeouts, dropping his average from .390 to .378. With runners on base, he repeatedly failed to deliver:
- Struck out swinging with Trent Grisham on first Saturday night.
- Struck out again in the first inning Sunday with two men on.
- Grounded into a double play in the eighth inning with runners on first and second.
Nobody’s questioning Judge’s greatness — his body of work speaks for itself. But when the Yankees needed their captain the most, he simply didn’t show up.