The New York Yankees’ summer swoon is officially turning into a full-blown collapse.
Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays dropped the Yankees to 57-49 and 5 ½ back in the AL East. Although the Yankees still hold the AL’s top Wild Card spot, they’re only ½ a game up on Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners.
If the losing persists, one must wonder what changes will follow. The Yankees’ dreadful summer obviously isn’t two-time MVP Aaron Judge’s fault, and it’s frightening to think where Aaron Boone’s squad would be without their superstar right fielder. In fact, the Yankees are facing such a reality now after placing Judge on the injured list with an elbow injury.
Either way, Judge’s place on the Yankees is safe, as are those of ace Max Fried and, likely, shortstop Anthony Volpe. Manager Aaron Boone, however, is another story entirely — and his potential misfortune could benefit ex-ESPN colleague David Ross down the road.
We’ve reached a point where the Yankees missing the playoffs isn’t such an unrealistic premise. After a torrid start, the Yankees are 22-28 since June 1. They’ve gone 26-27 on the road and 15-18 in one-run games this season, down from 50-31 and 19-18, respectively, in 2024.
Although Boone signed an extension earlier this year, he could easily become the scapegoat come October. How could the Yankees realistically justify bringing Boone back for 2026 if the team finishes at or even below .500?
Should the Yankees hire David Ross to replace Aaron Boone?
When we last saw Ross in a big-league dugout, he was closing out an 83-79 stint for the Cubs in 2023. Ross went 262-284 over four seasons in Chicago, leading the Cubs to an NL Central title during the shortened 2020 season.
Interestingly, Boone and the Yankees approached Ross about becoming the bench coach following the 2023 season. Ross declined, though, and opted to continue looking for managerial jobs.
Ross knows the Yankees well, having spent two stints with the rival Boston Red Sox. He’d bring managerial experience and instant credibility to a Yankees organization that’s won a single pennant since the start of 2010 despite regularly fielding one of the sport’s most expensive teams. His lack of Yankees ties also makes him an intriguing candidate because he’ll have his own managerial voice, not one necessarily partly created by previous Yankees skippers Joe Torre or Joe Girardi.
Judge turned 33 in April, and the Yankees are running out of time to win a championship with their captain. There is no reason to believe the Yankees will fire Boone, nor have any credible reports suggested he’s on the hot seat.
However, the Yankees cannot pretend this season is an aberration if they do indeed miss the postseason for the second time in three years. Boone has done his best, but if the Yankees are serious about becoming champions again, they must accept that his best isn’t enough — and Ross, despite how things ended in Chicago, may be a superior option.