Yankees: Ah, excuse me, but there’s more to this team than The Judge

The Yankees, wherever they go now, find themselves in the media blitz surrounding The Judge. That’s a shame, because if anything the Yankees have shown what a true team effort can accomplish.

The Yankees are taking their show to Chicago this weekend. And while there’s quite a buzz about the Yankees wherever they go these days, and rightly so, there’s an even bigger buzz surrounding their six foot seven 280 lb hulk in right field, Aaron Judge.

And not to take anything away from Judge, who is off to a phenomenal start to the 2017 season that includes a .330 batting average, 13 home runs, and 27 RBI, there’s a bunch of guys on this team who deserve at least an honorable mention in the conversation that is going on.

Apparently, Giancarlo Stanton knows what I’m talking about indicating in this Tweet that he’s tired of being peppered with questions about Judge too:

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Giancarlo Stanton is tired of being asked about Aaron Judge. “No questions on our team?” he said. “Nothing about anything that matters?”

Home runs are the lifeblood of baseball. They’re what every fan goes to the ballpark to see. And without the home run, it’s not likely that the Yankees would have won the game against the Cubs yesterday, if not for that one swing of the bat that landed the ball in the right field seats by Brett Gardner.

Stuff Nobody Cares About

But at the same time, there are other Yankees who are contributing in less spectacular ways and therefore, are not getting the respect that is due them. Starlin Castro, did you know, is presently leading the majors in singles with 29. He also places in top ten in batting average (.367) and has an On-Base Percentage of .415.

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Matt Holliday, while hitting only .266, has 18 runs batted in and a .385 OBP. Aaron Hicks, perhaps the most underrated player on the Yankees this season, carries a .316 average and a remarkable .444 OBP to go with his 12 RBI and five home runs.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, and Chase Headley have combined to give the Yankees a whole new dimension to their offense with 16 stolen bases between them.

The Yankees regular outfield of Gardner, Ellsbury, and Judge have made only one error (charged to Judge) this season. And Judge has thrown out two baserunners who challenged his rifle arm. Castro, who has played 240 innings to lead the team, has made only two errors.

Among the relievers, Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, and Adam Warren, all of whom have ERA’s under 1.00 and Chapman has reeled off seven saves in seven opportunities.

All of this and the best is yet to come from Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird, both of whom have much to prove as the season moves forward.

And we haven’t even mentioned the man sitting in the dugout, Joe Girardi, who’s pulling strings quietly as he did last night when he sent Ellsbury up to pinch-hit following Headley’s single, drawing a hard-fought walk to set the stage for Gardner.

It’s All About The Intangibles

When Brett Gardner circled the bases yesterday afternoon, it is being said that he was “drooling” with excitement. Arriving home, he could be heard shouting and repeating, “That’s what I’m F—-G talkin’ about!”

Yes, this team is about more than the 40 or more home runs that lead the league.

The Yankees are playing the game with a swagger again that is sure to ignite their haters across America as well as their opponents. They sneak up on you and strike with a vengeance that is designed to kill you quietly, but decisively.

Yankees: Aaron Judge Meet Jason Zillo, Your New Guardian Angel

For the Yankees, Aaron Judge ironically presents the team with a huge problem. The task of solving it falls to Jason Zillo, Judge's new Guardian Angel.

Aaron Judge will continue to get all the media attention he deserves as the team travels in and around the country. But Yankees fans know that there’s a whole lot more to this team than the young phenom who plays right field and smashes TV screens during batting practice.