Yankees' ideal lineups with Aaron Judge vs. righties, lefties can't take any chances

In my town, Labor Day is a big deal, complete with a parade, festival, and nighttime fireworks display. While the New York Yankees took Labor Day off this year, they still provided us with some fireworks, announcing the return of Aaron Judge to the lineup.

After going 3-3 on their West Coast swing, the Yankees return to the Bronx with Judge in the lineup for a matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, Sept. 8. It will be the first time that the three-time AL MVP has suited up since May 31.

Even with a "slow start" to the season, Judge still produced a .907 OPS before going down with a rib injury. Injecting his bat into a lineup that has largely struggled to score runs is a big deal, especially considering that the new additions of Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos have made it deeper and more talented than the group Judge left behind.

Don't forget that over the season's first two months, with the eight-time All-Star in tow, New York's lineup was one of the most fearsome in the game. The club ranked first in homers, fourth in runs scored, and second in OPS through May 31.

Now, the task will be constructing the proper batting order to take full advantage and bring that sort of offensive powerhouse back to life to complement the dominant pitching staff and make a deep October run. Pardon us for getting excited.

This is the Yankees' ideal lineup versus right-handed pitching with Aaron Judge back in the fold

In an ideal world, you'd like to slot Judge in the second spot in the order, but there's a problem. Regardless of who is on the mound, the Yankees roster is heavily left-handed, so at this point it becomes critical to balance the righties and lefties as much as possible to avoid being overly susceptible to bullpen moves later on.

This is the best way to maximize the firepower Aaron Boone has at his disposal. Ben Rice is still hanging around the periphery of the AL MVP race, and even though he had a rough August (posting a .641 OPS), he's rebounded so far in September with a .429/.500/.571 line in the early going.

Another key development has been the turnaround Austin Wells has made since the last time Judge was active. Wells has posted a .743 OPS since the All-Star Break, and added some much-needed length to the lineup by no longer being an automatic out.

Finally, a lot of pressure will be placed on the shoulders of New York's up-and-coming youngsters. Spencer Jones gets the start in center now by default because of Trent Grisham's hamstring injury, but even when Grisham is fully healthy, that trend should continue. Not only is Jones at least capable of matching Grisham's production at the plate (if not exceeding it), but the 25-year-old is also significantly better in the field and on the bases.

As for George Lombard Jr., he's going to feel a lot of the weight by virtue of being the only other right-handed bat in the lineup apart from Judge. The 21-year-old has cooled substantially after his initial burst, and the Yankees will need him to bounce back in order to truly balance the lineup.

Here's the Yankees' ideal lineup against lefties now that Aaron Judge is back in action

There are a few big changes here, some of which might need tweaking depending on individual player performance. Cody Bellinger moves to center field, and the Yankees benefit greatly from his prowess against same-handed pitching. While not as dynamic as last season, Bellinger has a .752 OPS against southpaws this year, and an .800 mark against them for his career.

Heliot Ramos takes over in left field. He got off to a brutal start as a Yankee and has yet to fully rebound. If there's a silver lining, it's the fact that New York's injury situation forced him into a lot of situations against right-handed pitching, where he struggles. He still has an .828 OPS against lefties this year, so there's hope that a more specialized role gets him going.

If not, Spencer Jones should replace him. The rookie is hitting .415/.478/.707 against left-handed pitching this season, though those eye-popping numbers have come in just 46 plate appearances. At minimum, he'd improve the outfield defense over Ramos, but the former San Francisco Giant's track record should have him getting the first shot in these situations.

Paul Goldschmidt still puts up MVP-type numbers when his action is limited to facing lefties. With the platoon advantage, the 38-year-old is hitting .315/.409/.603 with 11 homers over 171 plate appearances.

Third base is where things get dicey. Amed Rosario hasn't done his sole job mashing lefties this season. The problem is that Jose Caballero doesn't hit lefties, either, posting a .638 OPS against them. Unfortunately, Ryan McMahon is even more unplayable with a .527 OPS against same-handed pitchers, so we'll roll with Rosario and his defensive warts, hoping his bat gets back on track.

Finally, Austin Wells should get the bulk of the starts over Ali Sanchez. Either way, you're pretty much punting on offense, but Wells is a vastly superior defender when compared to the erratic Sanchez.

All in all, the Yankees have some impressive firepower against lefties despite the plethora of left-handed bats. Their left-handed stars handle southpaws well for the most part, and they have platoon options to cover the rest of the roster that struggles in these situations.

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