WTF Is Wrong with the New York Yankees?

Dysfunctional and delusional: these are the two words that describes the New York Yankees perfectly. After their 17th playoff exit with them being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, the frustrations from their fans grew louder. After being swept, Derek Jeter said the following on Fox:

"We've been watching the same movie for over a decade, nothing changes. If you keep doing the same thing, you expect different results..."

Jeter, who spent all of his storied career with New York, won five World Series rings and after they lost to the Red Sox in 2004 in the ALCS, he said that the team blew it. I've always liked Derek Jeter because he was brutally honest and wasn't shy about the Yankees Postseason woes. In a recent press conference, Hal Steinbrenner announced that Aaron Boone would be returning as manager in 2027 for a 10th season and General Manager Brian Cashman for a 30th season in his role. The fan reception was mostly negative, with comments ranging from "Good grief..." and "Yankees are never touching jewelry again." The Yankees haven't won a World Series title since 2009, and Boone has yet to win one since becoming manager in 2018.

Let's talk about Aaron Judge and the quote that was problematic to me. After being swept by the Rays in the ALDS, he said Aaron Boone, "He's our manager. He's running the ship..." Translation: "I'll defend him no matter what happens to us." I don't believe that Aaron Judge understands why Yankees fans have been dissatisfied with this team and Boone over the last several years. That quote was not defending his manager. That's pure delusion and I didn't buy one word of what Judge was saying. He was saying that to save face and not hold Boone accountable. Judge was the same player who dropped a ball during Game 5 of the World Series in 2024. Also, he was the same guy who stole an AL MVP Award from Cal Raleigh the following year, which I've discussed in previous stories. So, Aaron Judge has no room to talk. Boone is now 0-3 in elimination games and outscored by a margin of 19-4. Also, he has a 27-30 Postseason record. Yet Judge wants his precious manager, who could do no wrong, to remain as manager. No true Captain of a team would make problematic statements like what he uttered. You can only defend a manager for so long.

I found a picture of this post on Facebook recently and this explains why fans have been so frustrated by the double standard. Joe Girardi has led the Yankees to the Postseason six times in 10 years and won a World Series title in 2009. Years later, they lost to the cheating Houston Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS. Days later, he was fired. Meanwhile, Boone has no World Series titles in the nine years he's been manager and one AL Pennant. Yet, he still has a job. That makes absolutely no sense. The Yankees bring nothing but excuses every season and are mediocre. Aaron Boone's quote after being swept by Tampa Bay infuriated me. He stated, "We had a great year. We battled. I loved the fight." Battled? I beg your pardon? Your team scored three runs in two home games during the Postseason and had four errors. That's not battling, sir. Your god-awful team laid an egg in the Postseason. Boone will never bench any of his players for any mistakes they make or for not hustling. Not even Aaron Judge. He wouldn't have the balls to do it. He's one of those kinds of people who are afraid to say no to anyone.

Aaron Boone is too much of a people pleaser and acts like a best friend to his players. He's too soft, no backbone, and lacks the guts to be tougher on them. Managers like Joe Torre, Bruce Bochy, and Billy Martin benched their players for the reasons I just mentioned in the previous paragraph. That's tough love, not meanness. Even players hold other players accountable for their mistakes on the field. The reason why the Yankees were successful in the 2000s and earlier because they were winners and cared about winning. Yankees fans want a real manager, and I mean by that is someone who is tougher on players who make mistakes and hold them accountable. A manager who actually gives a damn about winning and losing was unacceptable. A manager is supposed to offer tough love when necessary and not a best friend. I'm not saying that a manager needs to yell at players to be hard on them. He can make his points to a player clear and bench him, if necessary, without raising his voice.

Who Is Aaron Boone?

He was born in March 1973 in La Mesa, California. Boone was selected in the third round of the 1994 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and made his big-league debut in June 1997. He played for six different teams in 12 seasons until 2009. Boone did some broadcasting work for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball from 2010 to 2017. In December 2017, he was named as the next Yankees manager, replacing Joe Girardi, despite not having any managerial experience. The nine-year manager is now 53 years old as of 2026.

Michael Kay of the YES Network stated that Aaron Boone has one more opportunity to win a World Series title in 2027, or he will be let go. They had a chance to win it all in 2024 but failed. The window of that happening is about to close. Girardi won a championship in year two and so did Joe Torre. As long as Aaron Boone continues to be these player's best friend and refuse to bench them for mistakes they've made, I don't see them being World Series bound in 2027. Aaron Judge gets the major side-eye for the problematic statements he made after being eliminated from the ALDS. Also, the entire Yankees front office needs to have a stadium full of seats for all of this foolishness. A real Captain of a team don't make statements like that. They're supposed to be a real leader and hold players accountable. There's too much coddling of Boone, Judge, and the players. Yankees fans deserve a lot better than mediocre and lackluster on-field performances. They never hid their cries of disappointments, and the anger is only going to get even louder. They may have 27 World Series titles, but the consistency is still missing. If Aaron Boone hypothetically finally wins the big one, he'll no longer be at my mercy and I'll give him praise. For now, 2027 is a make-or-break year for him. So, he has to grow a spine and actually be a manager, not act buddy buddy towards his players.