AJ Pierzynski isn’t worried about the Yankees so much as he’s focused on the wider AL landscape. With New York 36-24 and Aaron Judge listed day to day due to a ribcage bruise, Pierzynski pointed to the American League’s overall weakness and insisted the Yankee
When Aaron Judge is sidelined—or even just limited—the whole rhythm of a New York Yankees season feels like it slows down with him. The Yankees are trying to weather that possibility right now. sitting at 36-24 after a recent loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Judge is listed as day to day due to a bruise to his ribcage area. a status that puts the team in a careful waiting game.
For AJ Pierzynski, though, the picture isn’t as bleak. The former MLB pitcher didn’t sound overly alarmed about how this plays out for New York, even with Judge’s availability uncertain.
“The Yankees are in a good spot because the AL is not very good. You have the Rays and them, and then the rest of the AL is kind of (bad)… the Mariners are hot now, but they still have room to play with here,” Pierzynski said.
That comment lands in a tense moment for the Yankees, but it also points to what Pierzynski believes matters most: not just how New York has been swinging between good stretches and rough ones, but how the division looks around them.
The American League has been clearly the weaker of MLB’s two leagues this season. and that reality fits Pierzynski’s logic. In the current standings. there are three teams in the National League with more wins than the Yankees. and the Tampa Bay Rays are tied for the most wins in the AL at 36. The Yankees are at 36-24. sitting in striking distance of the top. even while they try to manage the short-term impact of Judge’s ribcage bruise.
Judge. for his part. has been doing the kind of work that makes a day-to-day listing feel heavier than it should. He has been playing at a borderline MVP level for the Yankees this season. and New York would obviously like him back sooner rather than later—especially as teams like the Mariners begin to generate momentum.
With the Yankees set to take the field again on Wednesday evening at 7:05 pm ET from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. the next step is immediate: another game against the Cleveland Guardians. The question in New York will be whether Judge can move closer to full speed. or whether the Yankees continue to find a way to hold down the fort without their main force in the lineup.
AJ Pierzynski New York Yankees Aaron Judge ribcage bruise day to day Cleveland Guardians AL standings Tampa Bay Rays Mariners