It is not a particularly complex argument to say that the loss of Aaron Judge has had a significant affect on the Yankees following his injury at the end of May. This would be the case for any squad missing out on a bat that can reasonably be included in conversations with Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth. The extent of the impact, however, is also difficult to overstate.
Up until Judge’s rib injury, through the month of May, the Yankees had the second-best team wRC+ in the Majors, trailing only the Dodgers by a negligible margin. Since he has been on the shelf, however, they have completely flipped, managing the second-worst team mark (29th) since the calendar turned to June. The impact is enormous, and it can clearly be seen as the Yankees head down the stretch in 2026.
A position that, for much of the season, helped to carry the load, was first base, as Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt were both having excellent seasons. The Yankees also bolstered that spot and the lineup with the addition of Luis Garcia Jr. Unfortunately, the production and power from Rice and Goldy has fallen off a cliff over the last month or so, and the trade for Garcia has yet to pay dividends. At a position where production and thump with the bat are near vital, and for a team that is in desperate need of any offense, the Yankees simply haven’t gotten it of late.
Up until around the All-Star break, Rice was playing at a near-MVP level, carrying plenty of weight in the post-Judge-injury lineup, posting a 167 wRC+ with loads of pop. Since July 28th, however, the All-Star has hit a wall, posting just a 38 wRC+ since then, reaching base at a paltry .237 clip and tallying just four extra-base hits in 76 plate appearances.
Similarly, Paul Goldschmidt was enjoying a major renaissance, posting a 153 wRC+ and already surpassing his 2025 homer total with 14 in his first 224 plate appearances. But, since June 26th, Goldy has fallen into the same trap as Rice, crushingly doing so at the same time as his counterpart. Since then, in 113 plate appearances, the veteran is slashing a tough-to-stomach .144/.212/.221. The extra-base hits have been few and far between for Goldy as well, as the absences of Judge, along with Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, loom large in a lineup currently starving for some pop. For Rice and Goldschmidt, the simultaneous struggles in the late summer have been a slog on the lineup as a whole.
The questions at first base don’t just stop there either, as the acquisition of Luis García Jr. was meant to bolster the lineup as a whole, and provide another impact bat at first base. Although he’s only played 11 games, the former National hasn’t been himself, slugging just .381 with the Yankees after leading the NL prior to the trade. While it wouldn’t be fair to attribute much blame to him for the current state of the lineup, his slow start only adds to the uncertainty at a position the Bombers should be able to count on.
The situation has not been a problem for long, which perhaps provides some hope. Overall, the Yankees first basemen have a 128 wRC+ this year, which is eighth-best in the league. But, since May 1st, they have the eighth-worst figure as a unit, then the fifth-worst since June 1st, and the second-worst since August 1st. It is a situation that has worsened over time, the cause and effect of which are not hard to see.
Without Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton in the lineup, there is new pressure on the 27-year-old Ben Rice, and plenty of it. Likely pressing as the primary offensive contributor in this lineup, the weight is clearly taking a toll in this recent stretch. If García and Goldschmidt can begin to regain what they had earlier in the season, there’s a fair chance it helps to improve things on many fronts in this lineup.
Rice is also coming off of one of his biggest hits of the year, an extra-innings homer in Toronto that powered New York to a win. While it’s just one moment, big ones have a habit of causing change from time to time, and the Yankees have to hope that’s the case with Rice.
With Bellinger and maybe Judge closer to a return, the Yankees have reinforcements on the horizon. Until then, and realistically as they progress into the postseason, production from their guys at first base will be vital. We have seen plenty of it before in 2026, and the Yankees just have to hope they see more of it.