As the New York Yankees find themselves virtually eliminated from postseason contention, their attention has shifted toward nurturing their younger talents, such as Jasson Dominguez, during the remaining weeks of the season. Notably, these emerging prospects are leaving a strong impression on the team’s biggest star, Aaron Judge.

Between 2013 and 2016, the Yankees managed to secure a postseason spot just once, and their playoff journey was cut short with a loss in the American League Wild Card Game in 2015. During this period, iconic figures like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter retired, ushering in a new era. In the later years of this transitional phase (2013-2016), the Yankees introduced a cadre of young players into the mix. Aaron Judge led this group, which also featured talents like Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andújar, and Luis Severino, with Gleyber Torres making his debut in 2018.

“Man, I think they’re better,” an elated Aaron Judge told. “We had some good guys coming up there in ‘16 and ‘17. This group, they’re impressive with their demeanor. The way they carry themselves on the field, I feel like they’ve been here all year.”

Currently, some of these “Baby Bombers” have moved on to other teams, and each of them has faced their unique challenges, including Aaron Judge. However, from 2017 to 2022, the Yankees experienced a resurgence, clinching playoff berths every year, securing two American League East titles, and amassing a couple of 100-plus win seasons. Although this core hasn’t delivered a championship to the Bronx, their track record reflects considerable success.

“With all these guys,” manager Aaron Boone said, “we’re going to see bumps and growing pains along the way. But to come into here against a really good team in a great environment and have them handle themselves the way they have is really encouraging.”

Surprisingly, despite these achievements, Aaron Judge views the current crop of young talent in New York’s ranks more favorably than the earlier group.

Aaron Judge believes that the current group of young players is better than the one that came up in ‘16 and ‘17. He mentioned that their demeanor and the way they carry themselves on the field are impressive, making it seem like they’ve been part of the team all year.

This news will surely bring joy to Yankees fans. In addition to the team’s disappointing performance in 2023, it’s worth noting that this underperformance has been linked to an aging core of players. This not only casts a shadow over the current season but also dampens optimism for the team’s future. However, this development provides both the team and its fan base with a renewed sense of excitement for what lies ahead in 2024 and beyond. Aaron Judge seems to be positive about the next season thanks to these young talents.

“They had traffic out there all game long, early in the game and late in the game,” Aaron Judge said. “The guys were working great at-bats, fouling off tough pitches and kind of passing the baton. It was impressive to see from such a young group that has a couple games in the big leagues.”

Yankees youngsters impress everyone

On Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, it seemed that every time you glanced at the field, a Yankees rookie was making a significant impact against the Astros, their longtime rivals.

Five rookies started, and six played in an entertaining 5-4 Yankees victory. Jasson Dominguez, who homered in his MLB debut’s first inning, continued to impress with a hit and a run. Austin Wells, who had just made his debut the previous night, was back behind the plate, contributing with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to record his first RBI. Following him, Everson Pereira delivered a tie-breaking single.

Oswald Peraza, who had been struggling with an 0-for-18 slump, broke the drought with a three-hit game that included an RBI single. Anthony Volpe reached base three times and displayed his defensive prowess with an outstanding play in the shortstop position, reminiscent of Derek Jeter’s iconic jump throw to first.

Jhonny Brito replaced starting pitcher Luis Severino in the fifth inning with the Yankees leading by a run and proceeded to pitch 3 2/3 shutout innings, earning the win.

On Sunday, the Yankees young guns scripted another victory that helped them sweep the series ending a 13-year drought.

A two-run homer by rookie Jasson Dominguez in the sixth inning turned the tide for the New York Yankees in Houston. Rookie talents Austin Wells and Oswald Peraza later contributed with RBI doubles in the ninth inning.

This trio of rookie sensations collectively contributed a home run, two doubles, and four RBIs in the game. Over the three-game series, they tallied an impressive nine RBIs while outscoring the Astros 17-7, marking their sixth win in the last seven games. Starter Michael King praised Austin Wells for his performance and adaptability, especially considering that it was their first time working together. King commended Wells for his excellent game plan and ability to adjust on the fly, emphasizing his strong communication skills.

Jasson Dominguez-class vs. Aaron Judge-Class

In the early part of the 2016 season, Sanchez briefly appeared in one game before securing a permanent spot on August 3, right after the Yankees had an unusual mid-season roster overhaul.

Prior to this year, the last time the Yankees had given up on a season was in 2016. In a manner similar to the current situation, the ’16 Yankees decided to revamp their roster, bringing up some of their most promising prospects and giving them significant playing time.

They made a series of trades, sending Carlos Beltran to the Astros, Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, Andrew Miller to the Indians, and Ivan Nova to the Pirates. They even contemplated releasing Alex Rodriguez, but he agreed to retire with 696 career home runs, still a month and a half remaining in the season.

Among the new talents was Aaron Judge, who made his debut shortly after A-Rod’s departure and hit a home run in his very first at-bat, following Tyler Austin’s lead who did the same.

Sanchez had been called up a week earlier and assumed the catcher position, even though Brian McCann was still on the roster and embarked on a remarkable home run streak in the second half of the season, hitting 20 homers in just 53 games.

Rookie pitcher Chad Green also rejoined the team in August following all the trades, and Luis Severino, who was a second-year right-handed pitcher, returned as a September call-up after a demotion due to earlier struggles.

In 2016, the Yankees heated up after transitioning to a younger lineup and made a late push for a wild-card playoff spot, although they ultimately fell short. However, the experience gained during this period proved valuable. The following year, the Yankees clinched their division and embarked on a playoff run that concluded just one win shy of a pennant.

Severino remarked that during that time, they were a group of young players eager to establish themselves in the big leagues and were willing to do whatever it took to stay there. He believes the current group of young players shares the same desire to be in the big leagues, stay there, and perform at a high level.

Comparing the current crop of rookies the Yankees are fielding to the young talents from 2016 is an intriguing question. Aaron Judge, who was part of the Baby Bomber crew in ’16 and is now the Yankees’ captain, offered his perspective.

According to Aaron Judge, the present group of rookies surpasses the ’16 class in both quality and quantity.

He expressed that he believes the current group of young players is even better. While they had some talented players come up in 2016 and 2017, this current group impresses him with their demeanor and how they carry themselves on the field. He feels like they’ve been part of the team all year.

While Aaron Judge made his own contribution to Saturday’s victory with his 31st home run, what struck him the most about the game was how the rookies handled the pressure of facing a formidable AL opponent on the road in front of a hostile sellout crowd, many of whom hold disdain for the Yankees.

Aaron Judge as a mentor

In the visiting team’s clubhouse, Aaron Judge’s locker was tucked away in the rear-left corner. Immediately to his right stood Dominguez’s, and next to him was Wells’. Following them, there was the locker of Everson Pereira, another highly esteemed outfield prospect, and then Cabrera. It appears highly unlikely that the Yankees arbitrarily placed their recently called-up prospects, Dominguez and Wells, in such close proximity to their team captain by mere coincidence.

After Domínguez had a conversation with reporters on Sunday night, Aaron Judge exchanged a friendly smile with the young player as he changed into casual clothes, preparing to board the team’s private jet.

Boone expressed his satisfaction with how seamlessly the new additions had integrated into the team’s environment.

“That’s not only a credit to them and, I think, player development for preparing them,” Boone stated, “but also to Aaron Judge and the veterans in that room who are genuinely excited to welcome them and are actively contributing to their comfort. These newcomers already feel at ease here. I believe that’s been a longstanding strength of our team, ensuring that people adapt quickly.”

Aaron Judge expressed his admiration for the composure and performance of these young players in a challenging and noisy environment. Despite facing challenges with runners on base throughout the game, the players showed great plate discipline, fought off difficult pitches, and worked well together as a team. He found it impressive, especially considering their limited experience in the major leagues.

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