New York Yankees star Aaron Judge urged his front office to make changes after the team was swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series on Wednesday.
"We're the Yankees," Judge said after the series-deciding 4-3 loss, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I feel like they should go all-in and do what they need to do and find. If we've got holes, if it's finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you've got to go out there and get it."
Judge hesitated to respond when asked if he felt the front office had done enough to put the Yankees in a position to win a World Series.
"It's tough to say," Judge said. "I want to trade for everybody, sign everybody every single year, but I know that's not realistic. So they give us a winning team every single year, but that's not good enough here in New York. We're the Yankees. You've got to go out there and chase championships and go all in every year. So I'm excited to see what they do."
Judge was left off the Yankees' 26-man roster for the ALDS due to a right calf strain sustained Sept. 16. He also sat out New York's wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox. The three-time AL MVP played in 66 games this season after missing nearly three months with a fractured rib. He concluded his 2026 campaign batting .241 with 18 home runs and an .871 OPS.
For the third consecutive season, Judge could only watch as an opponent danced on the Yankee Stadium grass. The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated a World Series title in New York in 2024, and the Toronto Blue Jays won the ALDS in New York's home ballpark last season.
The Yankees' elimination Wednesday extended their World Series title drought to 17 seasons, the second-longest slide in franchise history.
"There's a standard to win a championship," Judge said. "It's black and white. There's no gray area."
The 34-year-old Yankees captain backed Aaron Boone as the club's manager.
"He's running the ship," Judge said. "He puts us in the right position to go out there and succeed."
Several notable contributors from this year's Yankees team are set to become free agents, including Jazz Chisholm Jr., David Bednar, and Trent Grisham. General manager Brian Cashman's contract also expires this offseason.
