Yankees Deploy Judge-Stanton Right-Field Rotation as October Test Run

Aaron Boone acknowledged before Tuesday’s opener against Detroit that he plans to rotate Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in right field for this series. The decision isn’t about matchups as much as it is about managing risk.

Judge is still dealing with an elbow issue that limits his ability to throw, making him a defensive liability in the outfield. Stanton, who has battled his own injury history, has also struggled defensively when asked to handle the position.

That leaves the Yankees with two superstar sluggers who are better suited for the batter’s box than the field. The rotation allows Boone to keep both in the lineup. Judge is in right field Tuesday night with Stanton at designated hitter. He doesn't have to overexposing either one defensively. Boone can then mix and match over the next two games, flipping Stanton into right when Judge needs a DH day.

The Yankees are obviously weaker in right field defense no matter who’s out there. Stanton has lost mobility over the last few years and had elbow issues of his own this season. Judge is struggling to throw out runners.

But gamble is a no-brainer, though.

New York needs both of their bats. Judge leads MLB in OPS (.656 SLG, 1.099 OPS) and has reached base in 118 of 133 games. Stanton, after missing time early in the year, has rediscovered his power stroke, hitting .301 with 18 homers since July 6.

Boone does has a safety plan, though.

In late innings, he can always substitute a stronger defender like Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, or even Jasson Domínguez and keep either Judge or Stanton locked into the batting order. That gives the Yankees flexibility without punting offense early in the game.

This is about October: getting there and getting through.

The Yankees are staring at a postseason in which every at-bat from Judge and Stanton matters. By alternating them now, Boone is not only protecting bodies but also preparing them. The Yankees squeeze maximum production from the middle of the order, patch defense with late substitutions, and hope that run prevention doesn’t suffer enough to tip a series.

It isn’t pretty, but it could be winning baseball.