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Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts to striking during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees Slammed for Selling History, And No Longer Being Historic

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 12:30 PM ET

In the end, the 2025 New York Yankees disappointed their fanbase once again, extending a dry period for the winningest franchise in the MLB and leaving fans questioning whether they can continue to earn their reputation for excellence.

The Yankees' loyalists, history buffs and marketing team seem to think so, and they continue to promote the team as an unstoppable force. We're guilty of it too, as we draw (earned) comparisons between franchise player Aaron Judge and the Mount Rushmore of Yankee greatness, but the team around him can't keep up. The defense is unreliable, the offense is home-run-or-bust and the bullpen was inconsistent to the bitter end. Their inevitable loss to the superior Toronto Blue Jays solidified a knowledge fans have felt all season long.

You can't buy hunger.

With a 16th season under their belt since their 2009 World Series win, the team is expected to regroup under the same management that has led to loss after loss. After their final brutal loss, manager Aaron Boone described chasing a World Series his entire life, but throughout the season insisted that these Yankees — the ones we watched with him — were the best team in baseball and were just moments away from the consistency and power fans expect. Or do they?

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Yankees' Gen Z fanbase, at least, are really only aware of the marketing. The young cohort, now working adults, may have no memory of the 90s dynasty the Yankees' fiercest haters are still chasing revenge over. Derek Jeter is a color commentator, and Babe Ruth won't come back for any amount of money. It seems the front office doesn't care to earn a spotless reputation anymore, and to the media at least, they appear insulted by the idea of justifying themselves. They're the Yankees, after all.

In his piece about the Yankees' reliance on good branding to carry fans through season after season on wings of hope, the Athletic's Brendan Kuty summed it up perfectly.

"Yankees exceptionalism now exists not on the field, but in the team store — on slogans and souvenirs, not titles and trophies," Kuty wrote.

Or maybe they just go through this. The Yankees didn't win a World Series between 1978 and 1996, so this might be part of a routine recalibration. Still, the frustration remains for fans who expect to go all the way every year. Judge might be up there with Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio on home run numbers and he might out-class the league on offense stats, but he also might go his whole historic career without a win, and his singular achievements don't make the Yankees an excellent baseball team.

The Yankees' victory tune — the theme from New York, has become a cruel joke at their expense, and a well-deserved one. Watching the Blue Jays celebrate their annihilation to that song should have been a wake-up call; they can't put their money where their mouths are, and they have no shortage of either. The eulogy for this season has a Tony Soprano flair.

"Lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over."

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