beyond the back page The Yankees don’t just need Aaron Judge back — they need him hitting By Dan Martin Published Sep. 1, 2026, 7:53 a.m. ET Aaron Judge smiles in the Yankees dugout during a game against the Red Sox on Aug. 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for the NY Post Welcome to September, baseball fans.
The Yankees have less than four weeks to catch the Rays and win the American League East.
And while a bye certainly could be important in their attempt to get to their second World Series in three years — and win their first title since 2009 — it pales in comparison to the most vital part of this month: the potential return of Aaron Judge.
Judge made the trip to the West Coast, where the Yankees opened the final stretch of the season on Monday night with a 10-1 loss to the Angels in Anaheim behind a lackluster Elmer Rodríguez.
