It’s unknown how much different the Yankees will look next season, but with CC Sabathia having thrown his last pitch and Brett Gardner’s status for 2020 uncertain, the team will be searching for some new leadership.
And Aaron Judge, already the face of the franchise, seems ready to embrace the role.
Judge was one of the main voices heard after the Yankees’ devastating loss to the Astros in Game 6 of the ALCS — along with Gardner, who will be a free agent — and noted that in order for them to have a different result next season, Judge will have to do more.
“I’ll be thinking about this loss for a while,’’ Judge said in the visiting clubhouse in Houston late Saturday night.
“Like Boston last season [in the ALDS] and Houston [in the ALCS] two years ago,’’ Judge said. “Being a leader of this team, I’ve got to step up and I’ll be thinking about that.’’
Judge was hardly the main culprit in another disappointing October in The Bronx, but he wasn’t at his best — especially in the Yankees’ final seven playoff games.
He closed out the postseason during that stretch by going 6-for-28 with a homer, three walks and 11 strikeouts. Judge also got doubled off first base when Michael Brantley made a spectacular diving catch of Aaron Hicks’ fly ball to shallow left to end the top of the seventh with the Yankees attempting to come back.
Judge had very little help around him throughout the series, as Gary Sanchez, Edwin Encarnacion, Didi Gregorius, Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton were non-factors against Houston.
Afterwards, Judge didn’t use the team’s injuries or other issues as a reason for the defeat.
“It’s black or white: Either you did your job and got where you wanted or you didn’t,’’ Judge said. “We never cared about how many guys got hurt. We knew we’d get the job done and we didn’t get the job done when it counted.’’
If that’s going to change in the playoffs next year, Judge will undoubtedly play a major — and vocal — part.