TAMPA, Fla. — Every spring, Aaron Boone takes the same approach with his veteran hitters. Ease them in. Let them find their timing. Protect their bodies for the 162-game grind that starts in late March.
This year, the plan is different.
The New York Yankees are pushing Aaron Judge harder and faster than they normally would in February. They are ramping up his workload, accelerating his live at-bats and building him toward game-ready shape weeks ahead of schedule. The reason is straightforward. Their captain has somewhere else to be in March.
Judge will leave Yankees camp on March 1 to join Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He was named the squad’s captain last April, the first player to commit to the tournament and the face of an American roster that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber and pitchers Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
Pool play begins March 6 in Houston. Judge needs to be ready for nine-inning games by then. That leaves Boone with a narrow window to prepare his three-time American League MVP, and the Yankees manager is not wasting a day of it.
Boone breaks from the usual spring routine for Judge
Boone outlined the plan Sunday at Steinbrenner Field, one day before the Yankees held their first full-squad workout of the spring. Judge will play in four or five of the first nine Grapefruit League games. By the time he departs for Team USA, the goal is to have him playing six innings in a single outing.
“I need to up his workload in his first week going into the WBC,” Boone said. “I want to build him up to where when he leaves, he’s played six innings in a game and probably played — right now, I’m planning on playing him in four or five of the first nine games, just so he’s in a good spot when he’s got to go there and play nine innings.”
“I want to make sure I up it, as safely as we can,” Boone added.
That last phrase matters. The balancing act for the Yankees is real. They cannot send their franchise player into an international tournament underprepared. But they also cannot afford to overdo it in February and risk injury before the regular season even begins.
Judge and the Yankees’ other WBC participants are already on an accelerated timeline. They have been facing live pitching earlier than usual and going through more rigorous workout days than what is typical for mid-February, per ESPN.
Judge’s right elbow clears the final hurdle
The accelerated spring workload carries extra significance because of what Judge dealt with last summer. A flexor strain in his right elbow landed him on the injured list in late July. The pain was severe enough that he could not throw without discomfort.
He spent the minimum 10 days on the IL and returned as a designated hitter. About a month later, he moved back to right field, though his throwing ability was clearly compromised. He split time between the outfield and DH through mid-September before playing right field exclusively over the final six regular-season games and all seven postseason contests.
The elbow did not stop him from having the best October of his career. Judge slashed .500/.581/.692 with 13 hits, a home run, two doubles and seven RBI across the Yankees’ seven playoff games. He uncorked a 90.2 mph throw from right field in Game 1 of the ALDS against Toronto, the first real sign that his arm strength was returning.
An MRI after the season determined that surgery was not necessary. Judge took a couple of weeks off from throwing in the offseason before beginning his ramp-up program. On Sunday, Boone declared the 33-year-old a full participant in workouts with no restrictions.
“I think he took a couple of weeks off from throwing, but he was going right away,” Boone said. “And I think that’s kind of served him really well. He’s throwing the ball really well right now.”
Twelve Yankees headed to the WBC as camp shifts into gear
Judge is not the only Yankees player with a dual spring schedule. Twelve members of the current camp roster are slated to participate in the World Baseball Classic for various national teams. A 13th, Yerry De los Santos, is in the Dominican Republic’s designated pitcher pool and could be activated during the tournament.
Yankees closer David Bednar is the only pitcher on Team USA who also pitched in the 2023 Classic. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells are also expected to participate, per multiple reports.
The tournament’s timing creates a logistical challenge for the Yankees. Losing Judge and up to a dozen other players in early March means the Grapefruit League schedule will lack some of its key regulars for weeks. But the Yankees accepted this reality months ago when they supported Judge’s decision to captain Team USA.
Team USA opens pool play against Brazil on March 6 in Houston, with exhibition games on March 3 and 4 in Arizona. The semifinals and finals are set for March 15-17 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. If the Americans advance deep into the bracket, Judge could be away from the Yankees for more than two weeks.
Boone said he expects Judge to play right field for Team USA, though a DH day could be mixed in depending on the schedule.
The regular season opens March 25 in San Francisco. Between now and then, the Yankees need their captain sharp, healthy and game-ready. That is why the spring playbook has been rewritten. It is why Judge is facing live arms earlier, playing Grapefruit League games sooner and logging innings at a pace that Boone would never normally allow in mid-February.
For a franchise that guards its stars with an almost obsessive level of caution, this version of spring training is a departure. And it starts with the biggest Yankee of them all.
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