NEW YORK (Oct. 9, 2025) — Aaron Boone’s lineup decision came back to haunt him again. The Yankees manager chose to sit power-hitting rookie Ben Rice for Wednesday’s must-win Game 4, and the move never paid off. New York’s offense stalled, falling 5-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays to end their season in the American League Division Series.
It was the second time this postseason that Boone kept Rice on the bench in a key game with damaging results. The 26-home-run slugger didn’t appear until the eighth inning, when the Yankees were already down 5-1 and their fate all but sealed.
“I know for me personally, I know for a lot of those guys, it also continues to ignite your fire to want to get back and play in these meaningful games and have a chance at glory,” Boone said after the loss.
Yankees manager gambles on veteran over hot young bat
XJASON SZENES/NY POST
Boone went with experience over youth, starting 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt at first base instead of Rice. The choice was based on matchups, as Toronto planned a bullpen game featuring several left-handed pitchers. Boone wanted a right-handed presence in the middle of the lineup.
Rice, a left-handed hitter, had slumped lately with only two hits in his last 14 at-bats. But over the full season, he had been one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters, finishing with a 131 OPS-plus and 26 home runs. In a must-win game, the Yankees needed every ounce of offense they could get.
Goldschmidt went 0-for-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch before Boone finally sent Rice in to pinch hit in the seventh inning. Rice drew two walks in his limited time, but the Yankees’ offense had already gone cold.
Familiar pattern emerges in crucial moment
The situation felt eerily familiar. In Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Boston, Boone had made a similar call, keeping Rice on the bench against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. Boone planned to use Rice as a weapon later in the game. That opportunity never came.
Crochet shut down the Yankees through 7.2 innings, and Boston’s bullpen finished the job. Rice never got an at-bat despite being available.
Heading into Game 4 of the ALDS, Boone had again considered starting Goldschmidt. He stuck with Rice for Games 2 and 3 because of the young slugger’s ability to change a game with one swing. Rice entered Game 4 batting .222 in the postseason, while Goldschmidt was 4-for-8 over five games. Boone’s decision to reverse course this time ended up mirroring his earlier mistake.
Offensive struggles doom Yankees season
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees’ offense, the most dangerous in baseball during the regular season, looked lifeless in the elimination game. New York managed just five baserunners through the first six innings. Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger pressed at the plate, chasing pitches out of the zone. Only Aaron Judge appeared comfortable, collecting two hits.
Boone also stuck too long with other struggling players. Shortstop Anthony Volpe went 1-for-15 in the series with 11 strikeouts. Despite having options on the bench, Boone didn’t pinch-hit for him with a runner on in the seventh inning.
Boone’s in-game management drew more criticism in the seventh, when he left rookie starter Cam Schlittler on the mound too long. Down just 2-1, the game was still within reach. But Schlittler allowed a single to Ernie Clement and then a hard grounder from Andrés Giménez that Jazz Chisholm Jr. failed to field cleanly.
By the time Boone made the change, reliever Devin Williams inherited runners on the corners with one out. Nathan Lukes followed with a two-run single that gave Toronto a 4-1 lead and effectively ended the Yankees’ postseason.
Manager defends his approach after early exit
Boone, who signed a two-year extension in spring training that keeps him under contract through 2027, faced questions about his strategy and future after the game. He described the year as one of emotional highs and lows.
“Just a hard year,” Boone said. “There were just some tough moments, but also like in a lot of ways very rewarding to go through some of the moments we went through in the middle of the season especially.”
The Yankees started hot, slumped midseason, and finished strong to reach the playoffs. Boone credited his players and front office, including general manager Brian Cashman, for staying united through those stretches.
But another early exit leaves frustration mounting. The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009 despite their consistent playoff appearances and star-studded rosters. Boone’s teams have reached October every year since he took over, yet none have broken through.
Pattern of mistakes raises questions about future
Boone’s steady leadership has value during the grind of a 162-game season. His calm approach often helps players weather adversity. But in October, when urgency and adjustments matter most, his decisions have repeatedly cost the Yankees.
Benching Rice in two key postseason games epitomized that problem. The young slugger had earned his role with consistent production, yet in the most critical moments, Boone turned elsewhere. That faith in veterans backfired again.
“To see this kind of team come together in a really special way. That is a tight knit, and I feel like we got so much better in the final couple months of the season,” Boone said.
The Yankees did show growth late in the year, but improvement without results means little in New York. Another October ended the same way — with the Yankees watching another team celebrate.
Goldschmidt, who said after the loss that he intends to keep playing, couldn’t provide the spark Boone had hoped for. Rice, meanwhile, never got the meaningful at-bat that could have changed the game.
The loss raised the same old question for fans and analysts alike: can Aaron Boone finally guide this talented Yankees core to a World Series? For now, the answer remains out of reach.
A digital technocrat-turned-baseball buff, Sara is an ardent follower of the New York Yankees. Born and brought up in New York City, she is a regular to games since she was a kid. Despite working as media strategist, baseball is her first love. She has been covering baseball games in the city as well as MLB and MiLB games involving the Yankees, the Mets, and their minor affiliates as a freelancer for different web and media publications. She works as a lead author for the Yankees-centered PinstripesNation since its very inception.
