NEW YORK — The Yankees enter October carrying a contradiction that can define a postseason before the first pitch is thrown.
They finished 93-68 and earned the American League’s top wild-card spot, yet they will open a best-of-three series against the Boston Red Sox with their biggest star uncertain. Aaron Judge is working back from a moderate strain of his right soleus, and manager Aaron Boone has said the Yankees will take their roster decision down to Tuesday morning.
The Yankees’ final scheduled game against Baltimore was washed out Sunday and will not be made up, leaving New York at 161 games. Their last action came Friday at Yankee Stadium, where they split a doubleheader with the Orioles, losing 10-2 before responding with a 6-3 win.
The tension around Judge has dominated the buildup, but the Yankees’ broader case for October is not built on one player. New York outscored opponents 739-601, a plus-138 run differential that was the best in the American League. Its starting pitching finished with a 3.30 ERA, best in MLB, while the bullpen posted a 3.13 ERA, second in the majors.
That pitching depth will be tested immediately. Cam Schlittler, who finished with a 1.95 ERA over 193 2/3 innings, gets Game 1 on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Max Fried is scheduled for Game 2, with Gerrit Cole lined up for Game 3 if necessary.
The lineup still has thump even if Judge cannot go. Ben Rice finished with 41 home runs, while Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. give Boone established middle-order options. Boston enters at 87-75, six games behind New York, but the format leaves little room for a regular-season edge to matter.
That combination of pressure, pitching and clubhouse resilience has caught the attention of someone who lived through a much louder Yankees era.
Legend sees something familiar in this Yankees clubhouse
Willie Randolph, the longtime Yankees second baseman who won World Series titles in 1977 and 1978, sees a connection between this club and the teams forever associated with the “Bronx Zoo.”
His comparison is not about chaos. It is about how those Yankees responded once the game began.
When Judge recently objected to Boone publicly describing the severity of his calf strain, Randolph said the friction barely registered by the standards of his playing days.
“That’s like small potatoes in my era,” Randolph said.
Randolph said the Bronx Zoo reputation sometimes obscured how tightly those teams played together.
“Sometimes I was offended by the Zoo label because it wasn’t as bad as people made it seem,” Randolph said. “We had our stuff, and it was in the tabloids with George and Billy and Reggie, but when the game started we were solid, man. We had each other’s back. We’d fight against other teams.”
Randolph makes his World Series call
Randolph spent five weeks around the Yankees as a spring training guest instructor and worked 18 games as a YES Network studio analyst. He said the current clubhouse reminded him of championship teams.
“Being around this team in spring training, I got a chance to feel what they are and what they’re about,” Randolph said. “I really feel there’s a nice chemistry and a camaraderie here that speaks to them being on the same page as far as winning. I don’t think there’s too many selfish guys in the room. They remind me of our championship teams a lot.”
Asked whether the Yankees can win the World Series, even if Judge is unavailable for the opening round, Randolph did not hedge.
“Yeah, I do,” Randolph said. “I really do. Come on, they’ve got enough. Obviously, you’re gonna miss Aaron Judge. Anybody would miss some big boy like that, but they can beat anyone because they’re pitching.”
The numbers strengthen Randolph’s pitching case
The final MLB numbers support Randolph’s central point. Yankees starters ranked first in the majors in ERA, and the bullpen ranked second.
Randolph has been particularly struck by the rotation.
“I don’t know if I’ve been around a team that’s had a rotation that deep,” Randolph said. “There’s no doubt they’re throwing out a legitimate starter every day. That’s pretty impressive. The bullpen’s good, too.”
The offensive question is tougher if Judge is unavailable. He played only 66 games because of injuries and had not resumed full baseball activity as of Sunday.
Still, Rice’s 41 homers and a healthy Chisholm give the Yankees alternatives. New York also allowed 601 runs, 10 fewer than Boston, giving Boone a path to win games that does not require an offensive shootout.
Bronx Zoo comparison now faces its postseason test
Randolph did make one distinction between his championship clubs and the 2026 Yankees. He said his teams were sharper fundamentally, even while giving the current roster the edge in overall talent.
The Yankees now have to prove whether the more important similarity is the one Randolph emphasized: a clubhouse able to absorb pressure, injuries and outside noise without losing its edge.
Judge’s status remains unresolved. Boone must submit the Wild Card roster Tuesday morning. Schlittler will take the ball that night at 8 p.m. ET.
Randolph’s message is clear. The Yankees have enough pitching, lineup depth and cohesion to make a championship run.
“We’re talking about Judge missing playoff games and they’re gonna miss him, obviously,” Randolph said. “Hopefully he’ll be back, but they’ve got plenty to beat anyone, man. No excuses.”
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