Aaron Judge: Yankees Are 'Just a Couple Streaks Away' from Being Where We Want to Be

Despite sitting in last place in the AL East, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge believes his team can still turn its season around.

Following a 2-0 loss to the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, Judge said that stringing together some wins could catapult the Yankees back into the playoff mix.

"We're just a couple streaks away from being right where we want to be," Judge said. "I think going home, getting a little reset and get back out there, I think the boys are gonna be ready. Just like [Yankees manager Aaron Boone] said all year, it's right in front of us. We've gotta go out there and take it."

Judge's Yankees have a much more realistic case of contention than any of the other last-place teams in MLB. Not only are they coming off of a 99-win season in 2022, they are 60-61 on the 2023 season and just 6.5 games back of the third AL Wild Card spot.

The place within the standings is more of a reflection of how dominant the AL East has been this season, as four of the five teams are currently above .500 and three of the teams are currently in a playoff spot.

The Yankees have 16 games remaining against the AL East, including six against the third-place Toronto Blue Jays and seven against the fourth-place Boston Red Sox. New York also has a series against the Houston Astros, who are currently the second AL Wild Card, and have series against struggling teams like the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Making a run, especially with a healthy Judge, is surely possible. The 2022 AL MVP was activated in late July after missing significant time with a toe injury. He is the cornerstone of the Yankees offense, hitting .281 with 22 home runs and 45 RBI in just 67 games in 2023.

The Yankees can make a huge push forward Friday when they host division-rival Boston.