As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched a towering fly ball to left field on Saturday, the Yankees must have gotten a hint of what’s to follow. Going into the playoffs, their biggest question was their bullpen. But Aaron Judge, the 2x MVP and arguably the world’s best hitter, gave them another reason, showing his glaring weakness once again: his lack of production in the postseason. After the New York Yankees lost 10-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALDS, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter was quick to give them a reality check.

Jeter’s diagnosis on FOX Sports cut to the heart of the problem. “We talk about who needs to step up for the Yankees, all the eyes go to Judge. All the narrative is Aaron Judge struck out with the bases loaded,” he said. “Look, he’s gonna strike out with the bases loaded again. That’s baseball. But who needs to step up?

“Grisham. Judge. Bellinger. Rice. Stanton. Chisholm. McKinney. And Wells. The entire team needs to step up. You cannot sit here and rely on just one individual to win a playoff series and get you to the World Series and win a championship. You need contributions from everyone.

“Now you need to get guys on, you need to move them over, you need to have productive outs, you have bases loaded. You don’t score, the base is loaded. It’s not the first time that’s happened. Productive outs and contributions from everyone in that lineup.”

Jeter’s warning cuts through the noise: one man cannot carry this team to October glory. And emphasis on the fundamentals is required more than ever.

The opener showed all of the Yankees’ weaknesses. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo home run in his first at-bat, which started Toronto’s offensive onslaught. Aaron Boone pulled Luis Gil after just 2.2 innings. The Yankees got back to 2-1 when Cody Bellinger walked with the bases loaded, but only after Judge struck out with the bases loaded. The seventh inning fell apart when Jeff Weaver gave up three runs without getting an out. Paul Blackburn then added four more runs in the eighth.

The captain went 2-for-4, but the missed chance bothered New York. And not just for this time. In fact, Judge has continuously failed to shine when it mattered most, unlike the greats he resembles, including Jeter and CC Sabathia. The writing on the wall is clear when anyone joins the Yankees: This is New York; nothing other than being the best matters here. Sabathia, too, had to learn this quickly.

Back in December 2008, he went out partying with the likes of Jay Z. But while enjoying his signing, what everyone kept reminding him was how he needed to win right away. Because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t matter. Interestingly, last season, the Yankees advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2009. But their five-game defeat in October at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, again boiled down to one name: the 2024 AL MVP, Aaron Judge.

Boone echoed that resilience after the loss. “It’s who we are, man, what we do. I expect us to go out and play well today and win the day. You’re gonna have losses along the way. You got to be able to bounce back from them, especially now.”

The Yankees are at a turning point in their season with ace Max Fried starting Game 2 against rookie Trey Yesavage. If they win, the series starts over. If they lose, they go back to the Bronx with their backs against the wall. Fortunately, they might have another savior on their roster.

Schlittler’s Breakout Offers Yankees a Lifeline

While the veterans are getting a lot of bad press, one young arm has given New Yorkers hope. Cam Schlittler’s wild-card performance against Boston reminded everyone why the Yankees wanted to make the playoffs. In Game 3, the rookie pitched eight shutout innings, striking out 12 batters and giving up only five hits. Even Red Sox legend David Ortiz was impressed. “The first game I saw him pitch, I was like, ‘They have another ace,'” Ortiz told TMZ. “He’s got it, bro. Got it. He’s got it.” That endorsement means a lot coming from a player who spent his whole career torturing Yankees pitchers.

Schlittler’s electric yet calm demeanor under pressure made it clear that he had arrived on baseball’s biggest stage. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole recognized something special in his young teammate’s debut. “There’s different paths to greatness up here,” Cole said after the performance. “But certainly, this guy has come up and delivered right away. He’s got ‘it.’ I don’t know what ‘it’ is. It’s hard to define it. But he’s got it.” That masterclass got New York a spot in the playoffs against the top-seeded Blue Jays.

The occasion didn’t last long. Kevin Gausman was in charge for Toronto in the first game on Saturday. Toronto won 10-1. Fried has to do a lot of work in Game 2, but if the Yankees win Game 4 back in the Bronx, Schlittler gets another chance to show everyone what it really means.