After being dropped from the Wild Card roster for the Yankees, fans expected Aaron Judge to be in for the ALDS against the Rays. The Yankees instead selected Giancarlo Stanton for the ALDS roster, keeping Judge’s injury in mind. But this move has not impressed Kevin Cash.
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During his presser, Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “I totally respect Aaron Judge and what he means to that team but I also respect that Major League Baseball needs to see its best players playing in a stage like this so certain disappointment.”
For MLB, Aaron Judge being absent in October is a major loss, even if Tampa Bay welcomes it. Rays manager Kevin Cash called Judge “the best player in our sport” before the ALDS. Judge’s absence costs MLB its biggest draw but benefits the Rays.
And Cash’s comments show the difference between Judge’s value to MLB and Tampa Bay’s goals.
Judge’s impact on MLB became impossible to miss during his 2022 chase for Roger Maris’ record.
A Yankees-Red Sox game drew 3.23 million viewers on FOX, according to Sports Media Watch. It became the most-watched regular-season MLB game that season, with Judge entering just one homer short.
Then his 62nd homer drew 933,000 peak viewers on YES Network, according to Sports Business Journal. YES averaged 636,000 viewers that night, making it the network’s best Yankees season since 2009.
That attention was not limited to television, as fans packed stadiums hoping to witness Aaron Judge make history. His 62nd homer came before 38,832 fans at Globe Life Field.
Judge’s 2017 Home Run Derby victory also drew 8.69 million viewers across ESPN platforms. That audience was 55% higher than the previous year, according to CBS Baltimore. Those numbers help explain why having Judge on the field matters to baseball beyond his team.
That pull continued when Aaron Judge shared the spotlight with another of baseball’s biggest stars, Shohei Ohtani.
The Yankees-Dodgers matchup in June 2025 drew 3.1 million viewers on ESPN. It became the most-watched Sunday Night Baseball broadcast in 7 years, according to Front Office Sports.
But the Rays are not thinking about television numbers when Judge steps into the batter’s box.
Cash noted, “Knowing that he’s not lurking on the bench or coming around hitting second or third is probably a benefit.”
Judge’s career dominance vs. Tampa Bay – 27 homers, .814 OPS – makes his absence a tactical advantage for the Rays. His career .249 average against them also includes 114 hits and a .814 OPS. During the 2020 ALDS, Judge also hit 2 homers against the Rays.
The Rays now avoid that threat while trying to advance through October.
But for the big leagues, Aaron Judge missing the series removes a major attraction, while for the Rays, it might be exactly what they need.