Yankees' biggest issue has nothing to do with Aaron Judge and fans should be raging

Of late, the story of the American League East (and all of Major League Baseball, for that matter) is not the New York Yankees but their archrival, the Boston Red Sox. While Boston's offense eventually found its groove (and then some) without Anthony, and its starting rotation doesn't seem to need Crochet, the Yankees' offense has crumbled without Judge (and Giancarlo Stanton). Far less talented lineups than the Judge-less Yankees find ways to manufacture runs and convert with RISP. You can even argue that the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays have less-talented lineups than the Yankees' current lineup that's missing Judge, Stanton, and Cody Bellinger. And yet, the Red Sox and Rays have leaned into bunting, base-stealing, and timely hitting in ways the 2026 Yankees aren't even close to approaching.