Aaron Judge Not a Fan of MLB Playoffs in Bubble: 'Takes Away From the Point of Winning'
NEW YORK — There's no question the game of baseball has changed quite a bit this year. For each club in contention across the league, however, striving for home field advantage in the postseason is still paramount.
In the Bronx, after the Yankees started off this summer's unprecedented campaign by tying a franchise record with 10 wins in a row at Yankee Stadium, securing a top seed heading into October could have a big impact on their playoff success.
The thing is, New York may not be able to take the field at Yankee Stadium for the playoffs, no matter what their record is come the final day of the regular season.
Rumors have been swirling of late regarding Major League Baseball considering a "bubble" format for the postseason. That would keep teams that make it into October in one central location, or multiple hubs across the country, in an effort to limit exposure to COVID-19.
READ: How MLB Should Build Its Postseason Bubble
Considering how the NBA and NHL have been able to prevent the novel coronavirus pandemic from infiltrating their respective bubbles, MLB is certainly justified in debating a similar plan. After all, the league had tossed around a similar concept during negotiations to bring the sport back during the coronavirus-induced hiatus, a plan that never came to fruition.
Beyond keeping all parties involved healthy, which of course is of the upmost importance, the postseason's strict schedule won't be conducive to COVID-19-related postponements (let alone outbreaks) as we've seen across the league this summer. For New York, it's happened twice and as recently as this past weekend.
So, let's say the Yankees earn a top seed at the end of this season. Under normal circumstances, they could sleep in their own beds and prepare to host the majority of their postseason games at home in front of their own fans.
Yes, sell-out crowds are out of the question regardless, but if you ask Yankees' slugger Aaron Judge, taking home field out of the equation in October "takes away from the point of winning."
"I'm not a fan of it, to be honest," Judge said on the possibility of a bubble. "That's why we bust our butt all season to have a good record is to get home field advantage and to play in our home park and play in front of our home fans.
"If you're telling me that you can win all these games and get the first seed or get the second seed, but now, you're going to playing in a neutral site, playing in Dallas, playing in LA, playing somewhere else? That's not much of an advantage."
This is even more of a pertinent conversation considering the new opening series brought forth by MLB's expanded postseason. Regardless of seeding, all 16 teams that make the playoffs will be featured in a best-of-three Wild Card round preceding the division series.
One bad game out of the gates and no matter how you played in the regular season, you're on the brink of elimination.
That's why Judge and his teammates, including ace Gerrit Cole, didn't seem too fond of the decision to enact an expanded postseason this fall to begin with. Teams that earn the top seeds in the league aren't rewarded any different than the near-.500 clubs that sneak in at the bottom of the standings.
"For me personally, it's a little less than ideal that there's not more weight given to the division winners," Cole said.
READ: 'It's a Little Less Than Ideal': Yankees Weigh in on Expansion of 2020 Postseason
Even if he's not a fan of the bubble, Judge understands the decision will inevitably be out of his control. His focus in the meantime remains on returning from the injured list and staying healthy for the rest of the season, putting his club in a good position to win (no matter what stadium the games are played in).
"I was hoping we can figure out a way to not do the bubbles in different regions or whatever they've got planned and just go back to what we've been doing all year but we'll see," Judge said. "Bigger heads above me are making those decisions."
READ: Yankees' Aaron Judge, Expected to Return From Injured List on Tuesday, is 'Ready to Go'
Judge didn't necessarily speak on behalf of the entire Yankees' roster. Veteran left-hander Zack Britton—who like close to a third of the Bombers' Opening Day roster, resides on the IL—said he was okay with the concept if it ensures MLB can get through the postseason with all personnel staying safe.
"I think if it allows us to get through the playoffs safely and minimize the exposure that players would have to things that we would be exposed to on a normal travel during the postseason, I think it makes sense," Britton explained.
As the Yankees' player rep, Britton said he's "heard the rumors" about the bubble but relayed that no definitive plans have been made. Beyond that, he doesn't want to make conjecture as to what ideas will become reality in just over a month.
In the meantime, New York is set to embark on an arduous journey to the month of October. After a two-game set with the Braves in Atlanta, the Yankees are scheduled to play their final 33 games in a span of 31 days. Following Thursday's off day, only one will remain on their schedule (September 14).
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