Yankees’ Aaron Boone May Be Out of World Series Attempts

Hot Stove season has turned to spring training and the rising temperatures in Florida have New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone on the hot seat.

That's according to The Athletic's Ian O'Connor, who notes the window to win with three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge is getting smaller and smaller.

And you know what? O'Connor is spot on.

"Judge just needs to win one before it’s too late. If Boone can’t help him get there after nine attempts, then someone else should get a chance to try," O'Connor writes.

Imperfect 10?

"(Brian) Cashman would prefer to give his manager a full decade, just like he gave Joe Girardi a full decade. The difference? Girardi won a championship in Year 2, buying himself some time," O'Connor notes.

"Though Boone won 203 games in his first two seasons in the Bronx, he lost in the playoffs to the Red Sox and the Astros," O'Connor adds.

However success in the Bronx is measured not by wins but by World Series titles, and the Yankees carry a 16-year drought into the 2026 season.

"Boone needs to be great in 2026 and end up on a float in a ticker-tape parade. If not, it will be time to hand over Judge and friends to someone else," O'Connor concludes.

Bar Set High

Look, Boone knows the bar is set high when the guy you replace, Joe Girardi, was fired after taking the Yankees to Game 7 of the 2017 American League Championship Series, which New York lost to the cheating Houston Astros.

Former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi — Oct 21, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (28) speaks to media before game seven of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

And Boone can't claim ignorance, because as a player, he saw first-hand what it means to be World Series or bust in the Bronx, having led the Yankees to the Fall Classic with his extra-innings, walk-off home run against the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series.

So how much more rope does Boone deserve as manager, especially given that Cashman plucked him out of the ESPN broadcast booth with zero big-league coaching experience?

Wins And Losses

Yes, Boone has led the Yankees to three division titles and seven 90-win seasons. And yes, Boone has 200 more wins than losses as skipper (697-497). But Yankees fans know it's put-up-or-shut-up time for New York. The World Series drought needs to end. And it needs to end fast.

Is this year's club built to win it all? To be honest, it's hard to say yes, with Cashman deciding to largely run it back with the same squad which lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 American League Division Series.

Running It Back

And it's not like Boone is the one constructing the roster. A chef is only as good as his ingredients, and this is Cashman's kitchen.

But at some point, someone needs to be held responsible for the World Series slump. And it's certainly easier to fire the manager than to overhaul the entire roster. Will Hal Steinbrenner finally run out of patience and demand changes if the Yankees whiff again on the World Series?

If so, you can't say Boone didn't have his chances. Nine years, nine lives. That's an eternity in the Bronx. Especially when you aren't winning World Series titles.

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