New York Yankees Captain Excited, Relieved to Move Back to Natural Position

The departure of Juan Soto is set to allow the captain of the New York Yankees to return to his natural position, and it's a change he welcomes.

Mar 1, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) throws a ball to the infield hit by Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (20) during the second inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have seen their chaotic offseason turn into a hectic spring training, with a barrage of concerning injury updates casting a dark cloud over the start of their quest to return to the World Series.

The winter was marked by their failure to retain superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who departed for the New York Mets on a lucrative contract.

The next chapter saw vice president and general manager Brian Cashman deftly navigate the trade and free agent markets, acquiring center fielder Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, signing starting pitcher Max Fried and bringing in star veterans like closer Devin Williams and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

The addition of Bellinger in particular will bring some normalcy back to the Yankees, as it will allow captain Aaron Judge to resume playing at his traditional right field position instead of the center field spot he manned admirably in 2024 to accommodate Soto.

In an MLB.com article by Manny Randhawa, Judge laid out his feelings about the switch back to right and his vision for how it could impact the club.

“I’m excited,” the slugger told Randhawa. “I’ve been playing right the whole time, went over to center to help the team out any way I could to give us the best lineup. I’m excited to go back to right, it’s gonna be fun over there.

The six-foot-seven outfielder also expressed one perk he's looking forward to about the switch, and in his typical fashion, it's another way he improve his performance and help the team.

“Hopefully I’ll get a chance to throw some guys out,” Judge added “In center field, it’s a little farther throw. It makes it a little tougher.”

According to Baseball Reference, Judge posted a career-worst defensive runs saved mark of -8 in 2024, with a positive value of one in his stints in right field slightly offsetting the -9 he produced in center.

That performance is a stark drop-off from the highs he has seen as a defender in right. In 2019, he led all MLB right fielders with 18 DRS, and in 2021 and 2022, he put up 10 apiece.

Judge's four outfield assists in 2024 was actually an increase from the two he had in 2023 and the three he produced in 2022, but he had 10 in 2021, seven in 2019, and nine in 2018 in what likely represents an awareness around the league of not to test his arm more than a decline in his actual ability to throw runners out.

In recent years, the Yankees have been undone by defensive lapses in key moments, and the chance to move Judge back to right field is just one part of a broader overall effort by the club to better support its pitching staff.