If Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, hopes to secure a World Series title, at least he can rely on Aaron Judge. In Boone’s first seven seasons, the Yankees managed to win just one pennant. However, Judge, along with 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and other key players, return to a Yankees squad expected to make their second consecutive World Series appearance.

One notable absence from that roster, at least for now, is veteran designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. The All-Star power hitter is currently sidelined due to tennis elbow in both arms and has recently traveled back to New York for personal reasons.

Last season, Judge consistently occupied the third spot in the batting order. However, with Stanton unavailable for the foreseeable future, Boone revealed on Foul Territory that he plans to adjust Judge’s place in the lineup. “Right now, I’m hitting [Judge] second,” Boone stated.

Judge has actually spent more time batting second than in any other position throughout his nine-year career. According to Baseball-Reference, he holds a .282 career batting average with 173 home runs, 381 RBIs, and an impressive .992 OPS across 529 games when hitting in the two-spot. Surprisingly, Judge has only batted cleanup on nine occasions.

Boone also mentioned that he might position second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. or center fielder Cody Bellinger in the third slot, depending on who leads off. It remains uncertain how this adjustment will impact third-year shortstop Anthony Volpe, who led off in 77 games last season. During the discussion, co-host Erik Kratz inquired how Boone would respond if another player stepped up and volunteered to bat behind Judge.