NEW YORK — “We’ve got to play better.”
Question: Who said it and when?
Answer: It was New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, and it was June 24 after a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Judge also said it July 3 after a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He said it again July 5 after a defeat at the hands of the New York Mets. Then it was manager Aaron Boone who said it after losing to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 5.
Boone and Judge broke out the phrase after a 12-1 embarrassment against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
“I think it comes down to we’ve got to play better,” Judge said.
“We’ve got to play better against these quality opponents in our division,” Boone said.
But at this point, why should anyone believe the Yankees actually will play better for any extended amount of time? Or even that they believe they will?
The New York Yankees are getting absolutely embarrassed by their arch-rival the Boston Red Sox on their own field pic.twitter.com/L8BewLKHPI
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 23, 2025
Look at the facts. Saturday’s defeat meant the Yankees (69-60) lost for an eighth time in nine tries versus the Red Sox (71-59), whom they trail by 1 1/2 games for the top wild-card position.
They made another error when shortstop Anthony Volpe airmailed a throw to first base in the ninth inning, allowing a run to score. It was their fifth error of the series, in which they have scored only four total runs. (And that total doesn’t count mental mistakes, like reliever Paul Blackburn’s balk that scored a run in the ninth inning or Volpe and Jasson Domínguez throwing to the wrong bases in a 1-0 loss Friday.)
And the Yankees were demolished by lefty starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, who struck out 11 over seven innings, with Giancarlo Stanton’s solo shot as his only blemish. Meanwhile, starter Will Warren continued a disturbing Yankees rotation-wide trend of short starts (four innings, five earned runs).
Judge was asked if it worries him that he’s had to say — over and over again this season — that the Yankees need to play better.
But rather than speaking to the situation the Yankees are in — losers of three straight and with time winding down in the regular season — he deflected and went big picture.
“I feel like I’ve been saying it since Opening Day,” he said. “You know, you’re going to say it every year. You’ll ask me next year about the same thing, and I’ll tell you after a couple of losses that we’ve got to play better.”
What’s that supposed to mean? That now doesn’t matter more than June or July?
Don’t tell that to Yankees fans who were in the building Saturday. They had seen enough. They once again booed Volpe after each at-bat in his 0-for-3 showing. They booed him when he made the error. As the game wore on, most Yankees fans vacated their seats, allowing for “Let’s go, Red Sox” chants to briefly take over in the eighth and ninth innings. There were boos as the Yankees walked off the field, too.
New York Giants quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston sat in a suite but left well before the last pitch. Shame, considering the Yankees could have used a Hail Mary.
“I think you could probably ask all 30 teams if they want to play better,” Judge said, “and they will probably all tell you yes.”
Sure, except 29 of those teams weren’t leading their division by seven games on May 28, only to fumble it all away. Those teams also aren’t the Yankees, who should be held to a higher standard considering their 27 World Series titles, and who should hold themselves to that same high standard.
“Sucks,” Boone said. “Feels real crappy. We’ve got to get past it.”
Boone then said, “We can’t sit here and dwell on it.” The game had ended maybe 10 minutes before. It’s not like there had been much time to dwell.
Stanton put a bit of a finer point on it Saturday, after a game in which the Yankees also went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and saw Blackburn, whom they signed Thursday, get demolished for seven earned runs and eight hits over the final 3 1/3 innings.
“Not taking advantage when we’ve got guys on base and can get some momentum and putting the ball in play in general. Playing crisp baseball,” Stanton said.
Stanton also said it was “unacceptable — we all know that.”
Yet it’s the level of play displayed by the Yankees since they were 39-23 on June 6. Since then, they’re 30-37, the ninth-worst mark in baseball. Overall, they’re just 32-35 against teams over .500.
“Coaches can’t fix that,” Judge said. “Fans can’t fix that. Media can’t fix that. It’s the players in this room. We’ve got to step up, and that’s what it comes down to.”
Late afternoon Saturday, long after fans had left Yankee Stadium, the outfield was opened for the families of some players and team employees to roam around and enjoy the warm, sunny weather. After all, New York City won’t get many more picturesque days like this with September fast approaching, and the club rightfully wanted to take advantage. Something the Yankees haven’t been able to consistently do with another team on the field for months, even though they know they have to play better.
(Photo of Aaron Judge: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)