Aaron Judge‘s message this spring isn’t about muscular soreness, MVP trophies, or even the World Baseball Classic. It’s about retribution.
After another electric spring training debut, including two home runs in his first game back, the three-time American League MVP made it clear that last season’s abrupt ending still looms large for him and the New York Yankees.
“We’ve got a lot of unfinished business from last season, especially the way it ended for us,” Judge told the media after a spring training game, a line that doubles as both a reflection and a warning.
That unfinished business isn’t abstract. In 2025, Judge‘s .331 batting average, 53 homers, and 114 RBIs helped power the Yankees to 94 wins, but it wasn’t enough to topple the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East or in their ensuing postseason showdown.
Toronto claimed the division via tiebreaker and then eliminated New York in the AL Division Series, a defeat that sent the Bronx faithful and their star left to ponder what might have been.
A renewed rivalry under the brightest spotlight
This season’s build-up around the AL East is shaping into one of the most compelling narratives in baseball. Experts outside the Yankees‘ camp agree the Blue Jays remain right in the mix after a World Series run and a productive offseason.
MLB analysts calling it “a stacked AL East” point to Toronto‘s offseason tweaks and depth as evidence that they’re set up to be just as formidable in 2026.
Winning the division matters more than ever. Beyond bragging rights, the AL East title carries strategic benefits in seeding and home-field advantage deep into October.
After Toronto‘s strong finish, other teams in the league, including the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox, are also eying the top spot, making the road back to the playoffs even more treacherous for New York.
Judge‘s offseason wasn’t all smooth sailing. He openly called the Yankees‘ slow roster movement “brutal,” even as New York eventually brought back key contributors like Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt and added depth pieces such as pitcher Ryan Weathers.
But what stands out most this spring isn’t the roster’s construction, it’s Judge‘s focus on redemption and resilience.
Behind the scenes, New York quietly hopes that the return of ace Gerrit Cole from Tommy John recovery will shore up a rotation that needs to match Toronto‘s arms if it wants to edge out its neighbor in the standings.
Cole‘s health and dominance will be a storyline to monitor as the season unfolds. (It’s not yet clear how many innings he will be ready for early in the regular season, given his spring workload.)
Meanwhile, Toronto isn’t resting on its laurels. After falling just short in the World Series last year, analysts believe the Blue Jays have the roster balance to make another deep postseason push, not merely due to star power like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but also because of improved pitching and offensive depth across the lineup.
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