Aaron Judge started the first 66 games of the 2025 Yankees’ season before receiving an off day prior to the finale in Kansas City last week. If anything, that felt like pushing it; Judge is working hard to overcome the “injury prone” label, and his 2023 disaster was a freak accident rather than a soft tissue pull. We thought it was safe to agree that keeping Judge fresh was among the Yankees’ top priorities, given what the lineup looks like whenever he disappears.

Apparently not, though, since Aaron Boone can be blamed for everything.

Even though it was most assuredly the front office’s decision to give the Captain a breather — and maybe, just maybe, there was a reason behind it that the public doesn’t know — Boone has instead gotten raked over the coals for the move as the offense has stalled.

Want to blame Boone for the team’s annual June downturn? Fine by me. It’s getting weird and it’s beyond comprehension, so it’s understandable you’d want to blame a higher power rather than the players. Want to blame his “lack of accountability” for the team’s fundamental mistakes? Again, if you believe the players can do no wrong, and that simply telling them, “Hey, stop that!” would make the errors go away … fine.

But blaming a scheduled off day for Judge’s resulting horrific slump, as well as the Yankees’ collective offensive malfeasance, is next-level insanity.

Yankees fans blaming Aaron Boone for breaking Aaron Judge with an off day

If you earnestly believe this theory, you’re essentially saying that Judge is too soft to handle an off day and can’t possibly comprehend a return to the diamond after 24 hours away (and, for what it’s worth, he didn’t even get the day off, pinch-hitting late in the KC finale and getting punched out on Ball 4).

As frustrating as it’s been to watch the resulting (absurd) collective slump, pinpointing routine maintenance as the root cause of a mass run-scoring drought is as surface-level as it gets. Respectfully.

Disrespectfully, actually.

Now (sigh), one point for the off day truthers: Judge reportedly asked Boone if he’d reconsider the pre-planned off day if he slammed two homers in the series’ first two games. Judge did exactly that; the Yankees didn’t budge.

There’s a 3% chance Judge knew something cosmic about his body that Boone did not, and his well-coiled swing is now rebelling against him because Boone didn’t listen.

But there’s a way larger chance that these deeply, deeply frustrating struggles are random variance — and what’s the argument for the rest of the incompetent lineup, then? Did they all get an off day in KC? I don’t remember.

Do better, screamers. There’s plenty to nitpick Aaron Boone over. Giving his most important player exactly one breath isn’t it.

And besides, didn’t he drill a 700-foot home run off Garrett Crochet in his first post-off day game? Blame the Red Sox for breaking Judge with heaters. Blame Fenway, where he barely hits over .200 career. Don’t blame an incredibly standard attempt at preventing wear-and-tear before a stretch of 16 Yankee games in 16 days.