Yankees 2018 report card grades: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman

Posted October 11, 2018 at 06:04 AM | Updated October 11, 2018 at 06:07 AM

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By Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

GM Brian Cashman

Grade: B+

As our columnist, Steve Politi, put it: The Red Sox were just better than the Yankees. As the head of roster construction, that’s on Cashman, who finished his 20th season in the role — the longest-consecutively-tenured GM in the game. Unearthing Luke Voit, trading for J.A. Happ and Zach Britton and betting on Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar when some thought it was too soon were points in Cashman’s favor. The complete shelving of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn’s mediocrity and Giancarlo Stanton’s subpar (by what have been seen as his standards) are points against.

Aaron Boone

Frank Franklin II | AP

Manager Aaron Boone

Grade: B

Boone managed the Yankees to 100 wins. That’s a big deal. Hard to blame Boone for the Red Sox being simply superior. Boone’s regular season was perfectly fine. Players seemed to like him. None of his mistakes were particularly egregious until the postseason. During the regular season, Boone showed a penchant for sticking too long with starting pitchers. In Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS, when the hook is expected to come quickly, Boone slow played it too much. The results were a disaster.

Divisional Round - Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees - Game Three

Elsa | Getty

Aaron Judge

Position: RF

Age: 26

2018 stats: .278 BA, 27 HR, 67 RBI, 112 G, 498 AB, .919 OPS

Grade: A -

The only black mark on Judge’s season was the nearly month and a half he missed while on the disabled list due to a right wrist fracture. That’s not his fault. Hard to avoid a 94-mph fastball coming straight at your hands. Judge seemed like a more mature, more dangerous hitter than he was in his epic rookie season. And the Yankees clearly missed him badly when he was out.

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