Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24, a three-run shot off A. J. Minter in the eighth inning, to help the New York Yankees clinch their record 61st postseason appearance and ninth in ten years with an 8-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Judge, returning from a fractured rib that sidelined him for 84 games, celebrated with teammates as beer and sparkling wine sprayed in the visitors clubhouse. He praised the development of young players like Spencer Jones and 21-year-old shortstop George Lombard, calling the roster a "close group" that weathered injuries throughout the season. The Yankees (87-63) closed to within 3½ games of AL East leader Tampa Bay (90-59), which had already secured a postseason spot.

Eighteen Yankees have landed on the injured list this year, including Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a sprained right thumb. Manager Aaron Boone noted Judge’s improved pitch selection and timing, saying he was swinging at the right pitches and just needed fine-tuning. Judge is flanked in the lineup by Ben Rice (38 homers, 90 RBIs) and Luis Garcia Jr. (30 homers, 91 RBIs), both contributing offensively.

Will Warren pitched 5⅔ scoreless innings and is expected to shift to the bullpen for the postseason, joining Clarke Schmidt, returning from Tommy John surgery. The starting rotation will rely on Cam Schlittler (1.95 ERA, MLB leader), Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole. Reflecting on past postseason exits—losing to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series and to Toronto in last year’s ALDS—Judge expressed confidence: "I like our chances.".