MLB analyst gives clear verdict on where Aaron Judge should bat in Juan Soto-less Yankees lineup

With Juan Soto no longer a member of the New York Yankees, MLB analysts and fans are extremely interested as to what the batting lineup looks like as the regular season approaches. Specifically, they're trying to figure out where Aaron Judge bats and who will be backing him up so as to guarantee opposing pitchers are forced to throw to him.

This was one of the topics of discussion on the MLB Network's Friday airing of "Hot Stove." Harold Reynolds, Robert Flores, and YES Network analyst Jack Curry offered their opinions on a 2025 potential starting lineup for the New York Yankees with Aaron Judge nestled into the No. 2 hole and Cody Bellinger inserted right in back of him.

"I would be shocked, shocked, if Judge is not hitting 2nd," Curry said.

"I know he said he likes to hit third in his press conference the other day, but ... You want your best hitters to get the most at-bats. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but hitting second as opposed to third over the course of a season, that's going to matter to a certain number of at-bats.

"For me, Judge is hitting second in the lineup. Juan Soto is not in this lineup, so you want Judge to get as many at-bats as possible," Curry added.

The interview then moved to whom thought would be the best to nestle in right behind Aaron Judge, and the panel was in full agreement that newcomer Cody Bellinger was the man for the job. Reynolds stated that his offseason acquisition would make a huge impact for the Yankees. Curry seconded that notion:

"I like Bellinger hitting at Yankee Stadium. Hitting at Wrigley Field became a different challenge for him. I know the Yankees ran all the numbers... Had he played all his games as a Yankee last year, he would've hit six more home runs than he did as a Cub.

"His versatility and ability to play multiple positions is going to be something that works well for the Yankees. I see him as someone you tuck in right behind Judge in the lineup and feel good about it."

Let there be facial hair - Yankees' longstanding policy squashed

While it may sound crazy, Hal Steinbrenner took steps this offseason to talk to other organizations and professionals inside and outside of the industry about facial hair. In particular, why having beards and the ability to have facial hair was so important to this generation.

He learned that the vast majority of men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s had beards. Another idea in the thought process of getting rid of the longstanding policy was the possibility of the Yankees not being able to sign players because of the policy.

Steinbrenner came to the conclusion that the policy in place was outdated and somewhat unreasonable after sitting down face-to-face with a number of his players throughout this past week.

The guideline to play for the Yankees was squashed with parameters to the policy installed. With that, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and anyone else can now have facial hair so long as it's groomed and adheres to the new guidelines.