All eyes continue to be on Aaron Judge as he tries to get to home run #61. Surely the Maris family is hoping to get this over with as they are now on the road with the Yankees and who wants to go to Texas next week? SU says he will get there and when he hits #61, he will hit #62 in the same game.

But the bigger issue for Brian Cashman and the Yankees is who to put on the post-season roster. Some decisions are easy (Frankie Montas: No, no no) but did you see the story from CBS Sports that Cashman is considering Designating For Assignment Aroldis Chapman? Chapman is a free agent after this season and the Yankees have no interest in bringing him back (there goes his number retirement – just kidding). But it shows just how low Chapman has gone in 2022. He is too much of a risk to pitch in October UNLESS they can straighten him out in the next 8 games. Unfortunately, the Yankees do not have a locked down closer and that will haunt them in the post-season. No 9th inning will go smoothly.

Other decisions:

1. Matt Carpenter – Cashman thinks he may play in Texas next week. SU says he has to go on the roster. Left-handed bat and there are so few.
2. DJ LeMahieu – SU would actually keep him off unless he shows he can hit with this toe issue. He had almost no extra base hits for a month before he went on the IL. He needs to be honest about what he can do. Obviously, prefer to have him in the line up but not like this.
3. Aaron Hicks – NO. Unless you need a late game doubleplay, no use.
4. Andrew Benintendi – apparently he is getting his stiches out shortly and might be ready. The question is whether he can get enough practice at bats in – not clear. At this point, SU is much more comfortable with Oswaldo Cabrera. He can play every position. Energetic, spark plug. Must be on the roster.

SU knows the Yankees score a lot of runs but having a line up of .220 hitters is painful to watch. Judge is the outlier. No way he bats lead-off in the post-season. The 7 – 9 hitters never get on base and it’s not helpful having him lead off so many times. And, I am sorry. No more comments about how Rizzo and Stanton have had such “productive” seasons. SU does not care about just home runs and RBIs. Hitting .220 is not productive with 500 – 600 at bats. Yes, you can win the World Series that way with great pitching but it means a lot of luck.

The NY Giants continue to play hard and are in every game. SU says Barkley is your best player. You have to put the ball in his hands much more often – especially on pass plays. Jones is running for his life on every play and a short pass to Barkley is often your best bet. Adjustments on play calling please.

Keep your eye on the NL East. Season’s best race all year long. The Mets and Braves go head to head this weekend in Atlanta and it’s huge. It’s the difference to having to beat the Dodgers vs. having to beat the Braves and the Dodgers in October. SU continues to give the nod to the Mets in having a deep playoff run vs. the Yankees.

Finally, the Laver Cup this weekend was great entertainment for an exhibition. First, the Federer send-off was great. Second, you saw how the top 3 players in the world have mutual respect for Federer and each other. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic set the tone for 15 years of how top rivals can compete at the highest level but still respect each other and the game. Others have clearly followed and it’s actually much more fun to watch vs. the antics in the past of McEnroe, Connors, Nastase, etc. Kyrgios did not get the message and he has a large following. But men’s tennis is in a good place for years to come now. Francis Tiafoe continues to be a prime time competitor and no one works the crowd better. Great for the sport.