Around the Empire: Yankees news - 9/8/23

FanGraphs | Alex Eisert: Pinstripe Alley’s very own Alex Eisert wrote about the Yankees captain and his importance to the team’s offense for FanGraphs. The team’s record without Judge is anything but above average, and when he’s not in the lineup, the weaknesses of the other hitters up and down the roster are exposed. The downturn in numbers from the other hitters coincides with Judge hitting the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium and hurting his toe, so just how important is the big outfielder to the team’s success?

MyCentralJersey | Mike Ashmore: Speaking of a big outfielder who has been compared to Judge (whether it’s the smart thing to do or not), Spencer Jones has fully arrived in Double-A with the ascendance of Jasson Domínguez. Not only is the 2022 first-round pick getting playing time at that level after playing well in High-A, but he says he’s ready for the task. The eight games he has played so far haven’t been the best, but it’s still early, and he has the tools both on defense and at the plate to start turning things around.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: There are so many people behind the scenes of broadcasting a baseball game. From the people providing the numbers to the people in the production truck, to the people running the camera, they all have their important role in giving the fans the ability to see their favorite team play. One of the people behind the scenes is a legendary sports cameraman named Pete Stendel. He has been behind the camera for plenty of huge sporting events. However, he was struck with a ball and almost lost an eye on a throw from Gunnar Henderson to first base. Stendel also was diagnosed with cancer, and this story by Brendan Kuty covers all of it.