Where is Aaron Judge in the batting lineup against the Houston Astros? | 2022 MLB season

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and the other Bronx Bombers will be looking to avenge their 2019 ALCS loss to the Houston Astros. The Yankees find themselves in an American League Championship Series matchup with the Astros for the third time in six seasons.

"The New York Yankees advance to face the Houston Astros in the ALCS for the third time in the last six seasons!" - Talkin' Baseball

Coming off of a five-game series with Cleveland and directly into another series, Yankees fans will certainly be curious about the lineup for Game 1. What will Manager Aaron Boone do to manage the health and fatigue of a roster that is coming off a gritty series against the Guardians?

Now with a devastating injury to outfielder Aaron Hicks, all eyes will be set on the Game 1 lineup and how they will replace the veteran outfielder. While the bottom half of the starting nine will be the most uncertain, the top of the order should remain the same.

"Nasty Nestor on the mound." - New York Yankees

In three of the last four games against Cleveland, the top of the order has been: 1. Gleyber Torres, 2. Aaron Judge, 3. Anthony Rizzo, 4. Giancarlo Stanton, and 5. Josh Donaldson. This trend should continue for Game 1 of the ALCS.

How has Aaron Judge performed against the Houston Astros this season?

After hitting an American League record 62 home runs, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees have reached the ALCS and look poised to make their first World Series appearance since 2009. However, the Houston Astros and their star-studded pitching staff may be the toughest challenge New York has faced this postseason.

"Aaron Judge said he was inspired by Premier League soccer games when he kissed the Yankees logo on his jersey in the dugout after his home run" - Yankees Videos

In seven games this season against the Astros, Judge has only managed four hits, although two of them were two home runs. He finished the regular season against the Astros with a .148 batting average, two home runs, and seven RBIs. We will see if the potential MVP can hit consistently for the Yanks or simply wait to capitalize on a pitching mistake.

How will Aaron Boone replace Aaron Hicks?

After a collision with Oswaldo Cabrera in Game 5 of the ALDS, the Yankees announced that Aaron Hicks will miss the remainder of the postseason with a knee injury.

"Brett Gardner landing in Houston tomorrow for the ALCS after Hicks went down." - Evan Daniel

While it is currently unclear how Aaron Boone will replace Hicks in the lineup, New York does have outfielder Tim Locastro, utility man Marwin Gonzalez, and Matt Carpenter on the roster who can step in for Hicks. Giancarlo Stanton could also be asked to play some defense in the ALCS if needed. Even though the plan is unclear, New York does have quality options who can step up for them.