"Yankees without Aaron Judge are fundamentally different" - MLB insider breaks down why Bronx Bombers struggled in "Babe Ruth's" absence

Perennial favorites for the AL East and one of the bookies' favorites for winning the World Series, the New York Yankees have failed to deliver on sky-high expectations this season.

At the moment, the Bronx Bombers sit third in the AL East, desperately clinging to the final wildcard spot. Adding to their long list of problems was the recent elbow flexor injury sustained by captain Aaron Judge. Though the injury was nothing really serious, much to the relief of fans, it kept him out of action for 10 games. Naturally, the absence of arguably their most important player showed in the Yankees' results.

Though many fans have been flabbergasted with how poor the 27-time World Series winners have been of late, insider Jared Diamond, appearing on "98.5 The Sports Hub" on Wednesday, explained why it was not surprising considering Judge's absence. In doing so, Diamond likened Judge to the legendary Babe Ruth.

"Actually, I don't think it's as big of a surprise as some people have been suggesting," Diamond said (0:55). "The Yankees are a fundamentally flawed team, they've been a fundamentally flawed team all season long. It's been hidden largely by the fact that they have Babe Ruth in the middle of their lineup.

"Aaron Judge, to me, is the single most important player to his team of anybody in baseball. Suddenly, he was gone for a couple of weeks, and they simply could not withstand that loss.

"Having a guy that's hitting .350, with 45 homers in the middle of lineup, it hides a lot of problems. The reality is, the Yankees without Aaron Judge are fundamentally different, than with Aaron Judge. We saw that during his absence."

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Yankees break miserable losing streak with hard-fought win over Rangers

Chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for top spot in the AL East, it appeared the Bronx Bombers were about to go on a run after taking three of four against the Tampa Bay Rays at home. However, they then went on a miserable five-game run, which saw them get swept by the Miami Marlins and lose two in a row to the Texas Rangers.

Aaron Judge in action against the Texas Rangers - Source: Getty

They finally ended that miserable run on Wednesday, winning 3-2 against the Rangers in the series finale in Arlington. Having watched the Bronx Bomber endure an extremely difficult beginning to August, fans will be hoping the worst is now behind them.