Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Alex Verdugo celebrate a Game 4 ALDS win. / Courtesy of Ken Blaze Images.
Few things are more exciting in New York City than seeing a Yankee take the field in a turtleneck. Those brisk October nights at Yankee Stadium whip through the stands and ice out fans—and they’re sure to make a foul ball sting like hell. This past week, the New York Yankees took on the Cleveland Guardians in the Bronx with lows of 48 degrees and did it in style.
The 2024 Yankees have brought back this iconic turtleneck look in the postseason—unless you’re Giancarlo Stanton, who has some superhuman tolerance to cold. Fans have been sharing pictures of the old uniforms, giving a side-by-side comparison of the new turtleneck look with the old. After inspection, the resemblance is uncanny to the 90s uniform.
From MLB on X
Justin Shackil, sportscaster for the YES Network and WFAN, confirmed on October 19 that the turtlenecks are the same ones worn in the 90s. Shackil wrote on X: “This postseason, multiple Yankees have opted for the ‘old school’ turtlenecks that conjure up great memories from the past. Turns out, those turtlenecks ARE from the past. I’m told they were in storage for years, and the players chose them b/c they prefer the cotton material.”
The classic turtleneck is a throwback to a thrilling era in Yankee history: the 1990s and early 2000s. This era was filled with young talent and persistent veterans—many of which would see the Hall of Fame. By the end of the 90s, the Yankees would win their third World Series title in only four years. The team was explosive and lacked any unproductive slots on their roster. Much like the Yankees today, this team had the means to sign the most exciting players in the game with massive contracts. In 2007, the Yankees signed A-Rod for $275 million for a ten-year contract. Sound familiar? How about when Aaron Judge resigned for $360 million for nine years?
But massive contracts and turtlenecks aside: is there a spark of the '90s Yankees within the 2024 team?
Judge breaks out of his home run slump—clad in his turtleneck. / Courtesy of Yahoo Sports
After breaking a post-season batting slump in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Judge echoed a sentiment of Derek Jeter. In the 90s, Jeter always believed in the “ghosts” of Yankee Stadium, the energy of legendary Yankees who played before him. Though Jeter talked about the ghosts in the old Yankee Stadium, Judge brought them back up in a press conference. Though the Yankees no longer play on the same ground as those legends, Judge told ESPN, “You never know on these windy, chilly nights what that ball is going to do when you hit the center here, but the ghosts were pulling out there to Monument Park, that’s for sure.”
With their turtlenecks back in style, the ‘24 Yankees have delivered a promising postseason performance. The organization has built a powerful team this season, accruing game-changing athletes like Juan Soto, and developing their knock-out roster. By creating a line-up of young players and veterans alike, the team echoes the build of the legendary 90s team. But do you believe their postseason success to be strategic management—or do you believe in ghosts?
Edited by Brooke Weinrich
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