NEW YORK — Aaron Judge might be the frontrunner for the AL MVP Award but you wouldn’t know it based on the reception he got Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
With the Houston Astros leading 5-0 in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS, Judge struck out with one on and one out. Cristian Javier had one-hit the Yankees through 5 1/3 and was pulled after Anthony Rizzo reached on a walk. The Astros went to the bullpen for Judge, bringing out right-hander Hector Neris.
Judge struck out on three straight pitches, looking at a fastball for strike three. He walked back to the dugout to a chorus of boos. Judge went 0-for-4 against Javier, Neris and former Mets’ pitcher Rafael Montero and the Yankees lost 5-0 to go down 3-0 in the series.
“You definitely understand their frustration,” Judge said. “But there’s a big Game 4 coming up and if we get down, they’ll stick with us and we’ll do our thing. I understand why there is boos and why they’re yelling at times. But we’ve got to pick it up as a team and we’ll take their support, that’s for sure.”Even the most elite hitters can be quieted by elite pitching. Judge went 0-for-4 against Javier, Neris and former Mets pitcher Rafael Montero.
This isn’t the first time Judge has received a Bronx Cheer during the postseason. The slugger heard plenty of them in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians, acknowledging that he needed to play better. While Judge only hit .200 for the series, he did have some big hits, including the go-ahead home run in Game 5 and a game-tying two-run shot in Game 3, just one day after being booed in the Bronx.
But all that goodwill disappeared once the ALCS began. With fans eager to see their team return to World Series prominence and finally get over the Houston hump, they were expecting more from their record-breaking star. Judge is just 1-for-11 against the Astros through three games and 5-for-30 with 14 strikeouts and only a single walk in the playoffs overall.
There has been speculation that he hasn’t been the same hitter since his quest to hit 62 home runs in the regular season. Manager Aaron Boone didn’t necessarily dispute the notion, but he did downplay it.
“I mean, I don’t know. It’s that time of year, especially when you’ve played a full season, everyone’s played, everyone’s a little tired,” Boone said. “But you’re playing for everything right now and that kind of helps make the tired go away a little bit.”
But Judge looks more than “a little tired,” according to an AL scout. The adrenaline can only do so much. It can’t make up for altered timing and some of the other hangover-like effects that often plague hitters during slumps.
“The home run chase has messed up his swing,” the scout said. “He’s not walking, he’s not making good contact. He looks exhausted.”
To make matters worse, the former Fresno State star may be playing some of his final games in pinstripes, set to become a free agent in just a few weeks. Of course, Judge’s legacy will be his 62 home runs and the frenzied chase to pass Roger Maris on MLB’s all-time list this summer. These last few at-bats shouldn’t matter much, but it could leave a negative impression on fans as he heads into an uncertain winter.
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