After captivating MLB fans with a historic 2022 campaign, Aaron Judge has struggled to find his swing in the early going in the American League Division Series against the Guardians.
The Yankees slugger, fresh off striking out in all three of his at-bats in a Game 1 win on Tuesday, continued his woes at the plate in Game 2 with a 0-for-5, four-strikeout effort in a 4–2 loss in extra innings at Yankee Stadium. According to ESPN, Friday’s outing marked Judge’s fourth four-strikeout game, setting a new mark for the most such games in MLB postseason history.
As if his uncharacteristic struggles weren’t enough, Judge, who sits atop the AL MVP race next to Angels star Shohei Ohtani, was on the receiving end of boos from Yankees fans after getting retired by former Yankees prospect Trevor Stephan in the bottom of the seventh inning. After the game, Judge didn’t appear to take the response too personally, telling reporters he wasn’t surprised by the reaction given how he’s played to start the series.
“Not at all. It happens,” Judge said, via SNY. “It’s happened many times in my career here. There’s nothing I can do. I gotta play better. That’s what it comes down to. Didn’t do the job tonight, especially as a leadoff hitter, I gotta get on base. I gotta make something happen on the base path. I didn’t do that tonight.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone also seemed to be taking the moment in stride when asked for his reaction to the moment post-game.
“It’s the Bronx, man,” Boone said, per Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein.
As New York prepares to travel to Cleveland for Game 3, Judge and the Yankees would surely welcome a return to the level the four-time All-Star reached on his way to crushing 62 homers and becoming the AL’s new home run king.
Judge’s next opportunity to re-discover his groove and help the Yankees take a series lead will come in Game 3 at Progressive Field on Saturday.
