Los Angeles, California — In the heat of the 2024 World Series, questions surround New York Yankees’ star Aaron Judge who, despite a stellar regular season, is enduring a rough patch in the postseason. Yankees manager Aaron Boone, however, dismissed any suggestion of adjusting the batting lineup to energize the team following a disappointing performance in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.
During a critical ninth inning in Friday’s game where the Yankees fell 6-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings, Judge failed to capitalize on a key scoring opportunity, popping out and continuing a string of underwhelming postseason appearances. The outfielder, lauded with 58 home runs in the regular season, managed just one single in five at-bats in the series opener, coupled with three strikeouts.
Judge’s postseason struggles are stark. He’s batting a mere .167 across ten playoff games this October, contributing two home runs and six RBI, but also accruing 16 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. His past performances have collectively delivered a .203 batting average and a .753 OPS over 244 career postseason plate appearances.
In striking contrast, Giancarlo Stanton, batting directly after Judge, continues his ascent as one of the Yankees’ greatest postseason performers. Stanton made an impactful contribution in Game 1 with his 17th career postseason home run, a monumental hit that temporarily gave New York a 2-1 lead. His postseason OPS stands impressively at 1.034, a statistic only eclipsed by baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
This postseason stretch sees Stanton homering in four consecutive games, and remarkably, each of his last five hits has cleared the fences. Such performance has solidified his place among the premier hitters in Major League Baseball history, particularly in high-stakes scenarios.
The discussion around Judge isn’t just about numbers, but also about whether he can deliver when it matters most. Despite setting up numerous scoring opportunities, Judge seems unable to “find his seat at the table,” especially when compared to his teammates like Torres and Soto who have consistently set the stage.
Boone’s firm decision to keep Judge in his current lineup position speaks volumes about his confidence in the player’s ability to overcome his slump. Yet, as the World Series progresses and the stakes increase, the pressure will only intensify for Judge to match his regular-season heroics and justify his manager’s unwavering faith.
As the Yankees prepare for the next game, all eyes will be on Judge to see if he can turn around his postseason fortunes and play the role of the hero that New York fans know he can be.
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