If you have been following the New York Yankees in the postseason, you know that star player and team MVP Aaron Judge hasn’t been performing well since the calendar turned to October. After posting a 1.159 OPS in the regular season, he is down to .609 in the playoffs. His batting average is at .152.
The first three games of the World Series were a nightmare for Judge, who went 1-for-12 with a walk and seven strikeouts. Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitchers had his numbers, and he continually expanded the zone.
But something appeared to click in Game 4 on Tuesday in the Bronx. No, he didn’t homer, but he walked, stole a base, got his first hit since Game 1, and drove in his first World Series run late in the contest.
That hit came on a solid contact, too, and given how badly he has struggled to this point, that helps him build confidence for what’s about to come for the Yankees.
The Yankees need their MVP to have a legacy game
What is about to come for New York? Well, they are facing elimination with their next loss, but they are going to work hard to stave off that moment and remain alive for as long as possible.
If they are going to achieve that goal, they badly need their captain make the fifth contest of the series ‘the Aaron Judge game’. They need his very best version.
Considering the Yankees win on Tuesday, the vibes around the clubhouse, and the improved approach/performance on Tuesday, the potential 2024 AL MVP might just have that breakout game the Yanks badly need.
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This is a guy who hit 58 home runs in the regular season, and that kind of power hasn’t gone away. It’s still there, lurking under the surface, waiting for the man to put on a good swing….or three.