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Aaron Judge Ends Slump With Clutch Heroics

May 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after hitting a walk off two run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

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Aaron Judge Ends Slump With Clutch Heroics

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Timmy Sullivan | Last updated May 25, 2026 9:46 AM ET

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Aaron Judge is no stranger to rising to the occasion, contrary to the prevailing narrative. On Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays, a team the New York Yankees had not defeated this season, Judge finally ended one of the worst slumps of his career.

Prior to his walk-off, opposite-field home run that just made it over the short porch, the Yankee captain was hitting .167 with a .485 OPS over his past 11 games. Those 11 contests featured zero RBI or home runs.

It goes without saying that Aaron Judge, a three-time MVP and future Hall of Famer, let alone the face of baseball itself, gets held to a magnanimous standard – and rightfully so. For all of the diction about his “slow” start this season, Judge is still producing numbers that rival career-best outputs for almost anybody, right?

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Still Doing The Heavy Lifting

The baseball purists and Yankees haters will undoubtedly point to Aaron Judge’s .250 average and recent slump as indicators of a lackluster start. But those same people have a tough time explaining why Judge’s 17 home runs are tied with Chicago White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami for the second-most in Major League Baseball.

It’s also uncanny how Judge’s .937 OPS is eighth-best in the big leagues, or that his 160 wRC+ is also better than all but seven other big leaguers. Despite basically taking 11 days off at the plate, Judge’s numbers are just fine – and history says they’ll be at MVP level again shortly.

For all of their established star power, the Yankees have had plenty of players not named Aaron Judge in big slumps in recent weeks, too.

Baseball’s Brutal Humility

Based on their recent offensive showing, or lack thereof, less attentive fans wouldn’t guess that Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are both top-10 in the American League in fWAR. Rice is actually outperforming Aaron Judge and just about every other MLB hitter right now.

Recent weeks have not been kind to Rice and Bellinger, however. Rice is hitting .177 in his last 15 games with a .215 on-base percentage. The 2019 National League MVP, Bellinger, endured a three-for-30 slump. Showing signs of life, though, Bellinger is now hitting .364 with a 1.091 OPS in his last seven games, it should be noted. He also had a game-saving assist on Sunday when he threw a frozen rope to third base that resulted in an inning-ending out before the Rays would have scored the go-ahead run.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Rice and Bellinger are the catalysts in the Yankees’ lineup behind Aaron Judge. While the Bronx Bombers are an elite offensive team by most metrics, the aforementioned triumvirate are the only lineup mainstays with an OPS+ over 100 – or league average.

May 21, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) hits a single in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

End Of My Aaron Judge Rant

Coming off a 16-game stretch during which the Yankees won just five games, Aaron Judge and friends are now embarking on a six-game road trip to face the reeling Kansas City Royals and aspirational Athletics.

Gerrit Cole looked every bit himself in his first start since getting Tommy John surgery, and the Yanks still have the second-best record in the American League, though their record against teams .500 or better and performance in road games must improve.

On the mound against Kansas City, a favorite punching bag for the Yankees, are Will Warren, Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler, and Gerrit Cole. Having gone through an 11-11 May so far, this team needs to end the month on a high note.

May 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off two run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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