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Aaron Judge’s Playoff Doubts On The Line Vs. Red Sox

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 9:10 PM ET

It seems like every day this season, Aaron Judge was moving himself among the legends of the game. Babe Ruth. Mickey Mantle. Lou Gehrig. Joe DiMaggio. He’s taken his place among the greats — except in one case. The Yankees’ captain hasn’t delivered the kind of October that seals a legacy.

He doesn’t just need a big series; he needs a ring.

The Aaron Judge Postseason Problem

Across his postseason career, Judge’s October line sits around .205/.318/.450 with 16 home runs in roughly two months’ worth of games. The power is still there, but the contact isn’t. The strikeout rate climbs, the BABIP dips, and what looks like a small statistical drag over 162 turns into a headline in a five-game sprint. He’s been a net positive bat by run value, just not the wrecking ball his regular seasons promise.

Why Judge Shrinks in October

This isn’t a mystery.

In the postseason, it's all about the elite starters and turbo bullpens, with managers stacking matchups and refusing to gift fastballs in the heart. Pitchers attack Judge more carefully in the playoffs; they lean heavily on spin and force him to expand. Not just Judge, but almost all appearances turn into three-true-outcome coin flips. Over a week, a couple of chases or a few balls can rewrite the story.

It’s not that Judge “can’t hit in October”; it’s that October strips away freebies.

Context Matters For 2025 Yankees

Judge just authored another MVP-level season. He won the American League MVP and led baseball in most offensive categories. He carried the Yankees’ offense for long stretches. That version of Judge is the one New York needs now.

It seems like every day this season Aaron Judge was moving himself among the legends of the game. Babe Ruth. Mickey Mantle. Lou Gehrig. Joe DiMaggio. He’s taken his place among the greats — except in one case. The Yankees’ captain hasn’t delivered the kind of October that seals a legacy.

The First Challenge is Garret Crochet

Judge versus Garrett Crochet is the perfect Wild Card stress test. He has three hits in 15 at-bats against the Red Sox lefty. Two of those hits are home runs, but he also has a pile of strikeouts. Crochet wins most of the battles, but when Judge connects, it’s loud. For all the talk about the Yankees' lineup versus Red Sox pitching, it’s this duel, Judge's postseason stats against a dominant lefty who starves him of heaters, that is the hinge point.