Why Aaron Judge Must Step Up This Postseason

Judge, on the other hand, has continued to struggle when it matters most: in the postseason. He slashed .184/.344/.408 with three homers and nine RBI in 14 games during last year’s postseason. But as bad as that is for Judge, he actually performed better last year than in previous postseasons. From 2019 to 2022 (the Yankees missed the playoffs in 2023), the two-time MVP hit .183 with a .627 OPS in 26 October games, striking out 36 times for a rate of 34.6%.

Aaron Judge Must Step Up for Yankees This Postseason

Considering that Judge has a career OPS of 1.028, his slumping in the postseason is clearly more of a mental issue, not a physical one. The 33-year-old slugger is as good as ever right now, solidifying his case for his third American League MVP with a .417/.576/1.083 slash line (yes, that’s a 1.083 slugging percentage, not OPS), five home runs, and 10 RBI over his last seven games. If he goes cold in the playoffs yet again, it’ll become even clearer that Judge just can’t get it done when the stakes are highest. That is the absolute last thing the Yankees need, for a couple of reasons.

Father Time Always Wins

Not only is Judge on the wrong side of 30, turning 34 next April, but the Yankees have not had a team that is this talented in quite a while. They have the undisputed best offense in the league, one of the scariest starting rotations in the league, and a bullpen that has a ton of talent, despite underperforming over the last few months. Plus, they are getting hot at the right time; they are 17-7 in September, and have won 11 of their last 13. Granted, they haven’t been playing any teams that they might see in the postseason, but momentum is key at this time of the year (just ask the New York Mets or Detroit Tigers).

However, they also have quite a few players who may not be on next year’s squad. This includes Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, and Devin Williams, just to name a few. They do have a number of young players ready to take the next step (particularly Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice), but the core of this team likely won’t be the same by the start of next season.

Damaged Legacy

All of this is to say that now more than ever, the Yankees need their captain to be the otherworldly hitter that everyone knows he is and can be. This team is arguably more worthy of winning a title than any of the Yankees’ recent playoff squads. But that’s not the only thing on the line…this postseason could be Judge’s last chance to fix his playoff woes. If he retires and goes down as a great player who just couldn’t get it done in the playoffs, his postseason demons will taint his career because, as virtually everyone knows, a true Yankees legend gets the job done in October.

Short Rest

Having tied with the Toronto Blue Jays after both teams won their last regular-season games on Sunday, the Yankees will seed in the first American League Wild Card spot, meaning they will take on the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium starting on Tuesday. It’s unfortunate that the Yankees couldn’t get the bye and give their players a rest, since that might have bolstered their chances even further. But still, if they’re going to finally lift the World Series trophy this fall, Aaron Judge has to finally break out in October to prove that he is truly one of the greats.