Yankees' Aaron Judge Loses Grip On Batting Title

What once seemed all-but-certain for New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is now anything but a sure bet.

The reigning American League MVP is trying to win his first batting title. Early in the season, he flirted with .400 and the possibility of winning the Triple Crown.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has put the AL home run and RBI titles out of reach for Judge. But the batting title is still up for grabs.

Judge is hitting .319 this season, putting him in a virtual tie with Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Problem is, Judge is trending in the wrong direction. Consider his month-by-month batting average:

- March: .545

- April: .415

- May: .364

- June: .253

- July: .288

- August: .241

- September: .231

Aside from July, Judge's batting average has fallen each month. Part of his struggles lately could be attributed to his elbow injury, which landed him on the injured list before returning to the lineup and splitting his time between designated hitter and the outfield.

The 33-year-old Judge will get plenty of opportunities down the stretch to pump up his average with the Yankees contending for a playoff spot. Good news is after this weekend's series against the Boston Red Sox, Judge and the Yankees have a somewhat soft schedule: three games in Minnesota and four games in Baltimore, followed by three games at home against the Chicago White Sox and three more games with the Orioles.

Both the White Sox and Orioles are last-place teams and the Twins are in fourth place in the AL Central, ahead of only Chicago.

The Athletics have games remaining against the Cincinnati Reds (3), Boston Red Sox (3), Pittsburgh Pirates (3), Houston Astros (3) and Kansas City Royals (3). Nine of those games are at home, with the A's playing in a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento which has proven to be quite hitter-friendly.