After reaching the World Series for the first time since 2009, the New York Yankees have gone down 0-2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Usually when a team wins the league pennant, their best player plays a big role in the team’s success; but this has not been the case for the Yankees and the likely AL MVP, Aaron Judge.
Yankees Desperately Need Their Captain To Lead Them Out Of World Series Deficit
Judge’s postseason struggles aren’t a new narrative. Despite putting up otherworldly numbers almost every regular season, the Yankee captain usually regresses in October, but not absurdly. This year, though, things have gone from bad to worse: Judge is batting .150 with a .605 OPS in 11 postseason games, hitting just 2 home runs and driving in a mere 6 runs. Judge also now owns the highest career strikeout rate in postseason history (min. 225 PA).
With the momentum now heavily in Los Angeles’s favor as the series shifts to New York, the Yankees need Judge to step up and take his mantle as their captain if they want any chance to win this series.
The Soto And Stanton Show
Coming into the postseason, many expected Soto and Judge to be one of the most dynamic October duos in recent memory. The Yankees have witnessed a great pairing of sluggers at their best this postseason, but it hasn’t been Judge and Soto. Instead, Giancarlo Stanton has essentially replaced Judge’s production in the lineup, carrying the team’s offense through the first division and championship rounds along with the ever-great Soto.
Except for a clutch home run off Emmanuel Clase in Game 3 of the ALCS, Judge has done virtually nothing on offense to help the Yankees win. At the very least, he has remained solid in center field, but his numbers at the plate have been absolutely daunting. While his fellow power threat in Stanton has been on a tear amidst his struggles, the Yankee bats can’t be carried by two offensive juggernauts for much longer. Even if it means just a few key base hits, New York needs Judge to break through very badly if they want a shot at winning the title.
The Series Could Look Very Different
Despite the 0-2 hole the Yankees have found themselves in, the first two games could have gone in either team’s direction. If Gleyber Torres had fielded the ball cleanly and prevented Shohei Ohtani from tying Game 1 in the 8th inning, or if Jose Trevino had come through against Blake Treinen in the top of the 9th of Game 2, the Yankees could easily be up or tied in the series.
But that’s not where things stand. The Yankees need to win at least two of their three home games to move the series back to LA, and even then, they would have to beat the Dodgers twice at home. Possible as it may be, the odds of it happening without Judge contributing to it are very low.
A Change May Be Necessary
It may be too late to change the lineup, but it’ll be interesting to see what Aaron Boones does with his superstar center fielder for the remainder of the series. Judge has batted 3rd for the entire year, but it may finally be time to move him down in the lineup. History has shown that moving down in the lineup can help a player break out of a slump; however, changing the lineup’s status quo may do more harm than good when your team is down 0-2 in the World Series. Either way, Aaron Boone certainly has some interesting decisions to make for the rest of the series.
Regardless of where he is hitting in the lineup, Judge is running out of time to save his team from elimination. He’s been lucky that Soto and Stanton have borne the burden on offense to this point, but realistically New York can’t survive much longer without contributions from the player who got them into the postseason in the first place. If this ends up being Judge’s only shot at a title, his legacy and pending status as an all-time great Yankee may be compromised.
Main Phoro Credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
