Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees captain, was on pace to hit 63 home runs by the end of August. However, September has been largely and unusually quiet for the leading AL-MVP contender. While the Yanks’ record has been mixed as well, Judge’s lack of firepower is deeply concerning for the fans.
The first half of the success of the New York Yankees was driven by Aaron Judge and his video game numbers. He won the Player of the Month award thrice and is also leading to winning his career’s first triple crown. Hence, despite the mini-slump, manager Aaron Boone believes that it’s just a matter of time before Judge to click again.
Aaron Judge’s Home Run Drought Extends To 15-Games!
Aaron Judge, who had been on a career-best run until August, has experienced a rare slump, going as many as 15 games without hitting a home run. Judge, who’s already hit 51 home runs, was on pace to hit 63 homers and surpass his own 62-homer all-time high record. However, this 15-game drought will heavily impact his odds of scaling that bar again this year. Not only that, Judge is hitting just .208/.364/.434 in the past two weeks and might lose the batting title to Bobby Witt Jr. The Batting title is the key to Judge’s triple crown milestone. However, Aaron Boone is backing his star player, emphasizing that such phases are part and parcel of a long baseball season.
The New York Yankees skipper added that Aaron Judge missed a few pitches that should have been hit during the away series against the Cubs. However, a player of Judge’s stature just needs a couple of balls to click and get the bat rolling. “But that’s just a matter of an at-bat and back to rolling, and he’ll hit them in bunches. [He’s] not far off at all,” Boone said. The skipper also pointed out that while Judge’s home runs have been missing, his overall contributions to the team remain significant. Judge continues to play solid defense in the outfield, and his presence in the lineup forces opposing pitchers to approach him with caution, which creates opportunities for other batters. Hence, as the New York Yankees fight for a playoff spot, the captain is expected to regain his form hopefully before the playoffs begin.
Judge Keeps Process Simple Amid Home Run Drought
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is ignoring the negativity surrounding his home run drought to the best of his capacity. He revealed in an interview that his process of to not stay focused on hitting home run all the time. The idea is to get on base and allow other a run scoring opportunity.
“I’m just trying to get on base and drive guys in when I can. That kind of stuff comes when you take a good swing,” Aaron Judge said. However, Judge will eventually have to score long hits as home runs are his identity. In the postseason, the New York Yankees will heavily rely on his offensive production.
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