Aaron Judge is on a mission to build a formidable legacy for himself as he entered the World Series at the Dodgers Stadium on Thursday. His unmatched regular season numbers have assured him of an AL-MVP pennant by the end of the season. However, a legacy is built on championships and not personal records.
The New York Yankees attains a historic legacy with 27 World Series title and Aaron Judge is desperate to find a place among the legends that played a key role in driving the team to the run. However, Judge’s long-lasting postseason struggles continue to taint his legacy as a player as well as a captain.
Aaron Judge Fails Again In Game Of World Series
Aaron Judge had a pivotal chance to alter his postseason reputation in the New York Yankees’ opening game of the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers. With the game tied in the top of the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres was on second base when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made the calculated decision to intentionally walk Juan Soto, setting up Judge to deliver in the spotlight. Facing Dodgers closer Blake Treinen, Judge came up short, popping up to shortstop and ending the Yanks’ scoring threat. The Dodgers eventually capitalized in the bottom of the 10th, with Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam sealing their 6-3 victory. Meanwhile, reflecting on his at-bat, Judge acknowledged the missed opportunity.
“I just missed it. He got a four-seamer up, and I got underneath it,” he said. Unfortunately, this was the latest in a series of playoff disappointments for the Yankees star, who has struggled to replicate his regular-season dominance in October. Judge’s opening game performance included three strikeouts and just one single in four at-bats. Interestingly, Judge’s October challenges are well-documented, especially since his explosive performance in the 2018 postseason. Since then, Aaron Judge has posted a disappointing .634 OPS in 37 playoff games. Judge has gone 5-for-31 in the 2024 postseason, with 13 strikeouts overshadowing his two home runs. However, despite these struggles, the captain remains hopeful that he can turn things around. Overall, Judge still has a chance to rewrite his October narrative, but the Yankees need his bat if they’re to overcome the Dodgers and win their first World Series since 2009.
Judge Defends Nestor Cortes Despite Game 1 Blowout
Aaron Judge and Nestor Cortes found themselves painfully close to securing a Game 1 victory in the 2024 World Series, with the Yankees holding the lead multiple times. However, Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th dashed their hopes, turning a tightly contested game into a 6-3 win for the Dodgers.
However, despite the devastating loss, Yankee captain Aaron Judge took the opportunity to send a powerful message of confidence and support for his teammate Cortes. “I got faith in all our guys. It doesn’t matter who it is, any guy that steps up on the mound. He knows he’s got a job to do,” he said, standing by his pitcher.
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