Captain Aaron Judge is the apple of New York Yankees fans’ eyes. His record-breaking and awe-inspiring performances on the plate have attracted an enormous fanbase for the proven MVP slugger. However, be it good or bad times, nothing stays forever, just like Judge’s form, which has completely vanished this year.
Aaron Judge has been awful on the plate per his standards this year. He is missing pitches, which he normally smokes over the moon. Moreover, the captain’s recent hitless show against Tampa Bay Rays invited criticism as the home crowd present at the Yankee Stadium expressed their frustration with relentless boos.
Aaron Judge Unfazed By Home Crowd’s Hostile Reception!
The New York Yankees fanbase can be passionate yet brutal when it comes to their own team’s performance assessment. As a fan favorite, captain Aaron Judge has always received love from the supporters until this Saturday. Facing Tampa Bay Rays, Judge went hitless and was struck out four times in Bronx Bombers’ 2-0 loss to the Rays. After the final strikeout, fans dumped resounding boos over Judge, which is a rare sight to witness at the buzzing Yankee Stadium. However, Judge has given the fans all the reasons to be upset this year. He is hitting .179 with a .359 slugging percentage and a .682 on-base percentage in 21 games. Not only that, he has been struck out 27 times, which is the second most in the American League.
Having said that, Aaron Judge was seemingly unfazed by the hostile reception. In a post-match interview, Judge said he had heard worse boos and chants in the past and kind of justified the fans’ frustration. “I’d probably be doing the same thing in this situation,” said Judge. Moreover, he is not even concerned about his form as he feels the season is long and there’s enough time for him to bounce back. Judge also admitted that he is missing pitches in the zone which is so unlikely of him. Therefore, going forward, the captain’s goal is to get hits and walks whenever he can and not just focus on connecting long hits. Even skipper Aaron Boone isn’t stressed as he feels hitting in baseball is difficult, and even the best of the best players are bound to hit a slump. “We’re in April. It happens all the time with greatness,” opined Boone.
Nestor Cortes Defends Judge After Booing Incident!
Moments after boos were hurled at Aaron Judge following a four-strikeout home game vs. Rays, Yankees teammates rallied behind their captain. Nestor Cortes said Judge does not deserve that kind of treatment as he’s done a lot for the team and the organization at large. And he is confident of the slugger coming out of the slump soon.
“He’s going to be Aaron Judge, obviously. It’s just a matter of time,” said Cortes. Indeed, the Yankees captain has all the time in the world to get back to hitting the way he used to. Until then, another proven hitter, Juan Soto is carrying the team’s offense on his shoulders. Soto’s hitting .337 with 5 homers, 20 RBIs in 22 games.
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