CLEVELAND — Even as beer dripped down his back and he wiped champagne from his eyes, Aaron Judge wasn't forgetting the emotional heartbreak he suffered seven years ago.
On Saturday night, an hour after the Yankees defeated the Guardians with a 5-2 victory in Game 5 of the ALCS, helping the captain achieve his dream, he fell one win short of qualifying for the World Series as a rookie in 2017. was in his head. The long-awaited first World Series.
“As sweet as this is, it's still with me,” the judge said. “But we're going to have fun with this.”
After hitting 58 home runs in the regular season, Judge will be focusing on Giancarlo Stanton, who hit four home runs en route to being ALCS MVP in the playoffs, and Juan, whose tie-breaking three-run home run in the 10th inning nearly gave the Yankees the victory.・We retreated to Soto. First pennant since 2009.
“If you have good people and good players, you can win,” Judge said. “That's what it comes down to. There may be different formulas and different ideas…but we knew it was something special.”
Judge was 3-for-18 (.167) in the series and 0-for-4 in the clincher.
He continues to record strikeout numbers that don't match his regular season numbers, one of the highest in postseason history.
The soon-to-be two-time American League MVP's only iconic moment, an eighth-inning game-tying home run off closer Emmanuel Clase in Game 3, was washed away the moment the Yankees' bullpen blew that game. It was.
That wasn't on his mind when he picked up the American League trophy, which he lost to the Yankees in the past postseason flop.
To make matters worse, the Yankees missed the playoffs entirely last season.
“I don't know how to explain it. It's really special,” the judge said. “When I look back at all the hard work and the players who competed in this tournament, [spring training] After having a disappointing season last season. That's the first thing that came to mind. That's what I keep coming back to. ”
Of course, the Yankees team and captain are judged on more than just winning the American League.
The Yankees have four games left before they beat either the Mets or Dodgers.
Follow The Post's coverage of the Yankees in the postseason.
“This is not what we came here for,” the judge said. “We came here for the ultimate prize.”
The Yankees' tough road to the World Series seemed obvious to Judge.
Sure, a 4-1 series doesn't seem all that difficult, but all three games played at Progressive Field were decided by the winning team's final at-bat.
“Good times make friends, but adversity builds families,” the judge said. “It creates trust that you can support each other through good times and bad, and that’s what we experienced. [in 2024]. I know we won the division, but we went through some tough times and had to answer some tough questions. Those tough times create moments like this. ”
