The ongoing discussion about the Yankees’ dependence on Aaron Judge has only intensified with his recent struggles. It seems like, well, maybe he’s really having one of the toughest stretches of his career.
To illustrate, Judge has hit a snag, going 11 games without a hit—marking the longest drought he’s faced in the majors, as noted by researcher Katie Sharp. Lately, he’s managed only 10 hits in 56 at-bats, with just three being extra-base hits, and a staggering 21 strikeouts over the last 15 games. Not surprisingly, the Yankees have dropped 10 of those games.
What’s even more alarming? After his latest hitless outing, Judge has allowed only one hit while striking out 10 times in his last 23 at-bats. This is not a good trend for the Yankees, whose offense has transitioned from impressive to disappointing quite rapidly.
Despite this, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone believes there might be a silver lining even after the team was limited to just two runs against the Rays. “I thought we swung the bats well,” Boone remarked, emphasizing the importance of making contact.
Though Boone himself only reached base once in five at-bats, he took a moment to acknowledge Judge’s potential. He mentioned how Judge, during one at-bat, hit the ball at an impressive 111 mph, resulting in a play against shortstop Taylor Walls. Still, the Yankees didn’t manage to snag a win as key players struggled.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Yankees have displayed one of the weakest batting lineups in the league. Prior to May 8, the bottom half of their order was performing decently, ranking sixth in the majors. However, since then, they’ve fallen to 24th in OPS among the 5-9 batters and second-to-last overall.
Interestingly, May 8 was the day they got a reality check from Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out two players in quick succession during that game. Misiorowski’s pitches were notably fast, setting records since 2008. Following that encounter, the Yankees have scored six runs or more in a game only three times over the next 13 contests.
It seems like Judge’s hits aren’t coming as strong as they used to. While he still shows prowess against fastballs, his slugging percentage has dropped significantly from .871 last season to .622 this year.
It’s worth noting that Judge experienced a rough start two seasons ago as well, but picked up pace around mid-May, leading the Yankees to a successful campaign. Currently, the Yankees are trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by 5.5 games, and they really could use Judge to step up—while he, in turn, might need more support from the lineup.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. seems to be improving after a rough beginning, and a healthy Jose Caballero could be beneficial. Additionally, if Ryan McMahon doesn’t contribute offensively, it could mean lost playing time for Amed Rosario or Caballero at third base, while Anthony Volpe holds down shortstop.
On a positive note, Austin Wells hit two solid balls recently, including his first home run since late April. But the overall situation, well, it remains a bit precarious.
