Judge on postseason struggles: 'I've definitely got to step up'

LOS ANGELES -- Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter strolled side-by-side around Dodger Stadium in the afternoon hours ahead of World Series Game 1. Filming a walk-and-talk segment for the FOX television broadcast, the current Yankees captain told his predecessor of his hunger to deliver a Yankees championship.

“The expectation isn’t just to get to the World Series, it’s to win it,” Judge said, as Jeter nodded.

Time is running out for Judge to deliver. His postseason woes continued with a 1-for-9 performance with six strikeouts in his first two career World Series games, including a hitless showing in the Yankees’ 4-2 Game 2 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday night.

“I’ve definitely got to step up, I’ve got to do my job,” Judge said. “Guys around here are doing their job, getting on base. I’m failing them, backing them up. We’ve got to turn it around.”

For so much of this season, Judge has fueled the Bombers’ engine. With his bat stalled throughout the postseason, other contributors like Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton have had to carry the load.

“It’s all about one at-bat,” Soto said. “I know it’s tough, but I feel like when you’re a hitter like him, he’s one of the greatest. I feel like it’s only going to take one at-bat for him to lock in and be on it.”

The Yankees won an American League-best 94 games during the regular season in large part because of Judge’s performance, arguably his best to date.

Considered a lock to receive his second AL Most Valuable Player Award, Judge paced the Majors in numerous offensive categories, including home runs (58), RBIs (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701) and OPS+ (223).

But it has been a different story in October, a most unwelcome callback to the early-season struggles that saw Judge batting .197 as late as May 2.

“I want him to get results, obviously, and I want him to get hot and get going,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like he will. Hopefully that’s now.”

The Yankees didn’t fret when Judge went 2-for-13 in the AL Division Series against the Royals, believing that it constituted a small sample size.

Judge did homer twice in the AL Championship Series against the Guardians, including a game-tying blast off closer Emmanuel Clase in Game 3 that would have registered as an all-time moment, had the Yankees' bullpen not faltered late.

Those teams, like the Dodgers, have exploited Judge’s willingness to chase pitches outside the strike zone. Overall, Judge is batting .150 (6-for-40) with a double, two homers and six RBIs through 11 postseason games, with seven walks and 19 strikeouts. He is 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

“I think it’s trying to make things happen instead of letting the game come to you,” Judge said. “You see Gleyber [Torres] out there on base, Juan [Soto] is getting on base, doing things, you want to try to make something happen. But if you’re not going to get a pitch in the zone, you’ve got to just take your walks instead. Plain and simple, I’ve got to start swinging at strikes.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. said he believes Judge will rise to the occasion as the World Series shifts to Yankee Stadium.

“We’re all a little bit anxious; it’s the first two World Series games in our careers,” Chisholm said. “You’re going to go out there a little bit anxious. I feel like when we get home, he’s going to feel more confident and he’s going to calm down. The swing still looks the same, it’s just a timing difference.”

Dating farther back to 2020, Judge has produced just a .146/.236/.346 slash line in his last 28 postseason games, a jarring contrast to the mighty performance that has made him one of the game’s most feared hitters during the regular season.

“It definitely eats at you,” Judge said. “You want to contribute and help the team, but that’s why you got to keep working and keep swinging. I can’t sit here and feel bad for myself. Nobody’s feeling bad for me.”

About an hour before Game 2, Judge exchanged pleasantries with another Hall of Famer with a unique perspective. Dave Winfield’s relationship with George Steinbrenner never recovered after a 1-for-22 showing in the 1981 World Series, with Steinbrenner deriding Winfield as “Mr. May,” a sharp contrast to Reggie Jackson’s “Mr. October.”

Certainly, the current Yankees ownership would never criticize the face of their franchise so sharply. Yet they desire to call him a World Series champion, a title that might not be achieved this autumn if Judge does not produce in the games ahead.

“I think the overall numbers don’t say how good of at-bats he’s had,” Stanton said. “Obviously, you see the overall numbers he’s had. He’s had good at-bats that haven’t showed for it. He’s got time to help us win some games.”