Aaron Judge has been struggling since the All-Star break, but he doesn’t want people to think the Home Run Derby is the problem.
According to Marly Rivera of ESPN, Aaron Judge thinks his slump has nothing to do with the strenuous Home Run Derby on July 10. He said, ” I don’t think it has anything to do with it at all.”
In the four games since the All-Star break, Judge has just one hit in 21 plate appearances. His only hit was an infield single. Additionally, he has struck out six times. However, these numbers are slightly misleading. Judge slammed a ball to center field and Jackie Bradley Jr. made a stellar catch to rob him of a home run.
Before the Home Run Derby, Judge had 99 hits and 109 strikeouts in 298 at-bats.
The Home Run Derby is constantly blamed for the second-half slumps by sluggers. Aaron Judge is no exception, especially since he had such a successful first half of the season. The 25-year-old outfielder is a strong contender for the American League MVP award due to his taking the baseball world by storm in his rookie season.
Of course, some players do struggle following success in the derby. For example, David Wright of the New York Mets hit 20 home runs in 339 plate appearances before the All-Star break in 2006. After winning the Derby, he hit just six home runs in 243 at-bats, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
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During the Derby, Aaron Judge hit 48 balls over the fence in Miami. He’s only hit 34 career home runs approximately one total season of play.
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi addressed the idea of a Judge slump after Sunday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox:
“It’s going to happen at some point. You’re going to have a tough three or four days, five days,” the Yankees skipper said.
The Yankees need Aaron Judge to return to his best to compete this season. As of Monday, they are 3.5 games back in the American League East.