3 Yankees most to blame for insurmountable 0-3 ALCS hole

By Mark Powell | Oct 22, 2022

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 30: Aaron Judge #99 and Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees look on from the bench during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on April 30, 2021 in New York City. Tonight’s game between the Tigers and Yankees in New York will be the first between teams that reached 85 percent or more of their Tier 1 personnel fully vaccinated, No masks will be required in the dugouts or bullpens. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

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Oct 22, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts to striking out in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros during game three of the ALCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Yankees to blame: Aaron Judge

In three games this series, Judge is 1-for-11 with three strikeouts. His already-suspect postseason splits for 2022 plummeted. So, what’s the problem?

Judge’s home run chase to end the season clearly applied a lot of pressure, and perhaps had him swinging for the fences a little too much. In many ways, his home run chase ended any chance at a triple crown, which is an incredible accomplishment in its own right.

Either way, something was off heading into the playoffs. He’s had a few big moments, but Judge isn’t performing well when the Yankees need it most. In Game 3, he nearly collided with Harrison Bader, leading to an error and eventually two Astros runs. Houston isn’t a team New York can afford to make mistakes against.

Yanks Go Yard’s Adam Weinrib summed up Judge’s struggles quite well:

"“The timing has been poor for a multitude of reasons, and Judge’s distracting stamp has been on this Houston rematch in all the wrong ways. From his Game 2 homer that wasn’t/ignited the “roof blame” conversation, to his unfortunate route in front of Harrison Bader that led to Chas McCormick’s Game 3 homer, to much more swing-and-miss than usual, Judge hasn’t been the sole offender in a team-wide implosion, but he’s by far the most talented imploder.”"

Fans have high expectations for Judge. Even when he performs, say, average, it’s not good enough. This postseason, Judge’s numbers aren’t MVP-caliber, leaving many fans and pundits to wonder what the hell happened?

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