Aaron Judge states the obvious as he tries to snap out of postseason funk

Aaron Judge's postseason struggles are proving costly for the New York Yankees, now down 0-2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Batting just .150 across 11 playoff games, Judge is currently tied with Shohei Ohtani for the most strikeouts this postseason, with 19. However, while Ohtani is hitting .260 with 10 RBIs, Judge’s production has been limited to six RBIs—a stark difference impacting the Yankees' offense.

“Plain and simple, I’ve got to start swinging at strikes,” Judge admitted after an 0-4 performance in Game 2, which included three strikeouts. “I gotta step up as well, especially with what Gleyber and Juan are doing at the top of the lineup.”

Aaron Judge states the obvious about his playoff slump

Judge’s towering 6-foot-7 frame makes him one of the most imposing hitters in MLB, yet his tendency to chase low-and-outside pitches is a recurring weakness, contributing to his high strikeout rate. Tasked with following on-base machines Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto, Judge has struggled to put the ball in play consistently, swinging and missing on 14 of his 24 swings in the series so far. His OPS, which was .704 at the start of the World Series, has since dropped 99 points. In two games, he’s reached base just once—a concerning stat as the Yankees desperately need his offense.

Questions are mounting around manager Aaron Boone’s decision to keep Judge in the third spot of the lineup. Some fans suggest moving Giancarlo Stanton up alongside Soto, hoping that Judge might benefit from reduced pressure batting further down. Stanton has been the Yankees’ offensive anchor, with a two-run homer in Game 1 that temporarily put the Yankees ahead. Leading the team with 14 RBIs and a 1.098 OPS this postseason, Stanton’s performance underscores that one player alone can’t carry the Yankees’ lineup.

As the series shifts to New York for three games, the Yankees need Judge to break out of his slump, with the support of over 45,000 fans rallying behind him. For Judge and the Yankees, it’s all or nothing.