Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper have already come through in big spots for their teams this postseason, and if the Yankees are to have similar success, then Aaron Judge will need to do the same.
In 45 career postseason games entering Game 2 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals, Judge is hitting .206, with 13 homers and 25 RBI. In Game 1 on Saturday, Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Plain and simple: That’s not good enough.
If the Yankees are to have any chance at their 28th World Series championship this season, Judge needs to find it sooner rather than later. Judge had only faced Cole Ragans, Kansas City’s Game 2 starter, three times,
going 0-for-2 with a strikeout and walk, but Judge has had success against left-handed pitching this season, hitting .311 during the regular season. The time is now for Judge to break out.
“It’s just about going out there and trying to do your job,” Judge said. “Guys are on base, try to drive them in. If not, move them over. Try to do the things we’ve been doing all year. It’s really not about putting any pressure on anybody. It’s the same game we’ve been playing all year.”
While Judge has been good against lefties, the Yankees as a whole have struggled against them in 2024. New York hit a paltry .235 against southpaws during the regular season. Additionally, while the Yankees slug .445 against righties, they slug only .387 against lefties.
Ragan’s lone start against the Yankees this season came in the Bronx on Sept. 11 where, despite losing the game in extras, he shined. In six innings, Ragans struck out seven batters and allowed only two earned runs on three hits, including a home run allowed to Juan Soto.
Getting to lefties won’t just be a priority for the Yankees tonight but all postseason long.
