There's no doubt that New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge produced not only an MVP-worthy 2024 regular season, but delivered one of the best offensive seasons in MLB history.
Sep 28, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images
That being said, regardless of how impressive Judge has been, his stats will now reset in the postseason. And given how he has fared in the playoffs to this point, Yankees fans may have reason to worry that Judge's sustained greatness won't continue into October.
An October 1 article from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal had 'Can Aaron Judge end his postseason slump?' listed as one of MLB's biggest questions heading into the playoffs.
"When last we saw Judge in October, he followed his 62-homer campaign by going 1-for-16 in the 2022 American League Championship Series, and his Yankees were swept by the Astros," Rosenthal wrote.
"In nearly 200 career plate appearances in the playoffs, Judge is batting .211 with a .310 on-base percentage. He has 13 homers, but is averaging one every 15.2 plate appearances, as opposed to one every 13.7 in the regular season.
"The weakness of the Yankees’ lineup beyond Juan Soto... will complicate Judge’s challenge," Rosenthal continued. "But Barry Bonds faced the same 'he can’t hit in the postseason' narrative in the first part of his career. And wise baseball people said at the time, 'Give a great player enough chances, and he’ll figure it out.'"
Not only does Judge have an opportunity to lead his Yankees team to a World Series, but he can also put an end to this narrative of him struggling come playoff time. If he accomplishes both then Aaron Judge will cement himself as a New York Yankees legend.
