It’s been an awesome start for the New York Yankees, but Aaron Judge cannot say the same for himself.
The Yankees are 14-7 on the young season, and Juan Soto has been as advertised, but their $360 million man is in a prolonged slump, and fans are worried.
Judge, the 2022 AL MVP with a record-breaking 62-home run season that year, struck out four times Saturday in the Yanks’ 2-0, 10-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping his batting average to .179.
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Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium April 20, 2024, in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
They’re just 24 games into the season, but greatness is expected — almost demanded — by Yankees fans.
So, they decided to boo the captain of their beloved Yankees.
Judge took the jeers and wore them with grace.
“I’ve heard worse, and I’d probably do the same thing in their situation,” he admitted after his golden sombrero.
It seemed like Judge was going to break out earlier this week. He hit a game-winning, two-run single in the ninth inning Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. But that apparently was an outlier.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium April 20, 2024, in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
FORMER ASTROS PROSPECT DEAD AT 24 AFTER TRAFFIC WRECK IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Judge is still walking at a solid rate. He’s in the 99th percentile in walk rate. He’s also not chasing bad pitches (91st percentile). But he’s struggled to put the ball in play.
But there are over 130 games to go, and, unlike most Yankees fans, Judge knows patience is key.
“It’s still early. It’s a long season,” he said. “Just missing the pitch. Get a pitch in the zone, I gotta capitalize on it.”
The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge looks out from the dugout during the seventh inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday, April 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
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Judge missed some time in spring training dealing with core soreness, and he also admitted his toe injury from last year that cost him 42 games could require “constant maintenance” for “the rest of my career.”
The injury happened during his first season of a nine-year deal that gave him the highest annual average value for any position player in the history of the sport ($40 million per year).
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